13. One of his officials said, “The people here in the city are doomed anyway, like those that have already died. So let's send some men with five of the horses that are left, so that we can find out what has happened.”
14. They chose some men, and the king sent them in two chariots with instructions to go and find out what had happened to the Syrian army.
15. The men went as far as the Jordan, and all along the road they saw the clothes and equipment that the Syrians had abandoned as they fled. Then they returned and reported to the king.
16. The people of Samaria rushed out and looted the Syrian camp. And, as the Lord had said, three kilogrammes of the best wheat or six kilogrammes of barley were sold for one piece of silver.
17. It so happened that the king of Israel had put the city gate under the command of the officer who was his personal attendant. The officer was trampled to death there by the people and died, as Elisha had predicted when the king went to see him.
18. Elisha had told the king that by that time the following day three kilogrammes of the best wheat or six kilogrammes of barley would be sold in Samaria for one piece of silver,
19. to which the officer had answered, “That can't happen — not even if the Lord himself were to send grain at once!” And Elisha had replied, “You will see it happen, but you will never eat any of the food.”
20. And that is just what happened to him — he died, trampled to death by the people at the city gate.