Add parallel Print Page Options

Elisha Rebukes Some Mockers

23 Later, Elisha[a] left there to go up to Bethel, and as he was traveling along the road, some insignificant[b] young men came from the city and started mocking him. They told him, “Get on up,[c] baldy! Get on up, baldy!” 24 He looked behind him, took note of the young men, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Suddenly two female bears emerged from the woods and mauled 42 of the young men. 25 After this, he left from there to go to Mt. Carmel, and from there he went back to Samaria.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 2:23 Lit. he
  2. 2 Kings 2:23 Or small; i.e. in significance, not stature or age; the individuals were adults
  3. 2 Kings 2:23 The taunt may be an allusion to Elijah’s experience described in v. 11.

23 Then he went up from there to Bethel; as he was going up along the way, young boys came out from the city and mocked at him and said to him, “Go up, baldhead; go up, baldhead!” 24 When he turned around and saw them, he cursed them in the name of Yahweh. Then two bears came out of the forest and mauled forty-two boys among them. 25 Then he went from there to Mount Carmel and from there he returned to Samaria.

Read full chapter