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. (2 Kings 7:9)
A guilty conscience recognizes the fact that the perpetrator of evil has a price to pay. No one may sin with impunity. Wickedness always finds its way back to the head of the guilty one.
We do not well.
They were not doing well, but they were a long time finding it out. Inside the city, men, women, and children were starving, but all this time the lepers were interested only in themselves. By allowing their countrymen to perish within reach of plenty, the lepers would bring the blood of the dying upon their grasping hands and greedy hearts. The lepers finally came to see that their good fortune had brought them a responsibility as well as an opportunity.