2 Raja-raja 1:4

1:4 Therefore this is what the Lord says, “You will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die!”’” So Elijah went on his way.

2 Raja-raja 1:14

1:14 Indeed, ¹  fire came down from the sky and consumed the two captains who came before me, along with their men. ²  So now, please have respect for my life.”

2 Raja-raja 2:1

Elijah Makes a Swift Departure

2:1 Just before ³  the Lord took Elijah up to heaven in a windstorm, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal.

2 Raja-raja 2:23

2:23 He went up from there to Bethel. ⁴  As he was traveling up the road, some young boys ⁵  came out of the city and made fun of him, saying, “Go on up, baldy! Go on up, baldy!”

2 Raja-raja 3:2

3:2 He did evil in the sight of ⁶  the Lord, but not to the same degree as his father and mother. He did remove the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made.

2 Raja-raja 3:14

3:14 Elisha said, “As certainly as the Lord who rules over all ⁷  lives (whom I serve), ⁸  if I did not respect King Jehoshaphat of Judah, ⁹  I would not pay attention to you or acknowledge you. ¹⁰ 

2 Raja-raja 3:17

3:17 for this is what the Lord says, ‘You will not feel ¹¹  any wind or see any rain, but this valley will be full of water and you and your cattle and animals will drink.’

2 Raja-raja 4:40

4:40 The stew was poured out ¹²  for the men to eat. When they ate some of the stew, they cried out, “Death is in the pot, O prophet!” They could not eat it.

2 Raja-raja 4:43

4:43 But his attendant said, “How can I feed a hundred men with this?” ¹³  He replied, “Set it before the people so they may eat, for this is what the Lord says, ‘They will eat and have some left over.’” ¹⁴ 

2 Raja-raja 5:16

5:16 But Elisha ¹⁵  replied, “As certainly as the Lord lives (whom I serve), ¹⁶  I will take nothing from you.” Naaman ¹⁷  insisted that he take it, but he refused.

2 Raja-raja 6:22

6:22 He replied, “Do not strike them down! You did not capture them with your sword or bow, so what gives you the right to strike them down? ¹⁸  Give them some food and water, so they can eat and drink and then go back to their master.”

2 Raja-raja 6:31

6:31 Then he said, “May God judge me severely ¹⁹  if Elisha son of Shaphat still has his head by the end of the day!” ²⁰ 

2 Raja-raja 6:33

6:33 He was still talking to them when ²¹  the messenger approached ²²  and said, “Look, the Lord is responsible for this disaster! ²³  Why should I continue to wait for the Lord to help?”

2 Raja-raja 7:7

7:7 So they got up and fled at dusk, leaving behind their tents, horses, and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.

2 Raja-raja 8:15

8:15 The next day Hazael ²⁴  took a piece of cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over Ben Hadad’s ²⁵  face until he died. Then Hazael replaced him as king.

2 Raja-raja 8:18

8:18 He followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel, just as Ahab’s dynasty had done, for he married Ahab’s daughter. ²⁶  He did evil in the sight of ²⁷  the Lord.

2 Raja-raja 8:27

8:27 He followed in the footsteps of Ahab’s dynasty and did evil in the sight of ²⁸  the Lord, like Ahab’s dynasty, for he was related to Ahab’s family. ²⁹ 

2 Raja-raja 9:11

9:11 When Jehu rejoined ³⁰  his master’s servants, they ³¹  asked him, “Is everything all right? ³²  Why did this madman visit you?” He replied, “Ah, it’s not important. You know what kind of man he is and the kinds of things he says.” ³³ 

2 Raja-raja 9:20

9:20 The watchman reported, “He reached them, but hasn’t started back. The one who drives the lead chariot drives like Jehu son of Nimshi; ³⁴  he drives recklessly.”

2 Raja-raja 9:22

9:22 When Jehoram saw Jehu, he asked, “Is everything all right, Jehu?” He replied, “How can everything be all right as long as your mother Jezebel promotes idolatry and pagan practices?” ³⁵ 

2 Raja-raja 9:33

9:33 He said, “Throw her down!” So they threw her down, and when she hit the ground, ³⁶  her blood splattered against the wall and the horses, and Jehu drove his chariot over her. ³⁷ 

2 Raja-raja 10:2

10:2 “You have with you the sons of your master, chariots and horses, a fortified city, and weapons. So when this letter arrives, ³⁸ 

2 Raja-raja 10:22

10:22 Jehu ordered the one who was in charge of the wardrobe, ³⁹  “Bring out robes for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them.

2 Raja-raja 13:2

13:2 He did evil in the sight of ⁴⁰  the Lord. He continued in ⁴¹  the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who had encouraged Israel to sin; he did not repudiate those sins. ⁴² 

2 Raja-raja 13:5

13:5 The Lord provided a deliverer ⁴³  for Israel and they were freed from Syria’s power. ⁴⁴  The Israelites once more lived in security. ⁴⁵ 

2 Raja-raja 13:11-12

13:11 He did evil in the sight of ⁴⁶  the Lord. He did not repudiate ⁴⁷  the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin; he continued in those sins. ⁴⁸  13:12 The rest of the events of Joash’s ⁴⁹  reign, including all his accomplishments and his successful war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. ⁵⁰ 

2 Raja-raja 14:14-15

14:14 He took away all the gold and silver, all the items found in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the royal palace, and some hostages. ⁵¹  Then he went back to Samaria. ⁵² 

( 14:15 The rest of the events of Jehoash’s ⁵³  reign, including all his accomplishments and his successful war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. ⁵⁴ 

2 Raja-raja 15:9

15:9 He did evil in the sight of ⁵⁵  the Lord, as his ancestors had done. He did not repudiate ⁵⁶  the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin.

2 Raja-raja 15:16

15:16 At that time Menahem came from Tirzah and attacked Tiphsah. He struck down all who lived in the city and the surrounding territory, because they would not surrender. ⁵⁷  He even ripped open the pregnant women.

2 Raja-raja 15:18-19

15:18 He did evil in the sight of ⁵⁸  the Lord; he did not repudiate ⁵⁹  the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin. ⁶⁰ 

During his reign, 15:19 Pul ⁶¹  king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem paid ⁶²  him ⁶³  a thousand talents ⁶⁴  of silver to gain his support ⁶⁵  and to solidify his control of the kingdom. ⁶⁶ 

2 Raja-raja 16:3

16:3 He followed in the footsteps of ⁶⁷  the kings of Israel. He passed his son through the fire, ⁶⁸  a horrible sin practiced by the nations ⁶⁹  whom the Lord drove out from before the Israelites.

2 Raja-raja 17:7

A Summary of Israel’s Sinful History

17:7 This happened because the Israelites sinned against the Lord their God, who brought them up from the land of Egypt and freed them from the power of ⁷⁰  Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped ⁷¹  other gods;

2 Raja-raja 17:18

17:18 So the Lord was furious ⁷²  with Israel and rejected them; ⁷³  only the tribe of Judah was left.

2 Raja-raja 17:31

17:31 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, ⁷⁴  and the Sepharvites burned their sons in the fire as an offering to Adrammelech and Anammelech, ⁷⁵  the gods of Sepharvaim.

2 Raja-raja 18:10

18:10 After three years he captured it (in the sixth year of Hezekiah’s reign); in the ninth year of King Hoshea’s reign over Israel Samaria was captured.

2 Raja-raja 18:23-25

18:23 Now make a deal ⁷⁶  with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, provided you can find enough riders for them. 18:24 Certainly you will not refuse one of my master’s minor officials and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen. ⁷⁷  18:25 Furthermore it was by the command of the Lord that I marched up against this place to destroy it. The Lord told me, ‘March ⁷⁸  up against this land and destroy it.’”’” ⁷⁹ 

2 Raja-raja 18:28

18:28 The chief adviser then stood there and called out loudly in the Judahite dialect, ⁸⁰  “Listen to the message of the great king, the king of Assyria.

2 Raja-raja 19:2

19:2 He sent Eliakim the palace supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, ⁸¹  clothed in sackcloth, with this message to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz:

2 Raja-raja 20:19-20

20:19 Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The Lord’s word which you have announced is appropriate.” ⁸²  Then he added, ⁸³  “At least there will be peace and stability during my lifetime.” ⁸⁴ 

20:20 The rest of the events of Hezekiah’s reign and all his accomplishments, including how he built a pool and conduit to bring ⁸⁵  water into the city, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. ⁸⁶ 

2 Raja-raja 21:11

21:11 “King Manasseh of Judah has committed horrible sins. ⁸⁷  He has sinned more than the Amorites before him and has encouraged Judah to sin by worshiping his disgusting idols. ⁸⁸ 

2 Raja-raja 21:15

21:15 because they have done evil in my sight ⁸⁹  and have angered me from the time their ancestors left Egypt right up to this very day!’”

2 Raja-raja 22:12

22:12 The king ordered Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant,

2 Raja-raja 23:30

23:30 His servants transported his dead body ⁹⁰  from Megiddo in a chariot and brought it to Jerusalem, where they buried him in his tomb. The people of the land took Josiah’s son Jehoahaz, poured olive oil on his head, ⁹¹  and made him king in his father’s place.

2 Raja-raja 24:5

24:5 The rest of the events of Jehoiakim’s reign and all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. ⁹² 

2 Raja-raja 24:12

24:12 King Jehoiachin of Judah, along with his mother, his servants, his officials, and his eunuchs surrendered ⁹³  to the king of Babylon. The king of Babylon, in the eighth year of his reign, ⁹⁴  took Jehoiachin ⁹⁵  prisoner.

2 Raja-raja 24:20

24:20 What follows is a record of what happened to Jerusalem and Judah because of the Lord’s anger; he finally threw them out of his presence. ⁹⁶  Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

2 Raja-raja 25:8

Nebuchadnezzar Destroys Jerusalem

25:8 On the seventh ⁹⁷  day of the fifth month, ⁹⁸  in the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard ⁹⁹  who served the king of Babylon, arrived in Jerusalem. ¹⁰⁰ 

2 Raja-raja 25:18

25:18 The captain of the royal guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah, the priest who was second in rank, and the three doorkeepers.

[1:14]  ¹ tn Heb “look.”

[1:14]  ² tn Heb “their fifty.”

[2:1]  ³ tn Or “when.”

[2:23]  ⁴ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[2:23]  ⁵ tn The word נַעַר (na’ar), here translated “boy,” can refer to a broad age range, including infants as well as young men. But the qualifying term “young” (or “small”) suggests these youths were relatively young. The phrase in question (“young boy”) occurs elsewhere in 1 Sam 20:35; 1 Kgs 3:7 (used by Solomon in an hyperbolic manner); 11:17; 2 Kgs 5:14; and Isa 11:6.

[3:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[3:14]  ⁷ tn Traditionally “the Lord of hosts.”

[3:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “before whom I stand.”

[3:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “if I did not lift up the face of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah.”

[3:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “I would not look at you or see you.”

[3:17]  ¹¹ tn Heb “see.”

[4:40]  ¹² tn Heb “and they poured out [the stew].” The plural subject is probably indefinite.

[4:43]  ¹³ tn Heb “How can I set this before a hundred men?”

[4:43]  ¹⁴ tn The verb forms are infinitives absolute (Heb “eating and leaving over”) and have to be translated in light of the context.

[5:16]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:16]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “before whom I stand.”

[5:16]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Naaman) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:22]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “Are [they] ones you captured with your sword or your bow (that) you can strike (them) down?”

[6:31]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “So may God do to me, and so may he add.”

[6:31]  ²⁰ tn Heb “if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat stays on him today.”

[6:33]  ²¹ tn The Hebrew text also has “look” here.

[6:33]  ²² tn Heb “came down to him.”

[6:33]  ²³ tn Heb “Look, this is a disaster from the Lord.”

[8:15]  ²⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Hazael) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:15]  ²⁵ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Ben Hadad) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:18]  ²⁶ tn Heb “he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife.”

[8:18]  ²⁷ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[8:27]  ²⁸ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[8:27]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and he walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the eyes of the Lord like the house of Ahab, for he was a relative by marriage of the house of Ahab.” For this use of חֲתַן (khatan), normally “son-in-law,” see HALOT 365 s.v. חָתָן. Ahab was Ahaziah’s grandfather on his mother’s side.

[9:11]  ³⁰ tn Heb “went out to.”

[9:11]  ³¹ tc The MT has the singular, “he said,” but many witnesses correctly read the plural.

[9:11]  ³² tn Heb “Is there peace?”

[9:11]  ³³ tn Heb “He said, ‘You, you know the man and his thoughts.’” Jehu tries to deflect their question by reminding them that the man is an eccentric individual who says strange things. His reply suggests that the man said nothing of importance. The translation seeks to bring out the tone and intent of Jehu’s reply.

[9:20]  ³⁴ tn Heb “and the driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi.”

[9:22]  ³⁵ tn Heb “How [can there be] peace as long as the adulterous acts of Jezebel your mother and her many acts of sorcery [continue]?” In this instance “adulterous acts” is employed metaphorically for idolatry. As elsewhere in the OT, worshiping other gods is viewed as spiritual adultery and unfaithfulness to the one true God. The phrase “many acts of sorcery” could be taken literally, for Jezebel undoubtedly utilized pagan divination practices, but the phrase may be metaphorical, pointing to her devotion to pagan customs in general.

[9:33]  ³⁶ tn The words “when she hit the ground” are added for stylistic reasons.

[9:33]  ³⁷ tn Heb “and he trampled her.”

[10:2]  ³⁸ tn Heb “And now when this letter comes to you – with you are the sons of your master and with you are chariots and horses and a fortified city and weapons.”

[10:22]  ³⁹ tn Heb “and he said to the one who was over the wardrobe.”

[13:2]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[13:2]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “walked after.”

[13:2]  ⁴² tn Heb “he did not turn aside from it.”

[13:5]  ⁴³ sn The identity of this unnamed “deliverer” is debated. For options see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 143.

[13:5]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “and they went from under the hand of Syria.”

[13:5]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as before.”

[13:11]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[13:11]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “turn away from all.”

[13:11]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “in it he walked.”

[13:12]  ⁴⁹ sn Jehoash and Joash are alternate forms of the same name.

[13:12]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Joash, and all which he did and his strength, [and] how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”

[14:14]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “the sons of the pledges.”

[14:14]  ⁵² map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[14:15]  ⁵³ sn Jehoash and Joash are alternate forms of the same name.

[14:15]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jehoash, and all which he did and his strength, [and] how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”

[15:9]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[15:9]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “turn away from.”

[15:16]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “then Menahem attacked Tiphsah and all who were in it and its borders from Tirzah, for it would not open, and he attacked.”

[15:16]  tn Instead of “Tiphsah,” the LXX has “Tirzah,” while Lucian’s Greek version reads “Tappuah.” For discussion see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 171.

[15:18]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[15:18]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “turn away from.”

[15:18]  ⁶⁰ tc The MT of v. 18 ends with the words, “all his days.” If this phrase is taken with what precedes, then one should translate, “[who encouraged Israel to sin] throughout his reign.” However, it may be preferable to emend the text to בְיֹמָיו (bÿyomav), “in his days,” and join the phrase to what follows. The translation assumes this change.

[15:19]  ⁶¹ sn Pul was a nickname of Tiglath-pileser III (cf. 15:29). See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 171-72.

[15:19]  ⁶² tn Heb “gave.”

[15:19]  ⁶³ tn Heb “Pul.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[15:19]  ⁶⁴ tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 75,000 pounds of silver (cf. NCV “about seventy-four thousand pounds”); NLT “thirty-seven tons”; CEV “over thirty tons”; TEV “34,000 kilogrammes.”

[15:19]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “so his hands would be with him.”

[15:19]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “to keep hold of the kingdom in his hand.”

[16:3]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “he walked in the way of.”

[16:3]  ⁶⁸ sn This may refer to child sacrifice, though some interpret it as a less drastic cultic practice. For discussion see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 266-67.

[16:3]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “like the abominable practices of the nations.”

[17:7]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “and from under the hand of.” The words “freed them” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:7]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “feared.”

[17:18]  ⁷² tn Heb “very angry.”

[17:18]  ⁷³ tn Heb “turned them away from his face.”

[17:31]  ⁷⁴ sn Nibhaz and Tartak were two Elamite deities. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 212.

[17:31]  ⁷⁵ sn Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of the Sepharvaim are unknown in extra-biblical literature. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 212.

[18:23]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “exchange pledges.”

[18:24]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “How can you turn back the face of an official [from among] the least of my master’s servants and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?” In vv. 23-24 the chief adviser develops further the argument begun in v. 21. His reasoning seems to be as follows: “In your weakened condition you obviously need military strength. Agree to the king’s terms and I will personally give you more horses than you are capable of outfitting. If I, a mere minor official, am capable of giving you such military might, just think what power the king has. There is no way the Egyptians can match our strength. It makes much better sense to deal with us.”

[18:25]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “Go.”

[18:25]  ⁷⁹ sn In v. 25 the chief adviser develops further the argument begun in v. 22. He claims that Hezekiah has offended the Lord and that the Lord has commissioned Assyria as his instrument of discipline and judgment.

[18:28]  ⁸⁰ tn The Hebrew text also has, “and he spoke and said.”

[19:2]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “elders of the priests.”

[20:19]  ⁸² tn Heb “good.”

[20:19]  ⁸³ tn Heb “and he said.” Many English versions translate, “for he thought.” The verb אָמַר (’amar), “say,” is sometimes used of what one thinks (that is, says to oneself). Cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT.

[20:19]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “Is it not [true] there will be peace and stability in my days?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Yes, there will be peace and stability.”

[20:20]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “and he brought.”

[20:20]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Hezekiah, and all his strength, and how he made a pool and a conduit and brought water to the city, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?”

[21:11]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “these horrible sins.”

[21:11]  ⁸⁸ sn See the note at 1 Kgs 15:12.

[21:15]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “in my eyes.”

[23:30]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “him, dead.”

[23:30]  ⁹¹ tn Or “anointed him.”

[24:5]  ⁹² tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jehoiakim, and all which he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?”

[24:12]  ⁹³ tn Heb “came out.”

[24:12]  ⁹⁴ sn That is, the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, 597 b.c.

[24:12]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jehoiachin) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:20]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “Surely [or, ‘for’] because of the anger of the Lord this happened in Jerusalem and Judah until he threw them out from upon his face.”

[25:8]  ⁹⁷ tn The parallel account in Jer 52:12 has “tenth.”

[25:8]  ⁹⁸ sn The seventh day of the month would have been August 14, 586 b.c. in modern reckoning.

[25:8]  ⁹⁹ tn For the meaning of this phrase see BDB 371 s.v. טַבָּח 2, and compare the usage in Gen 39:1.

[25:8]  ¹⁰⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.