2 Kings 6:33

King James Version

And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord ; what should I wait for the Lord any longer?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”

Hebrew Names Version
While he was yet talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?

English Standard Version
And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, "This trouble is from the Lord ! Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?"

New Century Version
Elisha was still talking with the leaders when the messenger arrived. The king said, "This trouble has come from the Lord . Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?"

New English Translation
He was still talking to them when the messenger approached and said, "Look, the Lord is responsible for this disaster! Why should I continue to wait for the Lord to help?"

Amplified Bible
While Elisha was still talking with them, the messenger came down to him [followed by the king] and the king said, "This evil [situation] is from the LORD! Why should I wait for [help from] the LORD any longer?"

New American Standard Bible
While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him and he said, "Behold, this evil is from the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
While he yet talked with them, beholde, the messenger came downe vnto him, and saide, Behold, this euill commeth of the Lord: should I attende on the Lorde any longer?

Legacy Standard Bible
While he was still speaking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him and he said, "Behold, this evil is from Yahweh; why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?"

Contemporary English Version
Before Elisha finished talking, the messenger came up and said, "The Lord has made all these terrible things happen to us. Why should I think he will help us now?"

Complete Jewish Bible
While he was still speaking, the messenger arrived with this message from the king: "Here, this evil is from Adonai . Why should I wait for Adonai any longer?"

Darby Translation
And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. And [the king] said, Behold, this evil is of Jehovah: why should I wait for Jehovah any longer?

Easy-to-Read Version
While Elisha was still talking with the elders, the messenger came to him. This was the message: "This trouble has come from the Lord . Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?"

George Lamsa Translation
And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came to him; and he said, Behold, this evil is from the LORD; why should I pray to the LORD any longer?

Good News Translation
He had hardly finished saying this, when the king arrived and said, "It's the Lord who has brought this trouble on us! Why should I wait any longer for him to do something?"

Lexham English Bible
While he was still speaking with them, suddenly the messenger was coming down to him, and he said, "Look this trouble is from Yahweh. Why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?"

Literal Translation
While he was speaking with them, then, behold, the messenger came down to him. And he said, Behold, this is the evil from Jehovah. Why should I wait for Jehovah any more?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whyle he was thus talkynge wt them, beholde, ye messaunger came to him, & sayde: Beholde, this euell cometh of ye LORDE, and what more shal I loke for of the LORDE?

American Standard Version
And while he was yet talking with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of Jehovah; why should I wait for Jehovah any longer?

Bible in Basic English
While he was still talking to them, the king came down and said, This evil is from the Lord; why am I to go on waiting any longer for the Lord?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
While he yet talked with them: behold, the messenger came downe vnto him, & sayd, Behold, this euyl is of the Lorde: And what more shall I loke for of the Lorde?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him; and [the king] said: 'Behold, this evil is of the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?'

King James Version (1611)
And while hee yet talked with them, beholde, the messenger came downe vnto him: and he said, Behold, this euill is of the Lord, what should I waite for the Lord any longer?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
While he was yet speaking with them, behold, a messenger came to him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord; why should I wait for the Lord any longer?

English Revised Version
And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?

Berean Standard Bible
While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, "This calamity is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And yit `while he spak to hem, the messanger that cam to hym apperide; and the kyng seide, Lo! so greet yuel is of the Lord; sotheli what more schal Y abide of the Lord?

Young's Literal Translation
He is yet speaking with them, and lo, the messenger is coming down unto him, and he saith, `Lo, this [is] the evil from Jehovah: what -- do I wait for Jehovah any more?'

Update Bible Version
And while he was yet talking with them, look, the king came down to him: and he said, Look, this evil is of Yahweh; why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?

Webster's Bible Translation
And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down to him: and he said, Behold, this evil [is] from the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?

World English Bible
While he was yet talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of Yahweh; why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?

New King James Version
And while he was still talking with them, there was the messenger, coming down to him; and then the king said, "Surely this calamity is from the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"

New Living Translation
While Elisha was still saying this, the messenger arrived. And the king said, "All this misery is from the Lord ! Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?"

New Life Bible
While he was still talking with them, the king came down to him and said, "See, this trouble is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?"

New Revised Standard
While he was still speaking with them, the king came down to him and said, "This trouble is from the Lord ! Why should I hope in the Lord any longer?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
While yet he was speaking with them, lo! the messenger, coming down unto him, - and he said, - Lo! this, is a calamity from Yahweh, why should I wait for Yahweh, any longer?

Douay-Rheims Bible
While he was yet speaking to them, the messenger appeared, who was coming to him. And he said: Behold, so great an evil is from the Lord: what shall I look for more from the Lord?

Revised Standard Version
And while he was still speaking with them, the king came down to him and said, "This trouble is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"

THE MESSAGE
While he was giving his instructions, the king showed up, accusing, "This trouble is directly from God ! And what's next? I'm fed up with God !"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him and he said, "Behold, this evil is from the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"

Contextual Overview

²⁴ And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. ²⁵ And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. ²⁶ And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. ²⁷ And he said, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? ²⁸ And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow. ²⁹ So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son. ³⁰ And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. ³¹ Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day. ³² But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master's feet behind him? ³³ And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord ; what should I wait for the Lord any longer?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

this evil is of the Lord: Genesis 4:13, Exodus 16:6-8, 1 Samuel 28:6-8, 1 Samuel 31:4, Job 1:11, Job 1:21, Job 2:5, Job 2:9, Proverbs 19:3, Isaiah 8:21, Jeremiah 2:25, Ezekiel 33:10, Matthew 27:4, Matthew 27:5, 2 Corinthians 2:7, 2 Corinthians 2:11, Revelation 16:9-11

wait for the: Psalms 27:14, Psalms 37:7, Psalms 37:9, Psalms 62:5, Isaiah 8:17, Isaiah 26:3, Isaiah 50:10, Lamentations 3:25, Lamentations 3:26, Habakkuk 2:3, Luke 18:1

Reciprocal: Judges 14:4 - it was of the Lord 1 Samuel 28:7 - Seek me 2 Kings 3:10 - the Lord 2 Kings 7:1 - Elisha said 2 Kings 7:13 - they are even Job 15:22 - He believeth not Psalms 107:12 - and there Jeremiah 18:12 - There Amos 6:10 - Hold

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And while he yet talked with them,.... Elisha with the elders:

behold, the messenger came down unto him; sent by the king:

and he said; either the messenger in the king's name, or rather the king, who was at his heels, and came to the door before the messenger was let in, who was detained; and therefore it is most probable the king went in first; for that was the intention of Elisha in holding the messenger, not to save his own life, but that the king, who was following, might hear what he had to say; and whom he advised to wait for the Lord, and his appearance, for deliverance: in answer to which he said,

behold, this evil is of the Lord, what should I wait for the Lord any longer? this calamity is from him, and he is determined upon the ruin of my people, and there is no hope; this he said as despairing, and so resolving to hold out the siege no longer.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The messenger - It has been proposed to change “messenger” into “king,” the two words being in Hebrew nearly alike, and the speech with which the chapter ends being considered only suitable in the mouth of the king, whose presence is indicated in 2 Kings 7:2, 2 Kings 7:17. Others think that the words “and the king after him” have fallen out of the text.

Came down - The messenger came down from off the wall to the level of the streets.

Behold this evil ... - Jehoram bursts into the prophet’s presence with a justification of the sentence 2 Kings 6:31 he has pronounced against him. “Behold this evil - this siege with all its horrors - is from Yahweh - from Yahweh, Whose prophet thou art. Why should I wait for Yahweh - temporize with Him - keep as it were, on terms with Him by suffering thee to live - any longer? What hast thou to say in arrest of judgment?”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 6:33. Behold, this evil is of the Lord — It is difficult to know whether it be the prophet, the messenger, or the king, that says these words. It might be the answer of the prophet from within to the messenger who was without, and who sought for admission, and gave his reason; to whom Elisha might have replied: "I am not the cause of these calamities; they are from the Lord; I have been praying for their removal; but why should I pray to the Lord any longer, for the time of your deliverance is at hand?" And then Elisha said, - see the 2 Kings 7:0, where the removal of the calamity is foretold in the most explicit manner; and indeed the chapter is unhappily divided from this. The seventh chapter should have begun with 2 Kings 6:24 of this chapter, as, by the present division, the story is unnaturally interrupted.

How natural is it for men to lay the cause of their suffering on any thing or person but themselves! Ahab's iniquity was sufficient to have brought down God's displeasure on a whole nation; and yet he takes no blame to himself, but lays all on the prophet, who was the only salt that preserved the whole nation from corruption. How few take their sins to themselves! and till they do this, they cannot be true penitents; nor can they expect God's wrath to be averted till they feel themselves the chief of sinners.