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Elisha Makes an Ax Head Float

Some of the prophets[a] said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you[b] is too cramped[c] for us. Let’s go to the Jordan. Each of us will get a log from there, and we will build a meeting place for ourselves there.” He said, “Go.” One of them said, “Please come along with your servants.” He replied, “All right, I’ll come.” So he went with them. When they arrived at the Jordan, they started cutting down trees. As one of them was felling a tree, the ax head[d] dropped into the water. He shouted, “Oh no,[e] my master! It was borrowed!” The prophet[f] asked, “Where did it drop in?” When he showed him the spot, Elisha[g] cut off a branch, threw it in at that spot, and made the ax head float. He said, “Lift it out.” So he reached out his hand and grabbed it.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 6:1 tn Heb “the sons of the prophets.”
  2. 2 Kings 6:1 tn Heb “sit before you.”
  3. 2 Kings 6:1 tn Heb “narrow, tight.”
  4. 2 Kings 6:5 tn Heb “iron.”
  5. 2 Kings 6:5 tn Or “ah.”
  6. 2 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “man of God” (also in v. 9).
  7. 2 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

The Axe Head Recovered

Now (A)the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Behold now, the place [a]before you where we are living is too cramped for us. Please let us go to the Jordan, and let us each take from there a beam, and let us construct a place there for ourselves, to live there.” So he said, “Go.” Then one of them said, “Please agree and go with your servants.” And he said, “I will go.” So he went with them; and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But it happened that as one of them was [b]cutting down a beam, [c]the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Oh, my master! It was borrowed!” Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And when he showed him the place, (B)he cut off a stick and threw it in there, and made the iron float. Then he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took it.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 6:1 Or where we sit in your presence
  2. 2 Kings 6:5 Or dropping; lit felling
  3. 2 Kings 6:5 Lit as for the iron, it fell