24. Some time later, King Ben-hadad of Aram brought all his military units together and marched up to besiege Samaria.
25. So there was a great famine in Samaria, and they continued the siege against it until a donkey’s head sold for 80 silver shekels, and a cup of dove’s dung sold for five silver shekels.
26. As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “My lord the king, help! ”
27. He answered, “If the Lord doesn’t help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress? ”
28. Then the king asked her, “What’s the matter? ” She said, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son, and we will eat him today. Then we will eat my son tomorrow.’
29. So we boiled my son and ate him, and I said to her the next day, ‘Give up your son, and we will eat him,’ but she has hidden her son.”
30. When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his clothes. Then, as he was passing by on the wall, the people saw that there was sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin.
31. He announced, “May God punish me and do so severely if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.”
32. Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a man ahead of him, but before the messenger got to him, Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Isn’t the sound of his master’s feet behind him? ”
33. While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer? ”