And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, {if} the prophet had bid thee {do some} great thing, wouldest thou not have done {it}? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

{They that be} slain with the sword are better than {they that be} slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for {want of} the fruits of the field. {pine...: Heb. flow out}

If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not. {go about...: or, make merchandise against a land, and men acknowledge it not}

If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine {is} in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil {is} of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?

And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, {and} also our little ones.