ent; so he determined
to make no more secret attempts upon the king of Israel, out of fear of
Elisha, but resolved to make open war with them, as supposing he could
be too hard for his enemies by the multitude of his army and power. So
he made an expedition with a great army against Joram, who, not thinking
himself a match for him, shut himself up in Samaria, and depended on the
strength of its walls; but Benhadad supposed he should take the city, if
not by his engines of war, yet that he should overcome the Samaritans by
famine, and the want of necessaries, and brought his army upon them, and
besieged the city; and the plenty of necessaries was brought so low with
Joram, that from the extremity of want an ass's head was sold in Samaria
for fourscore pieces of silver, and the Hebrews bought a sextary of
dore's dung, instead of salt, for five pieces of silver. Now Joram was
in fear lest somebody should betray the city to the enemy, by reason
of the famine, and went every day round the walls and the guards to see
whether any such were concealed among them; and by being thus seen, and
taking such care, he deprived them of the opportunity of contriving
any such thing; and if they had a mind to do it, he, by this means,
prevented them: but upon a certain woman's crying out, "Have pity on
me, my lord," while he thought that she was about to ask for somewhat
to eat, he imprecated God's curse upon her, and said he had neither
thrashing-floor nor wine-press, whence he might give her any thing at
her petition. Upon which she said she did not desire his aid in any
such thing, nor trouble him about food, but desired that he would do her
justice as to another woman. And when he bade her say on, and let him
know what she desired, she said she had made an agreement with the other
woman who was her neighbor and her friend, that because the famine and
want was intolerable, they should kill their children, each of them
having a son of their own, "and we will live upon them ourselves for two
days, the one day upon one son, and the other day upon the other; and,"
said she, "I have killed my son the first day, and we lived upon my son
yesterday; but this other woman will not do the same thing, but hath
broken her agreement, and hath hid her son." This story mightily grieved
Joram when he heard it; so he rent his garment, and cried out with a
loud voice, and conceived great wrath against Elisha the prophet, and
set himself eagerly to have him