2 Kings 2
1 Now it happened that, when the Lord willed to lift up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were going out of 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 And Elijah said to Elisha: “Remain here. For the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” And Elisha said to him, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” And when they had descended to Bethel,
And Eliu said to Elisaie, Stay here, I pray you; for God has sent me to Baethel. And Elisaie said, [As] the Lord lives and your soul lives, I will not leave you; so they came to Baethel.
3 the sons of the prophets, who were at Bethel, went out to Elisha. And they said to him, “Do you not know that today the Lord will take away your lord from you?” And he responded: “I know it. Be silent.”
And the sons of the prophets who were in Baethel came to Elisaie, and said to him, Do you know, that the Lord this day is going to take your lord away from your head? And he said, Yes, I know [it]; be silent.
4 Then Elijah said to Elisha: “Remain here. For the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” And when they had arrived at Jericho,
And Eliu said to Elisaie, Stay here, I pray you; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho. And he said, [As] the Lord lives and your soul lives, I will not leave you. And they came to Jericho.
5 the sons of the prophets, who were at Jericho, drew near to Elisha. And they said to him, “Do you not know that today the Lord will take away your lord from you?” And he said: “I know it. Be silent.”
And the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho drew near to Elisaie, and said to him, Do you know that the Lord is about to take away your master today from your head? And he said, Yes, I know [it]; hold your peace.
6 Then Elijah said to him: “Remain here. For the Lord has sent me as far as the Jordan.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” And so, the two of them continued on together.
And Eliu said to him, Stay here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me to Jordan. And Elisaie said, [As] the Lord lives and your soul lives, I will not leave you: and they both went on.
7 And fifty men from the sons of the prophets followed them, and they stood opposite them, at a distance. But the two of them were standing above 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 And Elijah took his cloak, and he rolled it up, and he struck the waters, which were divided into two parts. And they both went across on dry ground.
And Eliu took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and struck the water: and the water was divided on this side and on that side, and they both went over on dry ground.
9 And when they had gone across, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what you wish that I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “I beg you, that twice your spirit may be accomplished in me.”
And it came to pass while they were crossing over, that Eliu said to Elisaie, Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken up from you. And Elisaie said, Let there be, I pray you, a double [portion] of your spirit upon me.
10 And he responded: “You have requested a difficult thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, you will have what you requested. But if you do not see, it shall not be.”
And Eliu said, You have asked a hard thing: if you shall see me when I am taken up from you, then shall it be so to you; and if not, it shall not be [so].
11 And as they continued on, they were conversing while walking. And behold, a fiery chariot with fiery horses divided the two. And Elijah ascended 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 Then Elisha saw it, and he cried out: “My father, my father! The chariot of Israel with its driver!” And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own garments, and he tore them into two parts.
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 tore them into two pieces.
13 And he picked up the cloak of Elijah, which had fallen from him. And turning back, he stood above 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 And he struck the waters with the cloak of Elijah, which had fallen from him, and they were not divided. And he said, “Where is the God of Elijah, even now?” And he struck the waters, and they were divided here and there. And Elisha went across.
and he took the mantle of Eliu, which fell from off him, and struck the water, and said, Where is the Lord God of Eliu? and he struck the waters, and they were divided hither and there; and Elisaie went over.
15 Then the sons of the prophets, who were at Jericho, watching from a distance, said, “The spirit of Elijah has rested upon Elisha.” And approaching to meet him, they reverenced him prone on the ground.
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 And they said to him, “Behold, with your servants there are fifty strong men, who are able to go forth and to seek your lord. For perhaps, the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley.” But he said, “Do not send them.”
And they said to him, Behold now, [there are] with your servants fifty men of strength: let them go now, and seek your lord: perhaps 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, You shall not send.
17 And they urged him, until he acquiesced and said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men. And after they had searched for three days, they 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 And they returned to him, for he was living in Jericho. And he said to them: “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not send them?’”
And they returned to him, for he lived in Jericho: and Elisaie said, Did I not say to you, Go not?
19 Also, the men of the city said to Elisha: “Behold, this city is a very good habitation, as you yourself perceive, O lord. But the waters are very bad, and the ground 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 And so he said, “Bring a new vessel to me, and place salt in it.” And when they had brought it,
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 source of the waters, and he cast the salt into it. And he said: “Thus says the Lord: I have healed these waters, and no longer shall there be death or barrenness in them.”
And Elisaie went out to the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and says, Thus says the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be any longer death thence or barren [land].
22 Then the waters were healed, even to this day, in accord with the word of Elisha, which he spoke.
And the waters were healed until this day, according to the word of Elisaie which he spoke.
23 Then he went up from there into Bethel. And as he was ascending along the way, little boys departed from the city. And they were mocking him, saying: “Go up, bald head! Go up, bald head!”
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 And when he had looked back, he saw them, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two bears went out from the forest, and they wounded forty-two boys among them.
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 Then he went away from there to mount Carmel. And he returned from there into Samaria.
And he went thence to mount Carmel, and returned thence to Samaria.
