2 Kings 6:2

Bible in Basic English

So let us go to Jordan, and let everyone get to work cutting boards, and we will make a living-place for ourselves there. And he said to them, Go, then.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Please let us go to the Jordan where we can each get a log and can build ourselves a place to live there.”

Hebrew Names Version
Let us go, we pray you, to the Yarden, and take there every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. He answered, Go you.

King James Version
Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

English Standard Version
Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there." And he answered, "Go."

New Century Version
Let's go to the Jordan River. There everyone can get a log, and let's build a place there to live." Elisha said, "Go."

New English Translation
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."

Amplified Bible
"Please let us go to the Jordan [River] and let each man take from there a beam [for the building]; and let us make a place there for ourselves where we may live." And he answered, "Go."

New American Standard Bible
"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."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Let vs nowe goe to Iorden, that we may take thence euery man a beame, and make vs a place to dwell in. And he answered, Goe.

Legacy Standard Bible
Please let us go to the Jordan and each of us take from there a beam, and let us make a place there for ourselves where we may live." So he said, "Go."

Contemporary English Version
Why don't we build a new meeting place near the Jordan River? Each of us could get some wood, then we could build it." "That's a good idea," Elisha replied,"get started."

Complete Jewish Bible
Please allow us to go to the Yarden; each of us will collect a log there, and we'll build a place there for us to live." He answered, "Go ahead."

Darby Translation
Let us go, we pray thee, to the Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he said, Go.

Easy-to-Read Version
Let's go to the Jordan River and cut some wood. Each of us will get a log and we will build us a place to live there." Elisha answered, "Go and do it."

George Lamsa Translation
Let us go to the Jordan and cut from there every man a beam, and let us make a place for us to dwell there. And he said, Go.

Good News Translation
Give us permission to go to the Jordan and cut down some trees, so that we can build a place to live." "All right," Elisha answered.

Lexham English Bible
Let us please go to the Jordan and each bring from there one log that we might make a place there for us to live." Then he said, "Do so."

Literal Translation
Please let us go to the Jordan, and we each one shall take a beam from there. And we shall make for ourselves a place there, to live there. And he said, Go.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
let vs go vnto Iordane, & euery one fetch tymbre there, yt we maye there buylde vs a place to dwell in. He saide: Go yor waye.

American Standard Version
Let us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Let vs go we pray thee vnto Iordane, & take thence euery man a beame, & build vs a place to dwel in. And he aunswered, Go.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Let us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell.' And he answered: 'Go ye.'

King James Version (1611)
Let vs goe, wee pray thee, vnto Iordane, and take thence euery man a beame, and let vs make vs a place there where we may dwell. And hee answered, Goe ye.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and make for ourselves a habitation there.

English Revised Version
Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

Berean Standard Bible
Please let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a log so we can build ourselves a place to live there." "Go," said Elisha.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
go we `til to Jordan, and ech man take of the wode `a mater for hym silf, that we bild to vs here a place to dwelle.

Young's Literal Translation
let us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and we take thence each one beam, and we make for ourselves there a place to dwell there;' and he saith, `Go.'

Update Bible Version
Let us go, we pray you, to the Jordan, and take from there every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go.

Webster's Bible Translation
Let us go, we pray thee, to Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

World English Bible
Let us go, we pray you, to the Jordan, and take there every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. He answered, Go you.

New King James Version
Please, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell." So he answered, "Go."

New Living Translation
Let's go down to the Jordan River, where there are plenty of logs. There we can build a new place for us to meet." "All right," he told them, "go ahead."

New Life Bible
Let us go to the Jordan and each of us cut down a tree there. And let us make a place for us to live there." So Elisha said, "Go."

New Revised Standard
Let us go to the Jordan, and let us collect logs there, one for each of us, and build a place there for us to live." He answered, "Do so."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Let us go, we pray thee, as far as the Jordan, and fetch from thence every man a single beam, and let us make us a place wherein we may sit. And he said - Go ye.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Let us go as far as the Jordan, and take out of the wood every man a piece of timber, that we may build us there a place to dwell in. And he said: Go.

Revised Standard Version
Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there." And he answered, "Go."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Please let us go to the Jordan and each of us take from there a beam, and let us make a place there for ourselves where we may live." So he said, "Go."

Contextual Overview

¹ Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, There is not room enough for us in the place where we are living under your care; ² So let us go to Jordan, and let everyone get to work cutting boards, and we will make a living-place for ourselves there. And he said to them, Go, then. ³ And one of them said, Be pleased to go with your servants. And he said, I will go. ⁴ So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they got to work cutting down trees. ⁵ But one of them, while cutting a board, let the head of his axe go into the water; and he gave a cry, and said, This is a bad business, my master, for it is another's. ⁶ And the man of God said, Where did it go in? and when he saw the place where it had gone into the water, cutting a stick, he put it into the water, and the iron came up to the top of the water. ⁷ Then he said, Take it up. So he put out his hand and took it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and take thence: John 21:3, Acts 18:3, Acts 20:34, Acts 20:35, 1 Corinthians 9:6, 1 Thessalonians 2:9, 2 Thessalonians 3:8, 1 Timothy 6:6

Cross-References

Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and a delight to the eyes, and to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit, and gave it to her husband.

Genesis 4:26
And Seth had a son, and he gave him the name of Enosh: at this time men first made use of the name of the Lord in worship.

Genesis 6:1
And after a time, when men were increasing on the earth, and had daughters,

Genesis 6:2
The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair; and they took wives for themselves from those who were pleasing to them.

Genesis 6:3
And the Lord said, My spirit will not be in man for ever, for he is only flesh; so the days of his life will be a hundred and twenty years.

Genesis 6:4
There were men of great strength and size on the earth in those days; and after that, when the sons of God had connection with the daughters of men, they gave birth to children: these were the great men of old days, the men of great name.

Genesis 6:6
And the Lord had sorrow because he had made man on the earth, and grief was in his heart.

Genesis 6:7
And the Lord said, I will take away man, whom I have made, from the face of the earth, even man and beast and that which goes on the earth and every bird of the air; for I have sorrow for having made them.

Genesis 6:8
But Noah had grace in the eyes of God.

Genesis 6:12
And God, looking on the earth, saw that it was evil: for the way of all flesh had become evil on the earth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan,.... Which, according to Josephus a, was fifty furlongs, or upwards of six miles, distant from Gilgal:

and take thence every man a beam; by cutting down the trees that grew there; for Mr. Maundrell says b, the banks of Jordan are beset with bushes and trees, which are an harbour for wild beasts; and another traveller c observes, that it is shadowed on both sides with poplars, alders, c. and who speaks of their cutting down boughs from the trees when there:

and let us make us a place there where we may dwell: near the banks of Jordan, which they might choose for the seclusion and pleasantness of the situation, or because Elijah was taken up to heaven near it, as Abarbinel thinks from whence it appears that these scholars were far from living an idle life; for they were not only trained up in useful learning, but were employed in trades and manufactures, to which they had been brought up, and knew how to fell timber, and build houses:

and he answered, go ye; he gave them leave, without which they did not choose to do anything.

a Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 4. b Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 82, 83. c Sandys's Travels, l. 3. p. 110.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Take every man a beam - Trees were rare in most parts of Palestine, but plentiful in the Jordan Valley. Jericho was known in early times as “the city of palms” Deuteronomy 34:3; Judges 1:16.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 6:2. Every man a beam — They made a sort of log-houses with their own hands.