And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maachah; and they cast up a siege mound against the city, and it stood by the rampart. And all the people who were with Joab were destroying the wall to throw it down.

When he had come near to her, the woman said, Are you Joab? He answered, I am. Then she said to him, Hear the words of your handmaid. And he answered, I am listening.

I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel. You are seeking to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah?

That is not so. But a man from the mountains of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. So the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.

And it happened after this that Ben-Hadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.

And as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, Help, my lord, O king!

And the king said to her, What is troubling you? And she answered, This woman said to me, Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.

And it happened when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes; and as he passed by on the wall, the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth inside on his flesh.

And Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man before him, but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent someone to take away my head? Behold, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?

Then Elisha said, Hear the Word of Jehovah. Thus says Jehovah: Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.

Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, Why are we sitting here until we will have died?

And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the edge of the Syrian camp, behold, no one was there.

Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp; their tents, their horses, and their donkeys; and they fled for their lives.

Then they said to one another, We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we are remaining silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king's household.

And the gatekeepers called out, and they reported it to the king's household inside.

And one of his servants answered and said, Please, let several men take five of the remaining horses which are left in the city. Behold, they may either become like all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; or behold, they may become like all the multitude of Israel left from those who are consumed; so let us send them and see.

And they went after them to the Jordan; and behold, all the way was full of garments and weapons which the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. So the messengers returned and reported to the king.

Now the king had appointed the officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. But the people trampled him in the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had spoken, who had spoken when the king came down to him.

And that officer had answered the man of God, and said, Now behold, if Jehovah would make windows in the heavens, could such a thing be? And he had said, Behold, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.