Then: The common Hebrew conjunction here does not need to be rendered in this way. It serves here only to move the story forward.

One of them; that is, one member of the prophetic brotherhood who were concerned about their cramped quarters. Some may prefer to translate “one of the prophets” (Contemporary English Version, Bible en français courant).

Be pleased to go … is literally “Be pleased, I pray you, and go….” The plea contains the Hebrew particle of entreaty following the causative form of the verb meaning “to be willing” or “to consent” (see the comments on 2 Kgs 5.23). The New Jerusalem Bible rendering is “Be good enough to go…,” but in many languages the verb “come” will be more natural than go in the direct discourse of a person who is also intending to make the trip. Thus New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “Will you please come along…?” and New International Version has “Won’t you please come…?”

Your servants: This commonly used device of referring to themselves in the third person shows their respect for the leader of the prophetic group. If the direct discourse here is retained in translation, these words should probably be replaced by the pronoun “us,” although a term of respect like “sir” might be added to convey the meaning of this indirect reference.

And he answered, “I will go”: One or both of the direct quotations in this verse may be more naturally rendered indirectly in certain languages. It will be noted that Good News Translation makes them both indirect. In the case of Elisha’s response, it should be noted that biblical Hebrew does not have a common term for a “yes” response. A positive response to a question is usually indicated by repeating the question without the interrogative word. But in certain languages the most natural rendering of Elisha’s response in direct discourse would be to say simply “Yes” or “I agree.”

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 .