2 Kings 2:15-22
New American Standard Bible
Elisha Succeeds Elijah
15 Now when (A)the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah has settled on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him. 16 Then they said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men; please let them go and search for your master, in case (B)the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some valley.” But he said, “You shall not send anyone.” 17 Yet when (C)they urged him until he was ashamed to refuse, he said, “Send them.” So they sent fifty men; and they searched for three days, but did not find him. 18 They returned to him while he was staying in Jericho; and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”
19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold now, the site of the city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land [a]is unfruitful.” 20 And he said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt [b]in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the spring of water and (D)threw salt [c]in it and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have [d]purified these waters; there shall not come from there death or [e]unfruitfulness any longer.’” 22 So the waters have been [f]purified to this day, in accordance with the word of Elisha which he spoke.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Kings 2:19 Lit causes miscarriages
- 2 Kings 2:20 Lit there
- 2 Kings 2:21 Lit there
- 2 Kings 2:21 Lit healed
- 2 Kings 2:21 Lit anything causing miscarriages
- 2 Kings 2:22 Lit healed
2 Kings 2:15-22
Common English Bible
15 The group of prophets from Jericho saw him from a distance. They said, “Elijah’s spirit has settled on Elisha!” So they came out to meet him, bowing down before him. 16 “Look,” they told him, “there are fifty strong men among us, your servants. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Lord’s spirit has picked him up and put him down on some mountain or in some valley.”
Elisha said, “Don’t send them.” 17 They insisted until he became embarrassed and said, “Okay, send them.” So they sent fifty men who searched for three days. But they couldn’t find Elijah. 18 When these men returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
19 The citizens said to Elisha, “As you can see, sir, this city is in a good location, but the water is bad, and the land causes miscarriages.”
20 He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put some salt in it.” They did so. 21 Elisha then went out and threw salt into the spring. He said, “This is what the Lord has said: I have purified this water. It will no longer cause death and miscarriage.” 22 The water has stayed pure right up to this very day, in agreement with the word that Elisha spoke.
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