2 Kings 1–2

¹And Moab transgresseth against Israel after the death of Ahab, ²and Ahaziah falleth through the lattice in his upper chamber that is in Samaria, and is sick, and sendeth messengers, and saith unto them, ‘Go ye, inquire of Baal-Zebub god of Ekron if I recover from this sickness.’ ³And a messenger of Jehovah hath spoken unto Elijah the Tishbite, ‘Rise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and speak unto them, Is it because there is not a God in Israel—ye are going to inquire of Baal Zebub god of Ekron? ⁴and therefore, thus said Jehovah, The bed whither thou hast gone up, thou dost not come down from it, for thou dost certainly die;’ and Elijah goeth on. ⁵And the messengers turn back unto him, and he saith unto them, ‘What is this—ye have turned back!’ ⁶And they say unto him, ‘A man hath come up to meet us, and saith unto us, Go, turn back unto the king who sent you, and ye have said unto him, Thus said Jehovah, Is it because there is not a God in Israel—thou art sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub god of Ekron? therefore, the bed whither thou hast gone up, thou dost not come down from it, for thou dost certainly die.’ ⁷And he saith unto them, ‘What is the fashion of the man who hath come up to meet you, and speaketh unto you these words?’ ⁸And they say unto him, ‘A man—hairy, and a girdle of skin girt about his loins;’ and he saith, ‘He is Elijah the Tishbite.’

⁹And he sendeth unto him a head of fifty and his fifty, and he goeth up unto him (and lo, he is sitting on the top of the hill), and he speaketh unto him, ‘O man of God, the king hath spoken, Come down.’ ¹⁰And Elijah answereth and speaketh unto the head of the fifty, ‘And if I am a man of God, fire doth come down from the heavens, and consume thee and thy fifty;’ and fire cometh down from the heavens, and consumeth him and his fifty. ¹¹And he turneth and sendeth unto him another head of fifty and his fifty, and he answereth and speaketh unto him, ‘O man of God, thus said the king, Haste, come down.’ ¹²And Elijah answereth and speaketh unto them, ‘If I am a man of God, fire doth come down from the heavens, and consume thee and thy fifty;’ and fire of God cometh down from the heavens, and consumeth him and his fifty. ¹³And he turneth and sendeth a third head of fifty and his fifty, and the third head of fifty goeth up, and cometh in, and boweth on his knees over-against Elijah, and maketh supplication unto him, and speaketh unto him, ‘O man of God, let be precious, I pray thee, my soul and the soul of thy servants—these fifty—in thine eyes. ¹⁴Lo, come down hath fire from the heavens, and consumeth the two heads of the former fifties and their fifties; and, now, let my soul be precious in thine eyes.’ ¹⁵And a messenger of Jehovah speaketh unto Elijah, ‘Go down with him, be not afraid of him;’ and he riseth and goeth down with him unto the king, ¹⁶and speaketh unto him, ‘Thus said Jehovah, Because that thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub god of Ekron—is it because there is not a God in Israel to inquire of His word? therefore, the bed whither thou hast gone up—thou dost not come down from it, for thou dost certainly die.’ ¹⁷And he dieth, according to the word of Jehovah that Elijah spake, and Jehoram reigneth in his stead, in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, for he had no son. ¹⁸And the rest of the matters of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?

Chapter 2

¹And it cometh to pass, at Jehovah’s taking up Elijah in a whirlwind to the heavens, that Elijah goeth, and Elisha, from Gilgal, ²and Elijah saith unto Elisha, ‘Abide, I pray thee, here, for Jehovah hath sent me unto Beth-El;’ and Elisha saith, ‘Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth, if I leave thee;’ and they go down to Beth-El. ³And sons of the prophets who are in Beth-El come out unto Elisha, and say unto him, ‘Hast thou known that to-day Jehovah is taking thy lord from thy head?’ and he saith, ‘I also have known—keep silent.’ ⁴And Elijah saith to him, ‘Elisha, abide, I pray thee, here, for Jehovah hath sent me to Jericho;’ and he saith, ‘Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth, if I leave thee;’ and they come in to Jericho. ⁵And sons of the prophets who are in Jericho come nigh unto Elisha, and say unto him, ‘Hast thou known that to-day Jehovah is taking thy lord from thy head?’ and he saith, ‘I also have known—keep silent.’ ⁶And Elijah saith to him, ‘Abide, I pray thee, here, for Jehovah hath sent me to the Jordan;’ and he saith, ‘Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth, if I leave thee;’ and they go on both of them, —and fifty men of the sons of the prophets have gone on, and stand over-against afar off—and both of them have stood by the Jordan. ⁸And Elijah taketh his robe, and wrappeth it together, and smiteth the waters, and they are halved, hither and thither, and they pass over both of them on dry land.

⁹And it cometh to pass, at their passing over, that Elijah hath said unto Elisha, ‘Ask, what do I do for thee before I am taken from thee?’ and Elisha saith, ‘Then let there be, I pray thee, a double portion of thy spirit unto me;’ ¹⁰and he saith, ‘Thou hast asked a hard thing; if thou dost see me taken from thee, it is to thee so; and if not, it is not.’ ¹¹And it cometh to pass, they are going, going on and speaking, and lo, a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and they separate between them both, and Elijah goeth up in a whirlwind, to the heavens. ¹²And Elisha is seeing, and he is crying, ‘My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and its horsemen;’ and he hath not seen him again; and he taketh hold on his garments, and rendeth them into two pieces.

¹³And he taketh up the robe of Elijah, that fell from off him, and turneth back and standeth on the edge of the Jordan, ¹⁴and he taketh the robe of Elijah that fell from off him, and smiteth the waters, and saith, ‘Where is Jehovah, God of Elijah—even He?’ and he smiteth the waters, and they are halved, hither and thither, and Elisha passeth over. ¹⁵And they see him—the sons of the prophets who are in Jericho—over-against, and they say, ‘Rested hath the spirit of Elijah on Elisha;’ and they come to meet him, and bow themselves to him to the earth, ¹⁶and say unto him, ‘Lo, we pray thee, there are with thy servants fifty men, sons of valour: let them go, we pray thee, and they seek thy lord, lest the Spirit of Jehovah hath taken him up, and doth cast him on one of the hills, or into one of the valleys;’ and he saith, ‘Ye do not send.’ ¹⁷And they press upon him, till he is ashamed, and he saith, ‘Send ye;’ and they send fifty men, and they seek three days, and have not found him; ¹⁸and they turn back unto him—and he is abiding in Jericho—and he saith unto them, ‘Did I not say unto you, Do not go?’

¹⁹And the men of the city say unto Elisha, ‘Lo, we pray thee, the site of the city is good, as my lord seeth, and the waters are bad, and the earth sterile.’ ²⁰And he saith, ‘Bring to me a new dish, and place there salt;’ and they bring it unto him, ²¹and he goeth out unto the source of the waters, and casteth there salt, and saith, ‘Thus said Jehovah, I have given healing to these waters; there is not thence any more death and sterility.’ ²²And the waters are healed unto this day, according to the word of Elisha, that he spake. ²³And he goeth up thence to Beth-El, and he is going up in the way, and little youths have come out from the city, and scoff at him, and say to him, ‘Go up, bald-head! go up, bald-head!’ ²⁴And he looketh behind him, and seeth them, and declareth them vile in the name of Jehovah, and two bears come out of the forest, and rend of them forty and two lads. ²⁵And he goeth thence unto the hill of Carmel, and thence he hath turned back to Samaria.

Chapter 3