2 Kings · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
2 Kings 2 Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Same Septuagint text as Brenton, with modernised spelling.
1 And it came to pass, when the Lord was going to take Elijah with a whirlwind as it were into heaven, that Elijah and Elisha went out of Gilgal.
1 When Yahweh was about to take Elijah up by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2 And Elijah said to Elisha, Stay here, I pray thee; for God has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said, [As] the Lord lives and thy soul lives, I will not leave thee; so they came to Bethel.
2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me as far as Bethel.” Elisha said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3 And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came to Elisha, and said to him, Dost thou know, that the Lord this day is going to take thy lord away from thy head? And he said, Yea, I know [it]; be silent.
3 The sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your master from over you today?” He said, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
4 And Elijah said to Elisha, Stay here, I pray thee; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho. And he said, [As] the Lord lives and thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. And they came to Jericho.
4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me to Jericho.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.
5 And the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, Dost thou know that the Lord is about to take away thy master today from thy head? And he said, Yea, I know [it]; hold your peace.
5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your master from over you today?” He answered, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
6 And Elijah said to him, Stay here, I pray thee, for the Lord has sent me to Jordan. And Elisha said, [As] the Lord lives and thy soul lives, I will not leave thee: and they both went on.
6 Elijah said to him, “Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” Then they both went on.
7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets [went also], and they stood opposite afar off: and both stood on [the bank] of Jordan.
7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan.
8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the water: and the water was divided on this side and on that side, and they both went over on dry ground.
8 Elijah took his mantle, and rolled it up, and struck the waters; and they were divided here and there, so that they both went over on dry ground.
9 And it came to pass while they were crossing over, that Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee before I am taken up from thee. And Elisha said, Let there be, I pray thee, a double [portion] of thy spirit upon me.
9 When they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me.”
10 And Elijah said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: if thou shalt see me when I am taken up from thee, then shall it be so to thee; and if not, it shall not be [so].
10 He said, “You have asked a hard thing. If you see me when I am taken from you, it will be so for you; but if not, it will not be so.”
11 And it came to pass as they were going, they went on talking; and, behold, a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and it separated between them both; and Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind as it were into heaven.
11 As they continued on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 And Elisha saw, and cried, Father, father, the chariot of Israel, and the horseman thereof! And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his garments, and rent them into two pieces.
12 Elisha saw it, and he cried, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” He saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
13 And Elisha took up the mantle of Elijah, which fell from off him upon Elisha; and Elisha returned, and stood upon the brink of Jordan;
13 He also took up Elijah’s mantle that fell from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
14 and he took the mantle of Elijah, which fell from off him, and smote the water, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and he smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither; and Elisha went over.
14 He took Elijah’s mantle that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, “Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?” When he also had struck the waters, they were divided apart, and Elisha went over.
15 And the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho on the opposite side saw him, and said, The spirit of Elijah has rested upon Elisha. And they came to meet him, and did obeisance to him to the ground.
15 When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho facing him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
16 And they said to him, Behold now, [there are] with thy servants fifty men of strength: let them go now, and seek thy lord: peradventure the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up, and cast him into Jordan, or on one of the mountains, or on one of the hills. And Elisha said, Ye shall not send.
16 They said to him, “See now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. Perhaps Yahweh’s Spirit has taken him up, and put him on some mountain or into some valley.” He said, “Don’t send them.”
17 And they pressed him until he was ashamed; and he said, Send. And they sent fifty men, and sought three days, and found him not.
17 When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” Therefore they sent fifty men; and they searched for three days, but didn’t find him.
18 And they returned to him, for he dwelt in Jericho: and Elisha said, Did I not say to you, Go not?
18 They came back to him while he stayed at Jericho; and he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t go’?”
19 And the men of the city said to Elisha, Behold, the situation of the city [is] good, as [our] lord sees; but the waters [are] bad, and the ground barren.
19 The men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, please, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is barren.”
20 And Elisha said, Bring me a new pitcher, and put salt in it. And they took [one], and brought [it] to him.
20 He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” Then they brought it to him.
21 And Elisha went out to the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and says, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be any longer death thence or barren [land].
21 He went out to the spring of the waters, and threw salt into it, and said, “Yahweh says, ‘I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more death or barren wasteland.’”
22 And the waters were healed until this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.
22 So the waters were healed to this day, according to Elisha’s word which he spoke.
23 And he went up thence to Bethel: and as he was going up by the way there came up also little children from the city, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, baldhead, go up.
23 He went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up by the way, some youths came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldy! Go up, you baldy!”
24 And he turned after them, and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And, behold, there came out two bears out of the wood, and they tore forty and two children of them.
24 He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in Yahweh’s name. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of those youths.
25 And he went thence to Mount Carmel, and returned thence to Samaria.
25 He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Elisha
Son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah, found plowing with twelve teams of oxen when Elijah threw his cloak around him, who inherited a double portion of Elijah's spirit, worked many…
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 19:16; 1 Kings 19:19; 2 Kings 2:9
Cross references (23)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5; 1 Kings 19:16–21; 1 Kings 19:11; Joshua 4:19
- 2 2 Kings 2:6; 2 Kings 4:30; Ruth 1:15–18; 2 Kings 2:4; 1 Samuel 1:26
- 3 2 Kings 4:38; 2 Kings 4:1; 2 Kings 9:1; 1 Kings 20:35; 2 Kings 2:15
- 4 2 Kings 2:2; Joshua 6:26; Luke 19:1; 1 Kings 16:34; 2 Kings 4:30
- 5 2 Kings 2:3; Joshua 1:1–2; Acts 1:2; Isaiah 41:1; Ecclesiastes 3:7
- 6 2 Kings 2:2; Joshua 3:15
- 7 1 Kings 18:4; 2 Kings 2:17; 1 Kings 18:13
- 8 1 Kings 19:19; Exodus 14:21–22; Joshua 3:14–17; 2 Kings 2:14; Isaiah 11:15
- 9 Numbers 11:17; Deuteronomy 21:17; John 16:7; Acts 20:25–36; Zechariah 12:8
- 10 John 16:24; Mark 11:22–24; 2 Kings 2:12; Acts 1:9–10
- 11 2 Kings 6:17; Psalm 104:3–4; Hebrews 1:14; Psalm 68:17; Ezekiel 10:9–22
- 12 2 Kings 13:14; Isaiah 57:1–2; Proverbs 30:4; Acts 8:2; Isaiah 37:21
- 13 1 Kings 19:19; 2 Kings 2:8
- 14 John 14:12; Psalm 42:10; Psalm 115:2; Acts 3:12–13; Joshua 1:1–9
- 15 1 Peter 4:14; Acts 1:8; Isaiah 59:21; 2 Kings 6:1–7; Isaiah 11:2
- 16 1 Kings 18:12; Acts 8:39; Ezekiel 11:24; Ezekiel 3:14; 2 Corinthians 12:2–3
- 17 2 Kings 8:11; Hebrews 11:5; Romans 10:2; Luke 11:8; 2 Samuel 18:22–23
- 19 Exodus 23:26; Deuteronomy 28:2–4; Deuteronomy 28:11; Deuteronomy 28:15–18; 1 Kings 16:34
- 20 Zephaniah 2:9; Judges 9:45; Ezekiel 47:11
- 21 Exodus 15:25–26; 2 Kings 4:41; Leviticus 2:13; Revelation 21:4; Revelation 22:2–3
- 23 2 Chronicles 36:16; Job 19:18; Job 30:1; Amos 5:5; Proverbs 22:6
- 24 Acts 13:9–11; Acts 5:5; Hosea 13:8; Acts 5:9; Amos 7:17
- 25 2 Kings 4:25; 1 Kings 18:19–20; 1 Kings 18:42
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
When God's Prophet Elisha was going up, children called after him mocking, "Go up thou bald head, Go up thou bald head:" but he, not so much in cruelty as in mystery, made those children to be devoured by bears out of the wood. If those children had not been devoured, would they have lived even till now?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)