2 Kings 7:4

Courage and strength Hope Fear

² But the officer on whose arm the king leaned answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” replied Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it.”

³ Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, “Why just sit here until we die?

If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.”

⁵ So they arose at twilight and went to the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the outskirts of the camp, there was not a man to be found.

⁶ For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us.”

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.”
KJV: 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.
WEB: If we say, ‘We will enter into the city,’ then the famine is in the city, and we will die there. If we sit still here, we also die. Now therefore come, and let’s surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they save us alive, we will live; and if they kill us, we will only die.”
ASV: 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.
DARBY: If we say, Let us enter into the city, the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we abide here, we shall die. And now come, let us fall away to the camp of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they put us to death, we shall but die.
BLB: If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ and the famine [is] in the city, we shall die there. And if we sit we shall die, we die. And now, come and let us surrender to the camp of Aram. If they keep us alive, we shall live. And if they put us to death, we shall die.”

ÅB: Sier vi: Vi vil gå inn i byen, så er det hungersnød i byen, og vi må dø der, og blir vi sittende her, må vi også dø; så kom nå og la oss gå over til syrernes leir! Lar de oss leve, så lever vi, og dreper de oss, sa dør vi.
OTB: Hvis vi sier: 'Vi vil gå inn i byen,' så er hungersnøden i byen, og vi vil dø der. Og hvis vi sitter her, vil vi også dø. Så nå, kom, la oss gå over til arameernes leir. Hvis de skåner oss, vil vi leve; og hvis de dreper oss, vil vi dø."
B1930: Sier vi: Vi vil gå inn i byen, så er det hungersnød i byen, og vi må dø der, og blir vi sittende her, må vi også dø; så kom nu og la oss gå over til syrernes leir! Lar de oss leve, så lever vi, og dreper de oss, sa dør vi.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Jeremiah 14:18
If I go out to the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I enter the city, I see those ravaged by famine! For both prophet and priest travel to a land they do not know.’”
Read in context
2 Samuel 14:14
For surely we will die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out from Him.
Read in context
Luke 15:17–19
Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food? But here I am, starving to death!
Read in context
Esther 4:16
“Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”
Read in context
Jonah 3:9
Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.”
Read in context
Hebrews 9:27
Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment,
Read in context
Jeremiah 8:14
Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.
Read in context
Jeremiah 37:13–14
But when he reached the Gate of Benjamin, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, seized him and said, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans!”
Read in context