2 Kings 7:12 kjva — And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They…

King James Version with Apocrypha

"And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city."

— 2 Kings 7:12, King James Version with Apocrypha

Read in Another Translation

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2 Kings 7:12 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.”

  • ASV

    “And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive, and get into the city. ”

  • WEB

    “The king arose in the night, and said to his servants, "I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry. Therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, 'When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive, and get into the city.'"”

  • NET

    “The king got up in the night and said to his advisers,“I will tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know we are starving, so they left the camp and hid in the field, thinking,‘When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and enter the city.’””

  • DRB

    “And he arose in the night, and said to his servants: I tell you what the Syrians have done to us: They know that we suffer great famine, and therefore they are gone out of the camp, and lie hid in the fields, saying: When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive, and then we may get into the city.”

  • BBE

    “Then the king got up in the night and said to his servants, This is my idea of what the Aramaeans have done to us. They have knowledge that we are without food; and so they have gone out of their tents, and are waiting secretly in the open country, saying, When they come out of the town, we will take them living and get into the town.”

2 Kings 7 — Context

9

Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household.

10

So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.

11

And he called the porters; and they told it to the king’s house within.

12

And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.

13

And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see.

14

They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.

15

And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.

2 Kings 7:12 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does 2 Kings 7:12 say?
2 Kings 7:12 in the King James Version with Apocrypha reads: “And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.”
Where is 2 Kings 7:12 in the Bible?
2 Kings 7:12 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of 2 Kings, chapter 7, verse 12.
Who wrote 2 Kings?
2 Kings is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (traditionally Jeremiah). It was written c. 561–538 BC.
What is the book of 2 Kings about?
2 Kings carries the divided kingdom from Elijah and Elisha through the fall of both Israel and Judah. Despite the prophets' warnings, both kingdoms decline through idolatry — the north into Assyrian captivity, the south into Babylonian exile — fulfilling the covenant curses.
What are the major themes of 2 Kings?
2 Kings explores themes including Judgment, Exile, Prophets, Covenant Curses, Remnant. These themes shape the meaning and context of 2 Kings 7:12.
What translation should I read 2 Kings 7:12 in?
2 Kings 7:12 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize 2 Kings 7:12?
2 Kings 7:12 reads (KJVA): “And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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