Melachim B (Book of 2 Kings)

Category: Judaism

2:50 h

The Jewish Publication Society of America Version (JPS) of the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible) was the first Bible translation published by the Jewish Publication Society of America and the first translation of the Tanakh into English by a committee of Jews. The full publication title is The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text: A New Translation with the Aid of Previous Versions and with Constant Consultation of Jewish Authorities.

Melachim B
(Book of 2 Kings)

מְלָכִים ב

Nevi’im - נביאים

Melachim B - Chapter 1

And Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.

And Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick; and he sent messengers, and said unto them: ‘Go, inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this sickness.’ {S}

But an angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite: ‘Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them: Is it because there is no God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?

Now therefore thus saith the LORD: Thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.’ And Elijah departed.

And the messengers returned unto him, and he said unto them: ‘Why is it that ye are returned?’

And they said unto him: ‘There came up a man to meet us, and said unto us: Go, return unto the king that sent you, and say unto him: Thus saith the LORD: Is it because there is no God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.’

And he said unto them: ‘What manner of man was he that came up to meet you, and told you these words?’

And they answered him: ‘He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins.’ And he said: ‘It is Elijah the Tishbite.’

Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him; and, behold, he sat on the top of the hill. And he spoke unto him: ‘O man of God, the king hath said: Come down.’

And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty: ‘If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty.’ And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

And again he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him: ‘O man of God, thus hath the king said: Come down quickly.’

And Elijah answered and said unto them: ‘If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty.’ And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

And again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him: ‘O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.

Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and consumed the two former captains of fifty with their fifties; but now let my life be precious in thy sight.’ {S}

And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah: ‘Go down with him; be not afraid of him.’ And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.

And he said unto him: ‘Thus saith the LORD: Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed whether thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.’

So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram began to reign in his stead {P} in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son. {S}

Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? {P}

Melachim B - Chapter 2

And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

And Elijah said unto Elisha: ‘Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me as far as Beth-el.’ And Elisha said: ‘As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.’ So they went down to Beth-el. —

And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him: ‘Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to-day?’ And he said: ‘Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.’ —

And Elijah said unto him: ‘Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho.’ And he said: ‘As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.’ So they came to Jericho. —

And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said unto him: ‘Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to-day?’ And he answered: ‘Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.’ —

And Elijah said unto him: ‘Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to the Jordan.’ And he said: ‘As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.’ And they two went on.

And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood over against them afar off; and they two stood by the Jordan.

And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha: ‘Ask what I shall do for thee, before I am taken from thee.’ And Elisha said: ‘I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.’

And he said: ‘Thou hast asked a hard thing; nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.’

And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

And Elisha saw it, and he cried: ‘My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof!’ And he saw him no more; and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan.

And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said: ‘Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?’ and when he also had smitten the waters, they were divided hither and thither; and Elisha went over.

And when the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho some way off saw him, they said: ‘The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha.’ And they came to meet him, and bowed down to the ground before him.

And they said unto him: ‘Behold now, there are with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master; lest peradventure the spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley.’ And he said: ‘Ye shall not send.’

And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said: ‘Send.’ They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.

And they came back to him, while he tarried at Jericho; and he said unto them: ‘Did I not say unto you: Go not?’ {S}

And the men of the city said unto Elisha: ‘Behold, we pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth; but the water is bad, and the land miscarrieth.

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 salt therein, and said: ‘Thus saith the LORD: I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or miscarrying.’

So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke. {P}

And he went up from thence unto Beth-el; and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him: ‘Go up, thou baldhead; go up, thou baldhead.’

And he looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tore forty and two children of them.

And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria. {P}

Melachim B - Chapter 3

Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother; for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made.

Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom. {P}

Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master; and he rendered unto the king of Israel the wool of a hundred thousand lambs, and of a hundred thousand rams.

But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

And king Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered all Israel.

And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying: ‘The king of Moab hath rebelled against me; wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle?’ And he said: ‘I will go up; I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.’