2 Kings 6 Parallel Bible Translations

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1 One day the Guild of Prophets told Elisha, |Notice how the place where we are living is too small for us. Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us.
2 Let's go to the Jordan River, fashion some rafters, and build a place for us so we can live there.| So he said, |Go!| Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.” And he answered, “Go.” Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to meet.” And he said, “Go.”
3 Someone asked, |Would you be willing to come with your servants?| |I'm willing,| he replied. Then one of them said, “Be pleased to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.” Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?” “I will,” Elisha replied.
4 So he accompanied them, and when they came to the Jordan River, they cut down some trees. So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees.
5 It happened that as one of them was felling a beam, his axe head fell into the water. He cried out, |Oh no! Master! The axe was on loan to me!| But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.” As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh no, my lord!” he cried out. “It was borrowed!”
6 The man of God asked, |Where did it fall?| When he was shown the place, he cut off a branch, tossed it there, and made the iron axe head float. Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float.
7 Then Elisha said, |Pick it up!| So the young man reached out and picked it up. And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it. “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.
8 Eventually the king of Aram went to war against Israel, taking counsel with his advisors and concluding, |In such and such a place I'll build my encampment.| Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”
9 So the man of God sent a message to the king of Israel, warning him, |Keep an eye on that area, because the Arameans are going to be there!| But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.” The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.”
10 The king of Israel confirmed the matter about which the man of God had warned him. Having been forewarned, he was able to protect himself there on more than one or two occasions. And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice. So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.
11 The king of Aram flew into a rage over this, so he called in his advisors and asked them, |Will you please tell me which of us has joined the king of Israel?| And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?” This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
12 |No, your majesty,| one of his servants said. |Elisha the prophet, who lives in Israel, tells the king of Israel what you talk about in your bedroom!| And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
13 So the king ordered, |Go and discover where he is, so I may send men to take him into custody.| Later somebody told him, |Look! He's in Dothan!| And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.”
14 So the king of Aram sent out horses, chariots, and an elite force, and they arrived during the night and surrounded the city. So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city. Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
15 Meanwhile, the attendant to the man of God got up early in the morning and went outside, and there were the elite forces, surrounding the city, accompanied by horses and chariots! So Elisha's attendant cried out to him, |Oh no! Master! What will we do!?| When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
16 Elisha replied, |Stop being afraid, because there are more with us than with them!| He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 Then Elisha prayed, asking the LORD, |Please make him able to really see!| And so when the LORD enabled the young man to see, he looked, and there was the mountain, filled with horses and fiery chariots surrounding Elisha! Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18 When the army approached him, Elisha spoke to the LORD, asking him, |LORD, I'm asking you please to afflict this group of people with blindness!| So he afflicted them with blindness, just as Elisha had asked. And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
19 Then Elisha told the army, |This isn't the way, and this isn't the city! Follow me, and I'll bring you to the man you're seeking. Then he led them to Samaria. And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria. Elisha told them, “This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to Samaria.
20 When they arrived in Samaria, Elisha asked the LORD, |Enable them to see again.| So the LORD did so, and there they were—right in the middle of Samaria! As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the LORD opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. After they entered the city, Elisha said, “LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see.” Then the LORD opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.
21 When the king of Israel saw Elisha, he asked him, |Shall I execute them, my father?| As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?”
22 But he replied, |No! You're not to kill them! Would you execute those whom you've taken captive at the point of a sword or with your bow? Give them food and water so they can eat and drink. Then send them back to their master!| He answered, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” “Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.”
23 So he prepared a large festival for them, and when they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them back to their master, and marauding gangs of Arameans never came into the territory of Israel again. So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel. So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.
24 Some time later, King Ben-hadad from Aram mustered his army, invaded the land, and attacked Samaria Afterward Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria. Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria.
25 until there was a great famine throughout Samaria. The siege lasted until a donkey's head cost 80 silver coins and one quarter of a unit of dove's dung cost five silver coins. And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver. There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels.
26 While the king of Israel was walking along the city wall, a woman cried out to him. |Help me, your majesty!| she said. Now as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”
27 He replied, |No! Since the LORD won't give you victory, how will I be able to deliver you? From the threshing floor? From the wine press?| And he said, “If the LORD will not help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?” The king replied, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?”
28 Then the king asked her, |What's bothering you?| She said, |This woman told me, 'Give up your son, and we'll eat him today, and we'll eat your son tomorrow.'| And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ Then he asked her, “What’s the matter?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.’
29 So we boiled my son and ate him. The next day, I told her, 'Give me your son so we can eat him!' But she has hidden her son!| So we boiled my son and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.” So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him,’ but she had hidden him.”
30 When the king heard what the woman said, he ripped his garments as he continued walking along the city wall. As the people watched, all of a sudden they noticed he was wearing sackcloth underneath his clothes, inside next to his flesh! When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body— When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his robes. As he went along the wall, the people looked, and they saw that, under his robes, he had sackcloth on his body.
31 He said, |May God do to me—and more also!—if the head of Shaphat's son Elisha remains on his shoulders today!| and he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.” He said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!”
32 Meanwhile, Elisha was sitting in his house, along with the elders, when the king sent a man to kill him, but before the messenger arrived, Elisha told the elders, |Are you watching how this descendant of murderers has ordered my head be cut off? Look, when the messenger arrives, shut the door and hold it to shut them out! Don't you hear the sound of his master's feet right behind him?| Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence, but before the messenger arrived Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Don’t you see how this murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it shut against him. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?”
33 While he was still talking with them, the messenger arrived to see him and delivered the king's message to Elisha, |Look! This evil has come from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD anymore?| And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him. The king said, “This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”
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