The Syrian army became frightened and left

3 That day there were four men who had ◄leprosy/a dreaded skin disease► who were sitting outside the gate of Samaria city. They said to each other, “◄Why should we wait here until we die?/It is ridiculous for us to wait here until we die.► [RHQ] 4 If we go into the city, we will die there, because there is no food there. If we remain sitting here, we will die here. So let’s go to where the army of Syria has set up their tents. If they kill us, we will die. But if they allow us to remain alive, we will not die.” 5 So when it was getting dark, those four men went to the camp where the army of Syria had set up their tents. But when they reached the camp, they saw that there was no one there!

6 What had happened was that Yahweh had caused the army of Syria to hear something that sounded like a large army marching with chariots and horses. So they said to each other, “Listen! The king of Israel has hired the kings of Egypt and the Heth people-group and their armies, and they have come to attack us!” 7 So they all ran away that evening and left their tents and their horses and donkeys there, because they were afraid that they would be killed if they stayed there.

8 When those four lepers came to the edge of the area where the soldiers of Syria had set up their tents, they went into one tent, and saw all the things that had been left there. So they ate and drank what was there, and they took the silver and the gold and clothes. Then they went outside the tent and hid those things. Then they entered another tent, and took things from there, and then went outside and hid them, also.

9 But then they said to each other, “We are not doing what is right. We have good news to tell others today. If we do not tell it to anyone now, and if we wait until morning to tell it, we will certainly be punished by Yahweh. So let’s go right now to the palace and tell it to the king’s officials!”

10 So they went to the guards at the city gates and called out to them, “We went to where the army of Syria had set up their tents, but we did not see or hear anyone there. Their horses and donkeys were still tied up, but their tents were all deserted/abandoned!” 11 The guards shouted the news, and some people who heard it went to the palace and reported it there.

12 When the king heard it, he got up out of his bed and said to his officials, “I will tell you what the army of Syria is planning to do. They know that we have no food here, so they have left their tents and are hiding in the fields. They think that we will leave the city to find some food, and then they will capture us and capture the city.”

13 But one of his officials said, “Many of our Israeli people have already died from ◄hunger/not having anything to eat►. If those of us who are still alive all stay here, we also will die anyway. So let’s send some men with five of our horses that are still alive to go and see what has really happened.”

14 So they chose some men and told them to go in a chariot and find out what had happened to the army of Syria. 15 They went as far as the Jordan River. All along the road they saw clothes and equipment that the soldiers from Syria had thrown away while they were running away very quickly. So the men returned to the king and reported what they had seen. 16 Then many of the people of Samaria also went out of the city and went to where the army of Syria had previously set up their tents. They entered all the tents and took everything. So there was now plenty of everything! As a result people could buy ten pounds of fine wheat or 20 pounds of barley for only one piece of silver, which was what Yahweh had said would happen!

17 The king of Israel had appointed the officer who was his assistant to supervise what was happening at the marketplace. But as he was standing near the gate, all the people who were rushing outside the city trampled on him, and he died, which was what Elisha had said would happen to him when Elisha previously went to talk to the king. 18 Elisha had told him that by the next day there would be plenty of food, with the result that anyone could buy ten pounds of fine wheat or 20 pounds of barley for only one piece of silver.

19 And the officer had answered, “That certainly cannot [RHQ] happen! Even if Yahweh himself would open the sky and send down some grain, that could not happen.” And Elisha had replied, “Because you said that, you [SYN] will see it happen, but you will not be able to eat any of the food!” 20 And that is what happened to him. The people who were rushing out of the city gate trampled on him, and he died.