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1. Jehoshapat had a good number of children; but he appointed his
eldest son Jehoram to be his successor, who had the same name
with his mother's brother, that was king of Israel, and the son
of Ahab. Now when the king of Israel was come out of the land of
Moab to Samaria, he had with him Elisha the prophet, whose acts I
have a mind to go over particularly, for they were illustrious,
and worthy to be related, as we have them set down in the sacred
books.
2. For they say that the widow of Obadiah Ahab's steward,
came to him, and said, that he was not ignorant how her husband
had preserved the prophets that were to be slain by Jezebel, the
wife of Ahab; for she said that he hid a hundred of them, and had
borrowed money for their maintenance, and that, after her
husband's death, she and her children were carried away to be
made slaves by the creditors; and she desired of him to have
mercy upon her on account of what her husband did, and afford her
some assistance. And when he asked her what she had in the house,
she said, "Nothing but a very small quantity of oil in a cruse."
So the prophet bid her go away, and borrow a great many empty
vessels of her neighbors, and when she had shut her chamber door,
to pour the oil into them all; for that God would fill them full.
And when the woman had done what she was commanded to do, and
bade her children bring every one of the vessels, and all were
filled, and not one left empty, she came to the prophet, and told
him that they were all full; upon which he advised her to go
away, and sell the oil, and pay the creditors what was owing
them, for that there would be some surplus of the price of the
oil, which she might make use of for the maintenance of her
children. And thus did Elisha discharge the woman's debts, and
free her from the vexation of her creditors.
3. Elisha also sent a hasty message to Joram, and exhorted
him to take care of that place, for that therein were some
Syrians lying in ambush to kill him. So the king did as the
prophet exhorted him, and avoided his going a hunting. And when
Benhadad missed of the success of his lying in ambush, he was
wroth with his own servants, as if they had betrayed his
ambushment to Joram; and he sent for them, and said they were the
betrayers of his secret counsels; and he threatened that he would
put them to death, since such their practice was evident, because
he had intrusted this secret to none but them, and yet it was
made known to his enemy. And one that was present said that he
should not mistake himself, nor suspect that they had discovered
to his enemy his sending men to kill him, but that he ought to
know that it was Elisha the prophet who discovered all to him,
and laid open all his counsels. So he gave order that they should
send some to learn in what city Elisha dwelt. Accordingly those
that were sent brought word that he was in Dothan; wherefore
Benhadad sent to that city a great army, with horses and
chariots, to take Elisha: so they encompassed the city round
about by night, and kept him therein confined; but when the
prophet's servant in the morning perceived this, and that his
enemies sought to take Elisha, he came running, and crying out
after a disordered manner to him, and told him of it; but he
encouraged him, and bid him not be afraid, and to despise the
enemy, and trust in the assistance of God, and was himself
without fear; and he besought God to make manifest to his servant
his power and presence, so far as was possible, in order to the
inspiring him with hope and courage. Accordingly God heard the
prayer of the prophet, and made the servant see a multitude of
chariots and horses encompassing Elisha, till he laid aside his
fear, and his courage revived at the sight of what he supposed
was come to their assistance. After this Elisha did further
entreat God, that he would dim the eyes of their enemies, and
cast a mist before them, whereby they might not discern him. When
this was done, he went into the midst of his enemies, and asked
them who it was that they came to seek; and when they replied,
"The prophet Elisha," he promised he would deliver him to them,
if they would follow him to the city where he was. So these men
were so darkened by God in their sight and in their mind, that
they followed him very diligently; and when Elisha had brought
them to Samaria, he ordered Joram the king to shut the gates, and
to place his own army round about them; and prayed to God to
clear the eyes of these their enemies, and take the mist from
before them. Accordingly, when they were freed from the obscurity
they had been in, they saw themselves in the midst of their
enemies; and as the Syrians were strangely amazed and distressed,
as was but reasonable, at an action so Divine and surprising, and
as king Joram asked the prophet if he would give him leave to
shoot at them, Elisha forbade him so to do; and said, that "it is
just to kill those that are taken in battle, but that these men
had done the country no harm, but, without knowing it, were come
thither by the Divine Power:" - so that his counsel was to treat
them in a hospitable manner at his table, and then send them away
without hurting them. Wherefore Joram obeyed the prophet; and
when he had feasted the Syrians in a splendid and magnificent
manner, he let them go to Benhadad their king.
4. Now when these men were come back, and had showed Benhadad how
strange an accident had befallen them, and what an appearance and
power they had experienced of the God of Israel, he wondered at
it, as also at that prophet with whom God was so evidently
present; so he determined to make no more secret attempts upon
the king of Israel, out of fear of Elisha, but resolved to make
open war with them, as supposing he could be too hard for his
enemies by the multitude of his army and power. So he made an
expedition with a great army against Joram, who, not thinking
himself a match for him, shut himself up in Samaria, and depended
on the strength of its walls; but Benhadad supposed he should
take the city, if not by his engines of war, yet that he should
overcome the Samaritans by famine, and the want of necessaries,
and brought his army upon them, and besieged the city; and the
plenty of necessaries was brought so low with Joram, that from
the extremity of want an ass's head was sold in Samaria for
fourscore pieces of silver, and the Hebrews bought a sextary of
dore's dung, instead of salt, for five pieces of silver. Now
Joram was in fear lest somebody should betray the city to the
enemy, by reason of the famine, and went every day round the
walls and the guards to see whether any such were concealed among
them; and by being thus seen, and taking such care, he deprived
them of the opportunity of contriving any such thing; and if they
had a mind to do it, he, by this means, prevented them: but upon
a certain woman's crying out, "Have pity on me, my lord," while
he thought that she was about to ask for somewhat to eat, he
imprecated God's curse upon her, and said he had neither
thrashing-floor nor wine-press, whence he might give her any
thing at her petition. Upon which she said she did not desire his
aid in any such thing, nor trouble him about food, but desired
that he would do her justice as to another woman. And when be
bade her say on, and let him know what she desired, she said she
had made an agreement with the other woman who was her neighbor
and her friend, that because the famine and want was intolerable,
they should kill their children, each of them having a son of
their own, and we will live upon them ourselves for two days, the
one day upon one son, and the other day upon the other; and,"
said she, I have killed my son the first day, and we lived upon
my son yesterday; but this other woman will not do the same
thing, but hath broken her agreement, and hath hid her son." This
story mightily grieved Joram when he heard it; so he rent his
garment, and cried out with a loud voice, and conceived great
wrath against Elisha the prophet, and set himself eagerly to have
him slain, because he did not pray to God to provide them some
exit and way of escape out of the miseries with which they were
surrounded; and sent one away immediately to cut off his head,
who made haste to kill the prophet. But Elisha was not
unacquainted with the wrath of the king against him; for as he
sat in his house by himself, with none but his disciples about
him, he told them that Joram, who was the son of a murderer,
had sent one to take away his head; "but," said he, "when he that
is commanded to do this comes, take care that you do not let him
come in, but press the door against him, and hold him fast there,
for the king himself will follow him, and come to me, having
altered his mind." Accordingly, they did as they were bidden,
when he that was sent by the king to kill Elisha came. But Joram
repented of his wrath against the prophet; and for fear he that
was commanded to kill him should have done it before he came, he
made haste to hinder his slaughter, and to save the prophet: and
when he came to him, he accused him that he did not pray to God
for their deliverance from the miseries they now lay under, but
saw them so sadly destroyed by them. Hereupon Elisha promised,
that the very next day, at the very same hour in which the king
came to him, they should have great plenty of food, and that two
seahs of barley should be sold in the market for a shekel, and a
seah of fine flour should be sold for a shekel. This prediction
made Joram, and those that were present, very joyful, for they
did not scruple believing what the prophet said, on account of
the experience they had of the truth of his former predictions;
and the expectation of plenty made the want they were in that
day, with the uneasiness that accompanied it, appear a light
thing to them: but the captain of the third band, who was a
friend of the king, and on whose hand the king leaned, said,
"Thou talkest of incredible things, O prophet! for as it is
impossible for God to pour down torrents of barley, or fine
flour, out of heaven, so is it impossible that what thou sayest
should come to pass." To which the prophet made this reply," Thou
shalt see these things come to pass, but thou shalt not be in the
least a partaker of them."
5. Now what Elisha had thus foretold came to pass in the manner
following: There was a law at Samaria that those that had
the leprosy, and whose bodies were not cleansed from it, should
abide without the city: and there were four men that on this
account abode before the gates, while nobody gave them any food,
by reason of the extremity of the famine; and as they were
prohibited from entering into the city by the law, and they
considered that if they were permitted to enter, they should
miserably perish by the famine; as also, that if they staid where
they were, they should suffer in the same manner, - they resolved
to deliver themselves up to the enemy, that in case they should
spare them, they should live; but if they should be killed, that
would be an easy death. So when they had confirmed this their
resolution, they came by night to the enemy's camp. Now God had
begun to affright and disturb the Syrians, and to bring the noise
of chariots and armor to their ears, as though an army were
coming upon them, and had made them suspect that it was coming
nearer and nearer to them In short, they were in such a dread of
this army, that they left their tents, and ran together to
Benhadad, and said that Joram the king of Israel had hired for
auxiliaries both the king of Egypt and the king of the Islands,
and led them against them for they heard the noise of them as
they were coming. And Benhadad believed what they said (for there
came the same noise to his ears as well as it did to theirs); so
they fell into a mighty disorder and tumult, and left their
horses and beasts in their camp, with immense riches also, and
betook themselves to flight. And those lepers who had departed
from Samaria, and were gone to the camp of the Syrians, of whom
we made mention a little before, when they were in the camp, saw
nothing but great quietness and silence: accordingly they entered
into it, and went hastily into one of their tents; and when they
saw nobody there, they eat and drank, and carried garments, and a
great quantity of gold, and hid it out of the camp; after which
they went into another tent, and carried off what was in it, as
they did at the former, and this did they for several times,
without the least interruption from any body. So they gathered
thereby that the enemies were departed; whereupon they reproached
themselves that they did not inform Joram and the citizens of it.
So they came to the walls of Samaria, and called aloud to the
watchmen, and told them in what state the enemies were, as did
these tell the king's guards, by whose means Joram came to know
of it; who then sent for his friends, and the captains of his
host, and said to them, that he suspected that this departure of
the king of Syria was by way of ambush and treachery, and that
out of despair of ruining you by famine, when you imagine them to
be fled away, you may come out of the city to spoil their camp,
and he may then fall upon you on a sudden, and may both kill you,
and take the city without fighting; whence it is that I exhort
you to guard the city carefully, and by no means to go out of it,
or proudly to despise your enemies, as though they were really
gone away." And when a certain person said that he did very well
and wisely to admit such a suspicion, but that he still advised
him to send a couple of horsemen to search all the country as far
as Jordan, that "if they were seized by an ambush of the enemy,
they might be a security to your army, that they may not go out
as if they suspected nothing, nor undergo the like misfortune;
and," said he, "those horsemen may be numbered among those that
have died by the famine, supposing they be caught and destroyed
by the enemy." So the king was pleased with this opinion, and
sent such as might search out the truth, who performed their
journey over a road that was without any enemies, but found it
full of provisions, and of weapons, that they had therefore
thrown away, and left behind them, in order to their being light
and expeditious in their flight. When the king heard this, he
sent out the multitude to take the spoils of the camp; which
gains of theirs were not of things of small value, but they took
a great quantity of gold, and a great quantity of silver, and
flocks of all kinds of cattle. They also possessed themselves of
[so many] ten thousand measures of wheat and barley, as they
never in the least dreamed of; and were not only freed from their
former miseries, but had such plenty, that two seahs of barley
were bought for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel,
according to the prophecy of Elisha. Now a seah is equal to an
Italian modius and a half. The captain of the third band was the
only man that received no benefit by this plenty; for as he was
appointed by the king to oversee the gate, that lm might prevent
the too great crowd of the multitude, and they might not endanger
one another to perish, by treading on one another in the press,
he suffered himself in that very way, and died in that very
manner, as Elisha had foretold such his death, when he alone of
them all disbelieved what he said concerning that plenty of
provisions which they should soon have.
6. Hereupon, when Benhadad, the king of Syria, had escaped to
Damascus, and understood that it was God himself that cast all
his army into this fear and disorder, and that it did not arise
from the invasion of enemies, he was mightily cast down at his
having God so greatly for his enemy, and fell into a distemper.
Now it happened that Elisha the prophet, at that time, was gone
out of his own country to Damascus, of which Berthadad was
informed: he sent Hazael, the most faithful of all his servants,
to meet him, and to carry him presents, and bade him inquire of
him about his distemper, and whether he should escape the danger
that it threatened. So Hazael came to Elisha with forty camels,
that carried the best and most precious fruits that the country
of Damascus afforded, as well as those which the king's palace
supplied. He saluted him kindly, and said that he was sent to him
by king Berthadad, and brought presents with him, in order to
inquire concerning his distemper, whether he should recover from
it or not. Whereupon the prophet bid him tell the king no
melancholy news; but still he said he would die. So the king's
servant was troubled to hear it; and Elisha wept also, and his
tears ran down plenteously at his foresight of what miseries his
people would undergo after the death of Berthadad. And when
Hazael asked him what was the occasion of this confusion he was
in, he said that he wept out of his commiseration for the
multitude of the Israelites, and what terrible miseries they will
suffer by thee; "for thou wilt slay the strongest of them, and
wilt burn their strongest cities, and wilt destroy their
children, and dash them against the stones, and wilt rip up their
women with child." And when Hazael said, "How can it be that I
should have power enough to do such things ?" the prophet
replied, that God had informed him that he should be king of
Syria. So when Hazael was come to Benhadad, he told him good news
concerning his distemper but on the next day he spread a wet
cloth, in the nature of a net, over him, and strangled him, and
took his dominion. He was an active man, and had the good-will of
the Syrians, and of the people of Damascus, to a great degree; by
whom both Benhadad himself, and Hazael, who ruled after him, are
honored to this day as gods, by reason of their benefactions, and
their building them temples by which they adorned the city of the
Damascenes. They also every day do with great pomp pay their
worship to these kings, and value themselves upon their
antiquity; nor do they know that these kings are much later than
they imagine, and that they are not yet eleven hundred years old.
Now when Joram, the king of Israel, heard that Berthadad was
dead, he recovered out of the terror and dread he had been in on
his account, and was very glad to live in peace.
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