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The 1st Chapter
Ohoziah the son
of Ahab began to reign upon Israel in Samaria, the seventeenth year
of Jehosaphat king of Juda, and was king over Israel two year, and
did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his
father and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the
son of Nabat which made Israel sin. And he served Baal and bowed
himself to him and angered the Lord God of Israel, in all things, as
did his father. And the Moabites rebelled against Israel after the
death of Ahab.
And Ohoziah fell through a lattice window out of an upper
chamber that he had in Samaria, and fell sick. Then he sent
messengers saying unto them: go and enquire of Beelzebub the God of
Akaron, whether I shall recover of this disease. But the Angel of
the Lord spake to Eliah the Thesbite, up and go against the
messengers of the king of Samaria and say unto them: Is it because
there is no God in Israel, that ye go to ask through Beelzebub the
God of Akaron.
Therefore thus saith the Lord: thou shalt not come down from
the bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt die. And Eliah
departed.
And the messengers turned back again unto him. And he said
unto them: why are ye thus come again? And they said unto him there
came a man against us and said unto us: go and turn again 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 enquire
through Beelzebub the God of Akaron? Therefore thou shalt not come
down from the bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
And he said to them: what manner a man was that which met you and
told you these words? And they said unto him: it was an hairy man
and girded with a girdle of a skin about his loins. And he said unto
them: it is Eliah the Thesbite.
Then the king sent unto him a captain over fifty with his
fifty. And when the captain was come to him, behold: he sat on the
top of an hill. And the captain said unto him: man of God, the king
biddeth thee come down. And Eliah answered and said to the captain
over the fifty: if I be a man of God, fire come down from heaven and
consume thee and thy fifty. And there came fire down from heaven and
devoured him and his fifty. And the king went again and sent to him
another captain over fifty with his fifty, which answered and said
unto him: Oh man of God, thus saith the king: make haste and come
down. And Eliah answered and said unto them: if I be a man of God,
then let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty.
And there came fire down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
And the king sent again the third captain over fifty. And when
the third captain over fifty was come up to him, he fell on his
knees before Eliah and besought him and said unto him: Oh man of
God, let my life and the life of these fifty thy servants be
precious in thy sight. Behold there came fire down from heaven and
burnt up the two fore captains over fifty with their fifties. But
let my life now be precious in thy sight. Then said the Angel of the
Lord unto Eliah: go down with him, and be not afraid of him. And he
went down with him unto the king.
And he said unto the king, thus saith the Lord: for as much as
thou sentest messengers to ask through Beelzebub the God of Akaron,
as though there had been no God in Israel to ask through his word?
therefore thou shalt not come off the bed on which thou art
ascended, but shalt surely die. And so he died according to the word
of the Lord which Eliah spake, and Jehoram was made king in his
stead, the second year of Jehoram son of Jehosaphat king of Juda,
because he had no son. The rest of the deeds of Ohoziah which he
did, are written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
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The 2nd Chapter
And it chanced when the Lord
would take up Eliah to heaven in a whirlwind, that Eliah and Eliseus
were going from Galgal. And Eliah said to Eliseus, tarry here, I
pray thee, for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel. But Eliseus said: as
surely as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave
thee. And when they came to Bethel, the children of the Prophets
that were at Bethel came out to Eliseus and said to him: knowest
thou not how that the Lord will take away thy master from thee this
day? And he said, I know it too, hold your peace.
Then said Eliah to Eliseus: tarry here a fellowship, for the
Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said: as surely as the Lord
liveth, and as surely as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee, and
so they went to Jericho. And the children of the Prophets that were
at Jericho came to Eliseus and said unto him: art thou not ware that
the Lord will take away thy master from thee this day? And he
answered: I know it also, hold your peace. And Eliah said to him:
tarry I pray thee here, for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. But he
said: as surely as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will
not leave thee. And so they went both of them together. And fifty
men of the sons of the Prophets went and stood in sight afar off, as
they two stood by Jordan.
And then Eliah took his mantle and wrapped it together and
smote the water, and it divided itself, part the one way and part
the other, and they two went over on the dry land. And as soon as
they were over, Eliah said to Eliseus, ask what I shall do for thee
before I be taken away from thee. And Eliseus said: let me, I pray
thee, have thy spirit double in me. And he said: thou hast asked a
hard thing. Nevertheless if thou see me when I am taken away from
thee, thou shalt have it so: if thou do not, it shall not be. And as
they went walking and talking: behold, there came a chariot of fire
and horses of fire and put them asunder. And Eliah went up in the
whirlwind to heaven. And Eliseus saw and cried: O my father, O my
father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof, and saw him
no more: and therefore took his own clothes and rent them in two
pieces.
And then he took up the mantle of Eliah that fell from him,
and went back again and stood by Jordans side, and took the mantle
of Eliah that fell from him, and smote the water and said: where is
the Lord God of Eliah where is he? And when he had smitten the water
it divided part this way and part that way, and Eliseus went over.
And the children of the Prophets of Jericho which saw from afar,
said: the spirit of Eliah doth rest on Eliseus, and went against him
and bowed to the earth unto him. And they said unto him: see, there
be among thy servants fifty lusty men: let them go and seek thy
master: happily the spirit of the Lord hath taken him up and cast
him upon some mountain or in some valley. And he said: send not.
Nevertheless yet they lay upon him, till he was a shamed, and said:
send, and they sent fifty men which sought him three days and three
nights, but found him not. And they came again to him, for he
tarried at Jericho. And he said to them, did I not say unto you that
ye should not go?
Then the men of Jericho said to Eliseus: behold the city
standeth pleasantly as my Lord saith, but the water is nought and
the ground barren. And he said: bring me a new cruse and put salt
therein. And they brought it to him. And he went unto the spring of
the water and cast the salt in thither, and said thus saith the
Lord: I heal this water, there shall not come henceforth either
death or barrenness. And the water was healthsome ever after
according to the saying of Eliseus which he spake.
And he went from thence up to Bethel. And as he was going up
in the way, there came little lads out of the city and mocked him,
and said to him: go up thou bald head, go up thou baldhead. And he
turned back and looked on them and cursed them in the name of the
Lord. And there came two Bears out of the wood and tare forty two of
the boys. And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence
went again to Samaria.
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The 3rd Chapter
Jehoram the son of Ahab began to
reign upon Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehosaphat king
of Juda, and continued twelve year. And he wrought that was evil in
the sight of the Lord: but not like his father or his mother, for he
put away the image of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he
continued in the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nabat which made Israel
sin, and shrank not therefrom.
And Mesa king of Moab which was rich of sheep (and was wont to
render unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs and as many
rams with the wool) rebelled against the king of Israel after the
death of Ahab. And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same season,
and numbered all Israel. And then went and sent to Jehosaphat king
of Juda saying: the king of Moab hath rebelled against me, wilt thou
go with me against the Moabites to battle? And he said: I will go,
and will be as thou, and my people shall be as thine, and my horses
as thine. And he said: what way shall we go? And the other answered:
the way through the wilderness of Edom.
And the king of Israel took his journey with the king of Juda
and the king of Edom. And when they had compassed the way seven
days, there was no water for the host nor for the cattle that they
had with them. Then said the king of Israel: Alas, the Lord hath
called together these three kings to deliver them into the hands of
the Moabites. But Jehosaphat said: is there here no prophet of the
Lords, that we may enquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king
of Israels servants answered and said: here is Eliseus the son of
Saphat which poured water on the hands of Eliah. And Jehosaphat
said: the word of the Lord is with him. And so the king of Israel,
and Jehosaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
And Eliseus said to the king of Israel: what have I to do with
thee? Get thee to the prophets of thy father and of thy mother. And
the king of Israel said unto him: Oh nay, but hath the Lord called
these three kings to deliver them into the hands of the Moabites?
And Eliseus said, as sure as the Lord of Hosts liveth (in whose
sight I stand) and it were not that I regard the presence of
Jehosaphat the king of Juda, I would not look toward thee, nor yet
see ye. But now bring me a minstrel. And as the minstrel played, the
hand of the Lord was upon him. And he said: thus biddeth the Lord,
make this brook full of ditches. For thus saith the Lord: ye shall
see neither wind nor rain, and yet this brook shall be filled with
water, that ye may drink, and your beasts and your cattle also. And
this is yet but a small thing in the sight of the Lord: But he will
give the Moabites into your hands also. And ye shall destroy all
strong towns and all goodly cities, and shall fall all pleasant
trees and stop all the wells of water, and mar all good plots of
ground with stones. And in the morning about offering time: there
came such a water that way from Edom that the country was filled
with water.
And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come to
fight against them, they gathered together, from the youngest that
was able to put on harness and so upward, and waited in the borders.
And they being up early in the morning, the *son arose and
shone upon the water. And when the Moabites saw the water afar off,
as red as blood, they said: it is blood, the kings have fought
together and one slain another. Now therefore ye Moabites get you to
the spoil. And when they came to the Host of Israel, the Israelites
stood up and laid on the Moabites, that they fled before them: And
so they entered the land and destroyed the Moabites. And they
overthrew the cities, and on every good parcel of land, cast every
man his stone and over covered it, and stopped all the wells of
water, and felled all the good trees. And as long as the stones
thereof did remain in the walls of Brick the slingers went upon it
and beat it.
And when the king of Moab saw, that the battle was so strong
for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew the sword, to
have broken up unto the king of Edom. But they could not. And then
he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and
offered him for a burnt offering upon the walls. And there came so
great wrath upon Israel, that they departed from him and returned to
their own land.
*son: sonne exactly as it appears in
the text, else where sun is written sunne.
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The 4th Chapter
And there cried a certain woman
of the wives of the children of the prophets unto Eliseus saying:
thy servant my husband is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant
did fear the Lord.
And the creditor is come to fetch my two sons, to be his
bondmen. And Eliseus said to her: What shall I do for thee? Tell me,
what hast thou in thine house? And she said thy handmaid hath
nothing at all in her house, save a pitcher with oil. And he said:
Go and borrow thee in other places, of all thy neighbors, empty
vessels and that not a few. And then go and shut the door to thee
and to thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels, and put the
full always aside.
And she went from him, and shut the door to her and her sons.
And they brought to her, and she poured out. And when the vessels
were full, she said to her son: bring yet a vessel. And he said:
there is no more. And then the oil ceased. Then she came and told
the man of God. And he said: go and sell the Oil and pay thy
creditor. And live thou and thy children of the rest.
And it fell on a day, that Eliseus came to Sunam, where was a
rich woman that took him in for to eat bread. And as oft as he came
that way, he turned in thither to eat bread. And she said unto her
husband: see, I perceive that the man of God is perfect, and cometh
always by us. Let us make him a chamber with a little wall, and let
us set him there a bed, a table, a stool and a candlestick, that he
may turn in thither, when he cometh to us.
And it fortuned on a time that he came thither and turned into
the chamber and lay there. Then he said to Gihezi his servant: call
this Sunamite. And he called her, and she came before him. And
Eliseus said to him, say to her I pray thee: see, thou hast made all
this provision for us, what shall we do for thee? wouldest thou be
spoken for to the king or to the captain of the Host? And she said I
dwell among mine own people. Then he said, what is to be done for
her? And Gihezi said: Verily she hath no child, and her husband is
old. And he said: call her. And he called her. And she came and
stood at the door. Then he said: by such a time, as soon as the
fruit can live, thou shalt embrace a son, and she said, Oh nay my
Lord thou man of God, do not lie unto the handmaid. And the wife
conceived and bare a son the same season that Eliseus had said unto
her, as soon as the fruit could have life.
And when the lad was great, it fell on a day, that he went out
to his father, to the harvest time. And there he complained unto his
father, my head, my head. And his father said to a lad, carry him to
his mother. And he took him and brought him to his mother. And he
sat on her knees till noon, and then died. And she carried him up
and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door to him,
and went out, and came to her husband and said: send me one of the
young men and an Ass that I may run to the man of God. And he said:
wherefore wilt thou go to him today, while it is neither new moon
nor Sabbath day. And she said: be content. Then she saddled an Ass
and said to the lad: lead away and make me not cease riding, until I
bid thee.
And so she went and came unto the man of God, to mount Carmel.
And when the man of God saw her a far, he said to Gihezi his
servant: see, where our servant cometh. Now run against her, and ask
her, whether it be all well with her, and with her husband and with
the lad. And she said: all is well. Then she went to the man of God
up to the hill and caught him by the feet. And Gihezi went to her,
to thrust her away. But the man of God said: let her alone, for her
soul is vexed, and the Lord hath hid it from me and hath not told it
me. Then she said: did I desire a son of my Lord? did I not say,
that thou shouldest not bring me in a fools Paradise?
Then he said to Gihezi: gird up thy loins, and take my staff
in thine hand and away. If any man meet thee, salute him not. And if
any salute thee, answer him not again. And put my staff upon the
boy. Notwithstanding the mother of the child said: as sure as the
Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And then
he arose and followed her. Gihezi went before them and put the staff
upon the lad. But there was neither voice nor attending. And then he
went again against his master and told him saying: it hath not
awaked the lad.
And when Eliseus was come to the house: Behold, the lad was
dead and laid upon his bed. And he went in and shut the door to the
lad and him, and prayed unto the Lord. And he went up and lay upon
the lad, and put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes,
and the palm of his hands on the palm of his hands, and spread
himself upon the lad that the flesh of the child waxed warm. And
went again and walked once up and down in the house, and then went
up and spread himself upon him. And the lad sneezed seven times and
opened his eyes. And he called Gihezi and said: Call for this
Sunamite. And he called her. And when she was come to him, he said:
take thy son. Then she went and fell at his feet and bowed herself
to the ground, and took up her son and went out. When Eliseus was
come to Galgal again, there was a *darth in the land, and the
children of the prophets dwelt with him. Then he said to his
servant, put on a great pot, and make pottage for the children of
the prophets. And one went out into the field, to gather herbs, and
found as it were a wild vine, and gathered thereof *Coloquintidaes
his lapful, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage, they
unwitting. And they poured out for the men to eat. And when they had
tasted of the pottage, they cried out and said: there is death in
the pot thou man of God, and could not eat thereof. Then he said:
bring meal. And he cast it into the pot and said: fill for the
people that they may eat, and there was no harm in the pot.
There came a man from Baalsalisa and brought the man of God
bread of first fruits, even twenty leaves of barley, and new corn in
a cloth he had. And Eliseus bade put it before the people that they
might eat. Then his minister said: what should I set this before an
hundred men? And he said: set it before the people and let them eat.
For thus saith the Lord: they shall eat and leave. And he set it
before them, and they ate and left, according to the word of the
Lord.
*darth: dearth; famine, shortage of
food. *Coloquintidaes: unknown, plant?: from Colocynth: "bitter
apple" purgative drugs from it; but apparently poisonous.
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The 5th Chapter
Naaman captain
of the Host to the king of Siria, was great with his master and well
taken: for through him the Lord saved Siria. And he was an active
man, and yet a leper. And there had gone a company of Soldiers out
of Siria a running, and had brought out of the country of Israel a
little maid, which was with Naamans wife. And the Damsel said unto
her lady: I would my master were with a prophet that is in Samaria:
he would deliver him of his leprosy. And she went and told her
husband saying: thus and thus saith the maid that is out of the land
of Israel. And the king of Siria said: go thy way, and I will send a
letter unto the king of Israel. And he went and took with him ten
talents of silver and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes
of raiments. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel
containing this tenor: Now when this letter is come up to thee:
Behold I have sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou shouldest
rid him of his leprosy. And when the king of Israel had read the
letter, he rent his clothes and said: am I God, to slay and to make
alive, that he should send to me, for to deliver a man from his
leprosy. But consider I pray you, and see, how he picketh quarrels
with me. And when Eliseus the man of God, heard how that the king of
Israel had rent his clothes, he sent to the king saying: wherefore
hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come to me, that he may know
that there is a prophet in Israel.
And Naaman came with his horses and his chariot, and stood at
the door of Eliseus. Then Eliseus sent a messenger saying: go and
wash thee in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to
thee as before, and thou shalt be clean. And Naaman was wroth and
went away, and said: Behold, I thought in myself, he would have come
out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and put his
hand on the place of the disease, and so take away the leprosy. Are
not Abanah and Pharphar, rivers of Damasco, better than all the
waters of Israel? Might I not rather wash in them and be clean? And
so he turned and departed in an anger. Then came his servants and
communed with him and said: Father if the prophet had bid thee done
some great thing, oughtest thou not to have done it? How much rather
then shouldest thou do it, while he saith to thee only, wash and be
clean. Then he went down and washed seven times in Jordan, as the
man of God bade, and his flesh changed, like unto the flesh of a
little boy, and he was clean.
Then he turned again to the man of God and all his company
with him, and came and stood before him and said. Behold I know that
there is no God in all the world, but in Israel. And now I pray thee
take a blessing of thy servant. But he said as surely as the Lord
liveth before whom I stand, I will receive none. And the other would
have constrained him to receive: but he would not do it. And Naaman
said, if thou wilt not: yet I pray thee, may there not be given to
thy servant the burden of two mules of earth. For thy servant will
henceforth offer neither burnt sacrifice nor offering unto any other
God, than to the Lord. But herein the Lord be merciful to thy
servant, for when my master goeth into the house of Remon to worship
there, he leaneth on mine hand, and I must worship in the house of
Remon, let the Lord I pray thee be merciful unto thy servant in this
case. And he said to him: go in peace. And when he was departed from
him a furlong of ground, Gihezi the servant of Eliseus the man of
God, said: see, my master hath kept off, this Sirian Naaman that he
would not receive of his hand that he offered. As surely as the Lord
liveth I will run after him and take somewhat. And so Gihezi went
after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him coming after him, he came down
off the chariot against him, and said: is all well? And he said yee.
But my master hath sent me saying: see, there be two young men
come to me out of Ephraim of the children of the prophets: give them
I pray thee, one talent of silver and a couple of good garments. And
Naaman said: adventure and take two talents of silver in two bags,
with two goodly garments: and delivered them unto two of his
servants, to bear it before him. And he went in the dark and took it
of their hands and bestowed it in the house, and let the men go, and
they departed.
Then he went and stood before his master. And Eliseus said to
him: whence cometh Gihezi? And he said: thy servant went no whither.
And he said: went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned and
came of his chariot against thee? Is it a time to receive silver and
to receive garments, olive trees, vineyards, oxen, sheep,
menservants and maidservants? The leprosy therefore of Naaman cleave
unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from him a
leper as white as snow.
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The 6th Chapter
Then said the children of the
prophets unto Eliseus: see, the place where we dwell with thee, is
too little for us. Let us there take every man a beam and build us a
place there, to dwell in. And he said: go ye. And one said: begin I
pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he said: I will, and so
went with them.
And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. And as one
was heaving of a beam, the axe head fell into the water. And he
cried out and said: Alas master, for it was lent me. And the man of
God said: Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut an
helve and cast it in thither, and made the axe head swim. And he
said: take it up to thee. And the other stretched his hand and
caught it.
And the king of Siria fought against Israel, and took counsel
with his servants saying: In such a place and in such a place will I
pitch. And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel saying:
Beware thou go not by such a place, for there are the Sirians gone
down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God
told him and warned him of, and saved himself there more than once
or twice.
And the heart of the King of Siria was troubled therewith,
that he sent for his servants and said to them: will ye not show me
which of us telleth the king of Israel? And one of his servants
said: nay my Lord king: Eliseus the prophet that is in Israel, he
telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy
sleeping chamber. Then he said: go and spy where he is that I may
send and fetch him. And one told the king saying: see, he is in
Dothan. And he sent thither horse and chariots and a great Host. And
they came thither by night and compassed the town about.
And when the servant of the men of God rose up early and was
gone out: Behold: there was an Host round about the town with horses
and chariots. Then said his lad to him: Alas master, what shall we
do? And he said: fear not, there are more with us than with them.
And Eliseus prayed and said: Lord open the eyes of the young man,
and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots
of fire round about Eliseus. And when the soldiers came down to him,
Eliseus prayed unto the Lord and said: Smite this people with
blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the desire
of Eliseus. Then Eliseus said unto them this is not the way, nor
this is not the town: But follow me and I will bring you to the man
ye seek. And he led them to Samaria.
When they were come to Samaria, Eliseus said: Lord, open their
eyes and let them see. And the Lord opened their eyes that they saw.
And behold they were in the midst of Samaria. And then said the king
of Israel unto Eliseus when he saw them: shall I smite them, shall I
smite them father : And he said: smite them not. But smite them thou
takest with thine own sword and with thine own bow. But set bread
and water before them, and let them eat and drink, and go to their
master. And he made great ordinance before them. And when they had
eaten and drunk, sent them away, and they went to their master. And
so the Soldiers of Siria came no more into the land of Israel.
After this Benhadad king of Siria gathered all the Host, and
went and besieged Samaria. And there arose great *dearth in Samaria:
for they had besieged it, until an Asses head was worth four score
sickles of silver, and the fourth part of a Cab of doves dung worth
five sickles. And as the king of Israel walked upon the walls there
cried a woman to him, saying: help, my Lord king. And he said: Nay,
the Lord help thee. But wherewith should I help thee, with corn or
wine? Then said the king to her: what aileth thee? And she answered:
this woman here said to me, bring thy son and let us eat him today,
and we will eat mine tomorrow. And so we dressed my son and did eat
him. And I said to her another day, bring thy son that we may eat
him. But she hath hid her son. When the king heard the words of the
woman, he rent his clothes even as he was walking on the walls. And
when the people looked upon him: see, he was clothed in sack under.
Then he said: God do so and so to me: if the head of Eliseus the son
of Saphat tarry on him this day. And as Eliseus sat in his house and
the elders with him, the king sent one from him. But before the
messenger came at him, he said to the elders: see you not how the
son of this murderer hath sent, to take off mine head? Be
circumspect therefore when the messenger cometh, and shut the door,
and thrust him back therewith: for the sound of his masters feet
followeth him. And while he yet talked with them: Behold the
messenger was come unto him. And he said: behold, this evil is of
the Lord, what more shall we look for of the Lord.
*dearth (famine)
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Chapters 1-6
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7-12 |
13-18 |
19-end |
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