The Bible in Basic English BBE
Orthodox Jewish Bible OJB
1 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, There is not room enough for us in the place where we are living under your care;
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And the Bnei HaNevi’im said unto Elishah, Hinei now, the makom where we dwell with thee is too tzar (cramped, crowded) for us.
2 So let us go to Jordan, and let everyone get to work cutting boards, and we will make a living-place for ourselves there. And he said to them, Go, then.
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Let us go, now, unto the Yarden, and take from there every ish one korah (beam), and let us build us a makom (place, home) there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go, ye.
3 And one of them said, Be pleased to go with your servants. And he said, I will go.
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And one said, Be agreed, now, and go with thy avadim. And he answered, I will go.
4 So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they got to work cutting down trees.
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So he went with them. And when they came to the Yarden, they cut down haetzim (the trees, the wood).
5 But one of them, while cutting a board, let the head of his axe go into the water; and he gave a cry, and said, This is a bad business, my master, for it is another's.
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But as one was felling the korah (beam, i.e., tree) the barzel (iron [axehead]) fell into the mayim; and he cried out, and said, Alas, adoni! For it was sha’ul (being borrowed).
6 And the man of God said, Where did it go in? and when he saw the place where it had gone into the water, cutting a stick, he put it into the water, and the iron came up to the top of the water.
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And the Ish HaElohim said, Where fell it? And he showed him the makom (place). And he cut an etz (piece of wood, stick), and cast it in there; and the barzel did float up to the surface.
7 Then he said, Take it up. So he put out his hand and took it.
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Therefore said he, Take it out to thee. And he stretched out his yad, and took it.
8 At that time the king of Aram was making war against Israel; and he had a meeting with the chiefs of his army and said, I will be waiting in secret in some named place.
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Then Melech Aram warred against Yisroel, and took counsel with his avadim, saying, In such and such makom shall be my chosen encampment places.
9 And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, Take care to keep away from that place, for the Aramaeans are waiting there in secret.
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And the Ish HaElohim sent unto Melech Yisroel, saying, Beware that thou be shomer not to pass this makom; for there come down Aram.
10 So the king of Israel sent to the place where the man of God had said there was danger, and kept clear of it more than once.
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And Melech Yisroel sent to the makom which the Ish HaElohim told him and warned him of, and he was watchful there, not just once nor twice.
11 And at this, the mind of the king of Aram was greatly troubled, and he sent for his servants and said to them, Will you not make clear to me which of us is helping the king of Israel?
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Therefore the lev Melech Aram was over this matter much incensed; and he summoned his avadim, and said unto them, Will ye not show me who of us is [traitor] to Melech Yisroel?
12 And one of them said, Not one of us, my lord king; but Elisha, the prophet in Israel, gives the king of Israel news of the words you say even in your bedroom.
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And one of his avadim said, None, adoni HaMelech; but Elishah HaNavi that is in Yisroel, telleth Melech Yisroel the devarim that thou speakest in thy cheder mishkav (bedroom).
13 Then he said, Go and see where he is, so that I may send and get him. And news came to him that he was in Dothan.
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And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and take him captive. And it was told him, saying, Hinei, he is in Dotan.
14 So he sent there horses and carriages and a great army; and they came by night, circling the town.
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Therefore sent he there susim, and merkavot, and a strong army contingent; and they came by lailah, and surrounded the ir.
15 Now the servant of the man of God, having got up early and gone out, saw an army with horses and carriages of war all round the town. And the servant said to him, O my master, what are we to do?
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And when the mesharet (minister, servant) of the Ish HaElohim was risen early, and went forth, hinei, an army surrounded the ir with susim and merkavot. And his na’ar said unto him, Alas, adoni! What shall we do?
16 And he said in answer, Have no fear; those who are with us are more than those who are with them.
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And he answered, Fear not; for they that be with us are rabbim (many) more than they that be with them.
17 Then Elisha made a prayer to the Lord, saying, Lord, let his eyes be open so that he may see. And the Lord made the young man's eyes open; and he saw that all the mountain was full of horses and carriages of fire round Elisha.
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And Elishah davened, and said, Hashem, now, open his eyes, that he may see. And Hashem opened the eyes of the na’ar and he saw; and, hinei, the har was full of susim and merkavot of eish all around Elishah.
18 Now when the Aramaeans came down to Elisha, he made a prayer to the Lord saying, Lord, make this people blind. And he made them blind at Elisha's request.
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And when they made their descent unto him, Elishah davened unto Hashem, and said, Strike now hagoy hazeh, with blindness. And He struck them with blindness according to the davar Elishah.
19 And Elisha said to them, This is not the way, and this is not the town: come after me so that I may take you to the man you are searching for. And he took them to Samaria.
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And Elishah said unto them, This is not the derech, neither is this the ir; follow me, and I will lead you to the ish whom ye seek. But he led them to Shomron.
20 And when they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, Lord, let the eyes of these men be open so that they may see. And the Lord made their eyes open, and they saw that they were in the middle of Samaria.
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And it came to pass, when they were come into Shomron, that Elishah said, Hashem, open the eyes of these, that they may see. And Hashem opened their eyes, and they saw; and, hinei, they were in the midst of Shomron.
21 And the king of Israel, when he saw them, said to Elisha, My father, am I to put them to the sword?
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And Melech Yisroel said unto Elishah, when he saw them, Avi, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?
22 But he said in answer, You are not to put them to death; have you any right to put to death those whom you have not taken prisoner with your sword and your bow? put bread and water before them, so that they may have food and drink and go to their master.
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And he answered, Thou shalt not strike them; wouldest thou strike those whom thou hast taken captive with thy cherev and with thy keshet? Set lechem and mayim before them, that they may eat and drink, and go back to adoneihem.
23 So he made ready a great feast for them, and when they had had food and drink, he sent them away and they went back to their master. And no more bands of Aramaeans came into the land of Israel.
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And he prepared kerah gedolah (a great meal) for them; and when they finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they went to adoneihem. So the raiding parties of Aram (Syria) came no more into Eretz Yisroel.
24 Now after this, Ben-hadad, king of Aram, got together all his army and went up to make an attack on Samaria, shutting the town in on all sides with his forces.
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And it came to pass after this, that Ben Hadad Melech Aram gathered all his machaneh, and went up, and laid siege to Shomron.
25 And they became very short of food in Samaria; for they kept it shut in till the price of an ass's head was eighty shekels of silver, and a small measure of doves' droppings was five shekels of silver.
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And there was a ra’av gadol in Shomron; and, hinei, they laid siege to it, until a rosh chamor was sold for fourscore pieces of kesef, and a quarter of a kav of dove’s dung for five pieces of kesef.
26 And when the king of Israel was going by on the wall, a woman came crying out to him, and said, Help! my lord king.
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And as Melech Yisroel was passing by upon the chomah (wall), there cried out an isha unto him, saying, Hoshia (save), adoni HaMelech!
27 And he said, If the Lord does not give you help, where am I to get help for you? from the grain-floor or the grape-crusher?
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And he said, If Hashem saves thee not, from where can I save thee? From the goren (threshing floor) or from the yekev (wine press)?
28 And the king said to her, What is troubling you? And she said in answer, This woman said to me, Give your son to be our food today, and we will have my son tomorrow.
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And HaMelech said unto her, What troubleth thee? And she answered, This isha said unto me, Give thy ben, that we may eat him hayom (today), and we will eat beni (my son) machar (tomorrow).
29 So, boiling my son, we had a meal of him; and on the day after I said to her, Now give your son for our food; but she has put her son in a secret place.
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So we cooked beni (my son), and did eat him; and I said unto her on the yom ha’acher (the day after), Give thy ben, that we may eat him; and she hath hid her ben.
30 Then the king, hearing what the woman said, took his robes in his hands, violently parting them; and, while he was walking on the wall, the people, looking, saw that under his robe he had haircloth on his flesh.
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And it came to pass, when HaMelech heard the divrei haisha, that he tore his begadim; and he passed by upon the chomah, and the people looked, and, hinei, he had, underneath, sackcloth upon his basar.
31 Then he said, May God's punishment come on me if Elisha, the son of Shaphat, keeps his head on his body after this day.
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Then he said, Elohim do so and more also to me, if the rosh Elishah Ben Shaphat shall remain on him hayom (today).
32 But Elisha was in his house, and the responsible men were seated there with him; and before the king got there, Elisha said to those who were with him, Do you see how this cruel and violent man has sent to take away my life?
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But Elishah sat in his bais, and the Zekenim sat with him; and he [HaMelech] sent an ish ahead of him; but before the malach came to him, he [Elishah] said to the Zekenim, See ye how this ben hameratze’ach (son of a murderer) hath sent to cut off mine rosh? Look, when the malach cometh, shut the delet (door), and hold him shut out by the delet; is not the sound of the raglei adonav behind him?
33 While he was still talking to them, the king came down and said, This evil is from the Lord; why am I to go on waiting any longer for the Lord?
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And while he [Elishah] yet was speaking with them, hinei, the malach (messenger) came down unto him; and he [HaMelech] said, Hinei, this ra’ah (evil, disaster) is from Hashem; what hope can I have from Hashem?
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The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.