2 Kings 7:3-9

Christian Standard Bible

³ Now four men with a skin disease^(A) were at the entrance to the city gate. They said to each other, “Why just sit here until we die? ⁴ If we say, ‘Let’s go into the city,’ we will die there because the famine is in the city, but if we sit here, we will also die. So now, come on. Let’s surrender to the Arameans’ camp.^(B) If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.”

⁵ So the diseased men got up at twilight to go to the Arameans’ camp. When they came to the camp’s edge, they discovered that no one was there, ⁶ for the Lord^[a] had caused the Aramean camp to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a large army.^(C) The Arameans had said to each other, “The king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites^(D) and the kings of Egypt^(E) to attack us.” ⁷ So they had gotten up and fled^(F) at twilight, abandoning their tents, horses, and donkeys. The camp was intact, and they had fled for their lives.

⁸ When these diseased men came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent to eat and drink. Then they picked up the silver, gold, and clothing and went off and hid them. They came back and entered another tent, picked things up, and hid them.^{(G) 9} Then they said to each other, “We’re not doing what is right. Today is a day of good news.^(H) If we are silent and wait until morning light, our punishment will catch up with us. So let’s go tell the king’s household.”