< 2 Kings 2 >

1 When the LORD was about to take Elijah up by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
And it came to pass, when the Lord was going to take Eliu with a whirlwind as it were into heaven, that Eliu and Elisaie went out of Galgala.
2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Please wait here, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.” Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
And Eliu said to Elisaie, Stay here, I pray thee; for God has sent me to Baethel. And Elisaie said, [As] the Lord lives and thy soul lives, I will not leave thee; so they came to Baethel.
3 The sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?” He said, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
And the sons of the prophets who were in Baethel came to Elisaie, and said to him, Dost thou know, that the Lord this day is going to take thy lord away from thy head? And he said, Yea, I know [it]; be silent.
4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please wait here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” He said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.
And Eliu said to Elisaie, Stay here, I pray thee; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho. And he said, [As] the Lord lives and thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. And they came to Jericho.
5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?” He answered, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
And the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho drew near to Elisaie, and said to him, Dost thou know that the Lord is about to take away thy master to-day from thy head? And he said, Yea, I know [it]; hold your peace.
6 Elijah said to him, “Please wait here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” He said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” Then they both went on.
And Eliu said to him, Stay here, I pray thee, for the Lord has sent me to Jordan. And Elisaie said, [As] the Lord lives and thy soul lives, I will not leave thee: and they both went on.
7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan.
And fifty men of the sons of the prophets [went also], and they stood opposite afar off: and both stood on [the bank] of Jordan.
8 Elijah took his mantle, and rolled it up, and struck the waters; and they were divided here and there, so that they both went over on dry ground.
And Eliu took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the water: and the water was divided on this side and on that side, and they both went over on dry ground.
9 When they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me.”
And it came to pass while they were crossing over, that Eliu said to Elisaie, Ask what I shall do for thee before I am taken up from thee. And Elisaie said, Let there be, I pray thee, a double [portion] of thy spirit upon me.
10 He said, “You have asked a hard thing. If you see me when I am taken from you, it will be so for you; but if not, it will not be so.”
And Eliu said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: if thou shalt see me when I am taken up from thee, then shall it be so to thee; and if not, it shall not be [so].
11 As they continued on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
And it came to pass as they were going, they went on talking; and, behold, a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and it separated between them both; and Eliu was taken up in a whirlwind as it were into heaven.
12 Elisha saw it, and he cried, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” He saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
And Elisaie saw, and cried, Father, father, the chariot of Israel, and the horseman thereof! And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his garments, and rent them into two pieces.
13 He also took up Elijah’s mantle that fell from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
And Elisaie took up the mantle of Eliu, which fell from off him upon Elisaie; and Elisaie returned, and stood upon the brink of Jordan;
14 He took Elijah’s mantle that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” When he also had struck the waters, they were divided apart, and Elisha went over.
and he took the mantle of Eliu, which fell from off him, and smote the water, and said, Where is the Lord God of Eliu? and he smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither; and Elisaie went over.
15 When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho facing him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
And the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho on the opposite side saw him, and said, The spirit of Eliu has rested upon Elisaie. And they came to meet him, and did obeisance to him to the ground.
16 They said to him, “See now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. Perhaps the LORD’s Spirit has taken him up, and put him on some mountain or into some valley.” He said, “Do not send them.”
And they said to him, Behold now, [there are] with thy servants fifty men of strength: let them go now, and seek thy lord: peradventure the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up, and cast him into Jordan, or on one of the mountains, or on one of the hills. And Elisaie said, Ye shall not send.
17 When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” Therefore they sent fifty men; and they searched for three days, but did not find him.
And they pressed him until he was ashamed; and he said, Send. And they sent fifty men, and sought three days, and found him not.
18 They came back to him while he stayed at Jericho; and he said to them, “Did not I tell you, ‘Do not go’?”
And they returned to him, for he dwelt in Jericho: and Elisaie said, Did I not say to you, Go not?
19 The men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, please, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is barren.”
And the men of the city said to Elisaie, Behold, the situation of the city [is] good, as [our] lord sees; but the waters [are] bad, and the ground barren.
20 He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” Then they brought it to him.
And Elisaie said, Bring me a new pitcher, and put salt in it. And they took [one], and brought [it] to him.
21 He went out to the spring of the waters, and threw salt into it, and said, “The LORD says, ‘I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more death or barren wasteland.’”
And Elisaie went out to the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and says, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be any longer death thence or barren [land].
22 So the waters were healed to this day, according to Elisha’s word which he spoke.
And the waters were healed until this day, according to the word of Elisaie which he spoke.
23 He went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up by the way, some youths came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldy! Go up, you baldy!”
And he went up thence to Baethel: and as he was going up by the way there came up also little children from the city, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, bald-head, go up.
24 He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the LORD’s name. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of those youths.
And he turned after them, and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And, behold, there came out two bears out of the wood, and they tore forty and two children of them.
25 He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
And he went thence to mount Carmel, and returned thence to Samaria.

< 2 Kings 2 >