slain, because he did not pray to God to
provide them some exit and way of escape out of the miseries with which
they were surrounded; and sent one away immediately to cut off his head,
who made haste to kill the prophet. But Elisha was not unacquainted
with the wrath of the king against him; for as he sat in his house by
himself, with none but his disciples about him, he told them that Joram,
[10] who was the son of a murderer, had sent one to take away his head;
"but," said he, "when he that is commanded to do this comes, take care
that you do not let him come in, but press the door against him, and
hold him fast there, for the king himself will follow him, and come to
me, having altered his mind." Accordingly, they did as they were
bidden, when he that was sent by the king to kill Elisha came. But Joram
repented of his wrath against the prophet; and for fear he that was
commanded to kill him should have done it before he came, he made haste
to hinder his slaughter, and to save the prophet: and when he came to
him, he accused him that he did not pray to God for their deliverance
from the miseries they now lay under, but saw them so sadly destroyed by
them. Hereupon Elisha promised, that the very next day, at the very same
hour in which the king came to him, they should have great plenty of
food, and that two seahs of barley should be sold in the market for
a shekel, and a seah of fine flour should be sold for a shekel. This
prediction made Joram, and those that were present, very joyful, for
they did not scruple believing what the prophet said, on account of
the experience they had of the truth of his former predictions; and
the expectation of plenty made the want they were in that day, with the
uneasiness that accompanied it, appear a light thing to them: but the
captain of the third band, who was a friend of the king, and on whose
hand the king leaned, said, "Thou talkest of incredible things, O
prophet! for as it is impossible for God to pour down torrents of
barley, or fine flour, out of heaven, so is it impossible that what thou
sayest should come to pass." To which the prophet made this reply," Thou
shalt see these things come to pass, but thou shalt not be in the least
a partaker of them."

5. Now what Elisha had thus foretold came to pass in the manner
following: There was a law at Samaria [11] that those that had the
leprosy, and whose bodies were not cleansed from it, should abide
without the city: and there