¹⁹One day the leaders of the town of Jericho visited Elisha. “We have a problem, my lord,” they told him. “This town is located in pleasant surroundings, as you can see. But the water is bad, and the land is unproductive.”

²⁰Elisha said, “Bring me a new bowl with salt in it.” So they brought it to him. ²¹Then he went out to the spring that supplied the town with water and threw the salt into it. And he said, “This is what the Lord says: I have purified this water. It will no longer cause death or infertility.” ²²And the water has remained pure ever since, just as Elisha said.

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ESVEnglish Standard Version

And they came back to him while he was staying at Jericho, and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”

Now the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the Lord, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” So the water has been healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”

“Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’ ” And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

When they returned to him in Jericho where he was staying, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

The men of the city said to Elisha, “My lord can see that even though the city’s location is good, the water is bad and the land unfruitful.”

He replied, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.”

After they had brought him one, Elisha went out to the spring, threw salt in it, and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will death or unfruitfulness result from it.’ ” Therefore, the water still remains healthy today according to the word that Elisha spoke.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Then they returned to him while he was staying in Jericho. He said to them, “Did I not tell you not to go?”

The men of the city said to Elisha, “Please now, the location of the city is good, as my master can see, but the water is bad and the land unproductive.” So he said, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the spring of waters and threw the salt into it there and said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘I hereby purify these waters; let there be no longer any death or unproductiveness from it.’ ” Then the waters were purified until this very day according to the word of Elisha that he spoke.

KJV 1900King James Version

And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?

And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.

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