The men of the city said to Elisha, “Look, the city has a good location, as our ¹  master can see. But the water is bad and the land doesn’t produce crops.” ² 

He brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and ruined ¹  the high places where the priests had offered sacrifices, from Geba to Beer Sheba. ²  He tore down the high place of the goat idols ³  situated at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the city official, on the left side of the city gate.

From the city he took a eunuch who was in charge of the soldiers, five ¹  of the king’s advisers ²  who were discovered in the city, an official army secretary who drafted citizens ³  for military service, and sixty citizens from the people of the land who were discovered in the city.

So he sent horses and chariots there, along with a good-sized army. ¹  They arrived during the night and surrounded the city.

His servants took his body ¹  back to Jerusalem ²  and buried him in his tomb with his ancestors in the city of David.

His body was carried back by horses ¹  and he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the city of David.

Where are the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of Lair, ¹  Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”

He will go back the way he came. He will not enter this city,” says the Lord.

I will shield this city and rescue it for the sake of my reputation and because of my promise to David my servant.’” ¹ 

Isaiah was still in the middle courtyard when the Lord told him, ¹ 

At that time the generals ¹  of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon marched to Jerusalem and besieged the city. ² 

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to the city while his generals were besieging it.

The city remained under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.

By the ninth day of the fourth month ¹  the famine in the city was so severe the residents ²  had no food.

You will defeat every fortified city and every important ¹  city. You must chop down ²  every productive ³  tree, stop up all the springs, and cover all the cultivated land with stones.” ⁴ 

If we go into the city, we’ll die of starvation, ¹  and if we stay here we’ll die! So come on, let’s defect ²  to the Syrian camp! If they spare us, ³  we’ll live; if they kill us – well, we were going to die anyway.” ⁴ 

Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash took back from ¹  Ben Hadad son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from his father Jehoahaz in war. Joash defeated him three times and recovered the Israelite cities.

The Israelites said things about the Lord their God that were not right. ¹  They built high places in all their cities, from the watchtower to the fortress. ² 

The king of Assyria brought foreigners ¹  from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the cities of Samaria ²  in place of the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.

I will add fifteen years to your life and rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will shield this city for the sake of my reputation and because of my promise to David my servant.”’” ¹