23 So he prepared a great feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk he sent them away, and they went to their master. And (A)the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel.

The Siege of Samaria—Cannibalism

24 Now it came about after this, that (B)Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his army and went up and besieged Samaria. 25 There was a great (C)famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a [a]kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 6:25 I.e. One kab equals approx 2 qts

23 So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands(A) from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.

Famine in Besieged Samaria

24 Some time later, Ben-Hadad(B) king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege(C) to Samaria. 25 There was a great famine(D) in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels[a] of silver, and a quarter of a cab[b] of seed pods[c](E) for five shekels.[d]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 6:25 That is, about 2 pounds or about 920 grams
  2. 2 Kings 6:25 That is, probably about 1/4 pound or about 100 grams
  3. 2 Kings 6:25 Or of doves’ dung
  4. 2 Kings 6:25 That is, about 2 ounces or about 58 grams