translations with a Hebraic voice (2 Kings 2:6-11)

Some translations specifically reproduce the voice of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible.

English:
Then Eliyyahu said to him:
Pray stay here,
for Yhwh has sent me to the Jordan.
But he said:
By the life of Yhwh and by your own life, if I should leave you. . . !
Thus the two of them walked on.
Now fifty men of the Sons of the Prophets went
and stood opposite, at a distance,
while the two of them stood by the Jordan.
And Eliyyahu took his mantle, folded it up, and struck the waters,
and they split in half, to here and to there,
and the two of them crossed over on dry-ground.
It was when they crossed that Eliyyahu said to Elisha:
Make-request: what may I do for you before I am taken from beside you?
Elisha said:
Pray let a twofold measure of your spirit be upon me!
He said:
You have made a difficult request.
If you see me being taken from you, it will be thus for you,
but if not, it will not be.
And it was, as they were walking, walking along and speaking
that here, a chariot of fire and horses of fire:
they parted the two of them,
and Eliyyahu went up in the storm to the heavens.

Source: Everett Fox 2014

German:
Elijahu sprach zu ihm:
Verweile doch hier,
denn Er hat mich an den Jordan gesandt.
Er aber sprach:
Sowahr Er lebt, sowahr deine Seele lebt:
verlasse ich dich je, …!
So gingen sie beide.
Mitgegangen aber waren von den Jungkündern fünfzig Mann,
die blieben gegenüber stehn, von fern,
als die beiden am Jordan standen.
Elijahu nahm seinen Mantel,
er ballte ihn
und schlug das Wasser,
das spaltete sich hierhin und hierhin,
auf dem Sandgrund schritten die beiden hindurch.
Es geschah nun, als sie hindurchgeschritten waren,
zu Elischa sprach Elijahu:
Wünsche,
was soll ich dir tun,
ehe ich von dir hinweggenommen werde?
Elischa sprach:
Geschähe doch, daß mir würde von deinem Geistbraus das Erstlings-Doppelteil!
Er sprach:
Schweres hast du erwünscht!
darfst du mitansehn,
wie ich von dir hinweggenommen werde,
wirds dir so geschehn,
sonst aber: wirds nicht geschehn.
Es geschah:
während sie weitergingen, gingen und redeten,
da, Feuergefährt und Feuerrosse,
sie trennten die beiden.
Elijahu stieg im Sturm zum Himmel.

Source: Buber / Rosenzweig 1976

French:
Élyahou lui dit: « Siège donc là, oui, IHVH-Adonaï m’envoie au Iardèn. »
Il dit: « Vive IHVH-Adonaï, vive ton être, je ne t’abandonnerai pas. »
Ils vont, les deux.
Cinquante hommes, des fils des inspirés, vont et se tiennent en face, de loin.
Les deux se tiennent sur le Iardèn.
Élyahou prend sa cape, l’entortille, frappe les eaux.
Elles se divisent, là et là. Ils passent, les deux, à sec.
Et c’est à leur passage, Élyahou dit à Èlisha‘:
« Demande ce que je ferai pour toi, avant que je sois pris loin de toi. »
Èlisha‘ dit: « Que deux bouches de ton souffle soient donc en moi ! »
Il dit: « Tu es dur en demandes.
Si tu me vois pris loin de toi, pour toi, ce sera oui. Sinon, ce sera non. »
Et c’est eux, ils vont, vont et parlent.
Et voici, un char de feu, des chevaux de feu, séparent les deux.
Élyahou monte, dans la tempête, aux ciels.

Source: Chouraqui 1985

For other verses or sections translated with a Hebraic voice, see here.

Judah, Judea

The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)


“Judah” and “Judea” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Judah, Judah (son of Jacob) , and Tribe of Judah .

complete verse (2 Kings 2:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 2:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “Elijah answered, ‘You have asked a hard/difficult thing, but if you watch me when I am taken away, that will happen. But if you do not watch me, that thing is not going to happen.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Elijah said, "You have asked for a difficult thing. Yet, if you get to see me when I am taken away from you, it will be yours, otherwise you will not have it.’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Elias said, ‘What you are-asking-for is difficult/hard. But, you will-receive it when you see me being-taken-(away), but if not, you will- not -receive it.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Elijah replied, ‘You have asked for something which is difficult for me to cause to happen. But, if you see me when I am taken from you/Yahweh takes me from you, you will get what you are requesting. But if you do not see me, then you will not get it.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Kings 2:10

He said: The speaker in this verse may have to be specifically identified by name. Good News Translation, for example, has “Elijah replied,” which also translates the verb more contextually.

You have asked a hard thing: In some languages this will have to be translated with something like “The matter you have asked for is not an easy matter to make happen” or “It will not be easy for me to make this thing happen.”

Yet reflects nothing in the Hebrew, but the context seems to allow a contrastive conjunction, for example, “yet” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version), “But” (Good News Translation, New Century Version), and “Still” (New American Bible). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and Revised English Bible have no conjunction here.

If you see me as I am being taken from you …: The condition for Elisha’s receiving what he requested is that he be physically present and actually see Elijah being taken up into heaven by God. The expression as I am being taken from you has been rendered “while I am being snatched away from you” by New Jerusalem Bible. In languages without passive verb forms, translators may say “while God is taking me away from you” or something similar.

The expressions it shall be so for you and it shall not be so are merely ways of saying “you will get what you asked for” and “you will not get what you asked for.” Revised English Bible translates “your wish will be granted” and “it will not be granted.” Along the same lines, New Jerusalem Bible has “it will be as you ask” and “it will not be so.” In some languages it may sound awkward to use both these expressions since they are only the positive and negative statements of the same idea. If this is the case, the Contemporary English Version model for the last half of the verse may be helpful: “It can happen only if you see me as I am being taken away.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .