19. Elisha told them, "This isn't the right road. This isn't the right city. Follow me. I'll lead you to the man you are looking for." He led them to Samaria.
20. They entered the city. Then Elisha said, "Lord, open the eyes of these men. Help them see again." Then the Lord opened their eyes. They looked around. And there they were, inside Samaria!
21. The king of Israel saw them. So he asked Elisha, "Should I kill them? I need your advice. You are like a father to me. Should I kill them?"
22. "Don't kill them," he answered. "Would you kill men you have captured with your own sword or bow? Put some food and water in front of them. Then they can eat and drink. They can go back to their master."
23. So he prepared a big dinner for them. After they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away. They returned to their master. So the companies of soldiers from Aram stopped attacking Israel's territory.
24. Some time later, Ben-Hadad gathered his entire army together. Ben-Hadad was the king of Aram. His army marched up and surrounded Samaria. Then they attacked it.
25. There wasn't enough food anywhere in the city. It was surrounded for so long that people had to weigh out two pounds of silver for a donkey's head. They had to weigh out two ounces of silver for half a pint of seed pods.
26. One day the king of Israel was walking on top of the wall. A woman cried out to him, "You are my king and master. Please help me!"
27. The king replied, "If the Lord doesn't help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?"
28. He continued, "What's wrong?" She answered, "A woman said to me, 'Give up your son. Then we can eat him today. Tomorrow we'll eat my son.'
29. So we cooked my son. Then we ate him. The next day I said to her, 'Give up your son. Then we can eat him.' But she had hidden him."
30. When the king heard the woman's words, he tore his royal robes. As he walked along the wall, the people looked up at him. They saw that he was wearing black clothes under his robes.
31. He said, "I'll cut the head of Shaphat's son Elisha off his shoulders today. If I don't, may God punish me greatly!"