1 ¶ Then Elisha said, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus says the LORD, Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

2 Then the official upon whom the king depended answered the man of God, saying, Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could that happen? But Elisha said, Listen, you will see it with your eyes, but will not eat any of it.

3 ¶ Now there were four leprous men at the entrance to the gate: and they said one to another, Why do we sit here until we die?

4 If we say, We will go into the city, famine is there, and we will die there: but if we stay here, we will die also. So let us go over to the army of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we will live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

5 And they got up in the twilight, to go to the camp of the Syrians: and when they came to the outskirts the camp, no one was there.

6 For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great army: and they said one to another, Listen, the king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians against us, to attack us.

7 So they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the camp as it was, and fled for their life.

8 And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate and drank, and carried away silver, gold, and clothing, and went and hid it; and came back, and entered another tent, and carried away what was there, and went and hid it.

9 Then they said to one another, We are not doing what is right: this day is a day of good news, and we are keeping quiet: if we wait until morning, we will be punished: so now come, let us go and tell the king’s household.

10 So they went and called to the gatekeepers of the city: and said to them, We went to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no one there, nor did we see or hear anyone, but the horses, and donkeys were tied, and the tents as they were.

11 Then the gatekeepers called out; and they relayed it to the king’s palace.

12 ¶ And the king got up in the night, and said to his servants, I will tell you what the Syrians have prepared for us. They know that we are hungry; so they have left the camp to hide in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall capture them alive, and get into the city.

13 But one of his servants said, Please let some men take five of the horses that are left here, (they could not fare any worse than the multitude of Israelites who remain in the city to be consumed:) and let us send them and find out.

14 So they took two chariot horses; and the king sent them after the Syrian army, saying, Go and find out.

15 And they followed them to the Jordan: and the entire path was full of garments and vessels, that the Syrians had cast aside in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.

16 Then the people went out, and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

17 And the king assigned the official on whom he depended to be in charge of the gate: and the people trampled him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God foretold, when the king came down to him.

18 So it happened just as the man of God had told the king it would, saying, Two measures of barley will sell for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:

19 And the official had answered the man of God, saying, Now, look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could that happen? And he said, Listen, you will see it with your eyes, but will not eat of it.

20 And so it was fulfilled to him: for the people trampled him in the gate, and he died.