< 2 Kings 2 >
1 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a great wind, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
And it came to pass, when Yahweh was about to take up Elijah in a storm into the heavens, that Elijah departed, with Elisha, from Gilgal.
2 And Elijah said to Elisha, Come no farther for the Lord has sent me to Beth-el. But Elisha said, As the Lord is living and as your soul is living, I will not be parted from you. So they went down to Beth-el.
Then said Elijah unto Elisha—Tarry here, I pray thee, for, Yahweh, hath sent me as far as Bethel. And Elisha said, By the life of Yahweh and by the life of thine own soul, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
3 And at Beth-el the sons of the prophets came out to Elisha and said, Has it been made clear to you that the Lord is going to take away your master from over you today? And he said, Yes, I have knowledge of it: say no more.
And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came forth unto Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that, to-day, Yahweh is taking away thy lord, from thy head? And he said—I also, know, be silent.
4 Then Elijah said to him, Come no farther, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho. But he said, As the Lord is living and as your soul is living, I will not be parted from you. So they went on to Jericho.
Then Elijah said to him—Elisha, I pray thee, tarry here, for, Yahweh, hath sent me to Jericho. And he said—By the life of Yahweh and by the life of thine own soul, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
5 And at Jericho the sons of the prophets came up to Elisha and said to him, Has it been made clear to you that the Lord is going to take away your master from over you today? And he said in answer, Yes, I have knowledge of it: say no more.
Then drew near the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho, unto Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that, to-day, Yahweh is taking away thy lord from thy head? And he said—I also, know; be silent.
6 Then Elijah said to him, Come no farther, for the Lord has sent me to Jordan. But he said, As the Lord is living and as your soul is living, I will not be parted from you. So they went on together.
And Elijah said to him—Tarry here, I pray thee, for, Yahweh, hath sent me to the Jordan. And he said—By the life of Yahweh and by the life of thine own soul, I will not leave thee. So they two, went on.
7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went out and took their places facing them a long way off, while the two of them were by the edge of Jordan.
But, fifty men of the sons of the prophets, came, and stood over against them, afar off, —and, they two, stood by the Jordan.
8 Then Elijah took off his robe, and, rolling it up, gave the water a blow with it, and the waters were parted, flowing back this way and that, so that they went over on dry land.
Then Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided, hither and thither, —so that they two, passed over, on dry ground.
9 And when they had come to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, Say what you would have me do for you before I am taken from you. And Elisha said, Be pleased to let a special measure of your spirit be on me.
And it came to pass, as they went over, that, Elijah, said unto Elisha—Ask, what I shall do for thee, ere yet I be taken from thee. And Elisha said, Let there be, I pray thee, a double portion of thy spirit upon me.
10 And he said, You have made a hard request: still, if you see me when I am taken from you, you will get your desire; but if not, it will not be so.
And he said—Thou hast asked a hard thing, —if thou see me when taken from thee, thou shall have it, so, but, if not, thou shalt not have it.
11 And while they went on their way, going on talking together, suddenly there were carriages and horses of fire separating them from one another and Elijah went up to heaven in a great wind.
And it came to pass, as they were going on and on and talking, that lo! there was a chariot of fire, with horses of fire, which parted, those two, asunder, —and Elijah went up in a storm, into the heavens.
12 And when Elisha saw it he gave a cry, My father, my father, the carriages of Israel and its horsemen! And he saw him no longer; and he was full of grief.
And, as soon as Elisha saw it, he, began crying out—My father! my father! The chariots of Israel, and the horsemen thereof! But, when he could see him no longer, he took hold of his clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
13 Then he took up Elijah's robe, which had been dropped from him, and went back till he came to the edge of Jordan.
Then took he up the mantle of Elijah, which had fallen from him, —and returned and stood, on the brink of the Jordan;
14 And he took Elijah's robe, which had been dropped from him, and giving the water a blow with it, said, Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? and at his blow the waters were parted this way and that; and Elisha went over.
and took the mantle of Elijah which had fallen from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah? And, when, he also, smote the waters, they were divided, hither and thither, and Elisha, passed over.
15 And when the sons of the prophets who were facing him at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha. And they came out to him, and went down on the earth before him.
And, when the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho, over against him, saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah, resteth, on Elisha. So they came to meet him, and bowed themselves down to him, to the ground.
16 And they said, Your servants have with us here fifty strong men; be pleased to let them go in search of Elijah; for it may be that the spirit of the Lord has taken him up and put him down on some mountain or in some valley. But he said, Do not send them.
Then said they unto him—Lo! we pray thee, there are with thy servants fifty men, sons of valour—let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy lord, lest the Spirit of Yahweh have borne him away, and cast him on one of the mountains, or into one of the valleys. And he said—Ye shall not send.
17 But when they kept on requesting him, he was shamed and said, Send, then. So they sent fifty men; but after searching for three days, they came back without having seen him.
But, when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said—Send. So they sent fifty men, and made search three days, but found him not.
18 And they came back to him, while he was still at Jericho; and he said to them, Did I not say to you, Go not?
And, when they came back unto him, he, having tarried at Jericho, he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Do not go?
19 Now the men of the town said to Elisha, You see that the position of this town is good; but the water is bad, causing the young of the cattle to come to birth dead.
And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Lo! we pray thee, the situation of the city, is good, as, my lord, seeth, —but, the waters, are bad, and, the land, apt to miscarry.
20 So he said, Get me a new vessel, and put salt in it; and they took it to him.
And he said—Bring me a new bowl, and put therein, salt. So they brought it unto him;
21 Then he went out to the spring from which the water came, and put salt in it, and said, The Lord says, Now I have made this water sweet; no longer will it be death-giving or unfertile.
and he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast therein, saith, —and said—Thus, saith Yahweh, I have healed these waters; there shall come from thence, no longer, death or aptness to miscarry.
22 And the water was made sweet again to this day, as Elisha said.
So the waters were healed, [as they remain] unto this day, —according to the word of Elisha which he spake.
23 Then from there he went up to Beth-el; and on his way, some little boys came out from the town and made sport of him, crying, Go up, old no-hair! go up, old no-hair!
And he went up from thence, to Bethel, —and, as he was going up on the way, some lads, came forth, out of the city, and made mockery of him, and said to him, Go up, bald head! Go up, bald head!
24 And turning back, he saw them, and put a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the wood and put forty-two of the children to death.
And, when he turned round and saw them, he cursed them, in the name of Yahweh, —and there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tare, of them, forty-two youths.
25 From there he went to Mount Carmel, and came back from there to Samaria.
And he went from thence, unto Mount Carmel, —and, from thence, he returned, to Samaria.