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| Chapter XX. After the terrible siege of Samaria was ended in accordance with Elisha's prophecy, he relates what regard the four lepers showed for what was virtuous.
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Chapter XX.
After the terrible siege of Samaria was ended in
accordance with Elisha’s prophecy, he relates what regard the
four lepers showed for what was virtuous.
117. Why need we
wonder that the people of the Lord had regard for what was seemly and
virtuous when even the lepers—as we read in the books of the
Kings—showed concern for what is virtuous?
118. There was a great famine in
Samaria,741
for the army of
the Syrians was besieging it. The king in his anxiety was making
the round of the guards on the walls when a woman addressed him,
saying: This woman persuaded me to give up my son—and I
gave him up, and we boiled him and did eat him. And she promised
that she would afterwards bring her son and that we should eat his
flesh together, but now she hath hidden her son and will not bring
him. The king was troubled because these women seemed to have fed
not merely on human bodies, but on the bodies of their own children;
and being moved by an example of such awful misery, threatened the
prophet Elisha with death. For he believed it was in his power to
break up the siege and to avert the famine; or else he was angry
because the prophet had not allowed the king to smite the Syrians whom
he had struck with blindness.742
119. Elisha sat743
with the elders at Bethel, and before the king’s messenger came
to him he said to the elders: “See ye how the son of that
murderess hath sent to take away mine head?” Then the
messenger
entered and
brought the king’s command threatening instant danger to his
life. Him the prophet answered:744
“To-morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold
for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of
Samaria.” Then when the messenger sent by the king would
not believe it, saying: “If the Lord would rain abundance
of corn from heaven, not even so would that come about,” Elisha
said to him: “Because thou hast not believed, thou shalt
see it with thine eyes, but shall not eat of it.”
120. And suddenly745
in
the camp of Syria was there heard, as it were, a sound of chariots and
a loud noise of horses and the noise of a great host, and the tumult of
some vast battle. And the Syrians thought that the king of Israel
had called to his help in the battle the king of Egypt and the king of
the Amorites, and they fled at dawn leaving their tents, for they
feared that they might be crushed by the sudden arrival of fresh foes,
and would not be able to withstand the united forces of the
kings. This was unknown in Samaria, for they dared not go out of
the town, being overcome with fear and also being weak through
hunger.
121. But there were four lepers746
at the gate of the city to whom life was
a misery, and to die would be gain. And they said one to
another: “Behold we sit here and die. If we enter
into the city, we shall die with hunger; if we remain here, there are
no means of living at hand for us. Let us go to the Syrian camp,
either they will quickly kill us or grant us the means of
safety.” So they went and entered into the camp, and
behold, all was forsaken by the enemy. Entering747
the tents, first of all on finding food
they satisfied their hunger, then they laid hold of as much gold and
silver as they could. But whilst they were intent on the booty
alone, they arranged to announce to the king that the Syrians had fled,
for they thought this more virtuous than to withhold the information
and keep for themselves the plunder gained by deceit.
122. At this information the people748
went forth and plundered the Syrian
camp. The supplies of the enemy produced an abundance, and
brought about cheapness of corn according to the prophet’s
word: “A measure of fine flour for a shekel, and two
measures of barley for a shekel.” In this rejoicing of the
people, that officer on whose hand the king leaned died, being crushed
and trodden under foot by the people as the crowds kept hurrying to go
out or returned with great rejoicing.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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