<p class="poetry">He will go back the way he came.p> <p class="poetry">He will not enter this city,&#8221; says the <sc>Lord.sc>p>

<p class="bodytext">When Elisha the prophet<n id="1" /> heard that the king had torn his clothes, he sent this message to the king, &#8220;Why did you tear your clothes? Send him<n id="2" /> to me so he may know there is a prophet in Israel.&#8221;

<p class="poetry">So this is what the <sc>Lordsc> says about the king of Assyria:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;He will not enter this city,p> <p class="poetry">nor will he shoot an arrow here.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">He will not attack it with his shield-carrying warriors,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">nor will he build siege works against it.p>

<p class="bodytext">Now Elisha was sitting in his house with the community leaders.<n id="1" /> The king<n id="2" /> sent a messenger on ahead, but before he arrived,<n id="3" /> Elisha<n id="4" /> said to the leaders,<n id="5" /> &#8220;Do you realize this assassin intends to cut off my head?&#8221;<n id="6" /> Look, when the messenger arrives, shut the door and lean against it. His master will certainly be right behind him.&#8221;<n id="7" />