2 Kings 2
1 Just before the Lord took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were walking together on their way from Gilgal.
And it came to pass, when Jehovah would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Bethel.
And Elijah said to Elisha, Remain here, I pray thee, for Jehovah has sent me as far as Bethel. And Elisha said, As Jehovah lives, and as thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
3 The sons of the prophets who lived in Bethel came to Elisha and told him, “You do know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today, don't you?” “Yes, I know,” he replied. “Don't talk about it.”
And the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said to him, Do thou know that Jehovah will take away thy master from thy head today? And he said, Yes, I know it; hold ye your peace.
4 Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, Elisha, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” He replied, “As the Lord lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
And Elijah said to him, Elisha, remain here, I pray thee, for Jehovah has sent me to Jericho. And he said, As Jehovah lives, and as thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
5 The sons of the prophets who lived in Jericho came to Elisha and told him, “You do know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today, don't you?” “Yes, I know,” he replied. “Don't talk about it.”
And the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said to him, Do thou know that Jehovah will take away thy master from thy head today? And he answered, Yes, I know it; hold ye your peace.
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, Elisha, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” He replied, “As the Lord lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they travelled on together.
And Elijah said to him, Remain here, I pray thee, for Jehovah has sent me to the Jordan. And he said, As Jehovah lives, and as thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. And the two went on.
7 Then a group of fifty of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing Elijah and Elisha at a distance as the two of them stood by the Jordan.
And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood opposite them afar off. And the two stood by the Jordan.
8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and hit the water. It divided to the one side and to the other and both of them crossed over on dry ground.
And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that the two went over on dry ground.
9 When they arrived on the other side, Elijah asked Elisha, “What can I do for you before I'm taken from you?” “Please let me have a double amount of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee before I am taken from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
10 “What you have asked for is hard,” Elijah responded. “But if you see me when I am taken from you, you will have it, otherwise not.”
And he said, Thou have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so to thee, but if not, it shall not be so.
11 As they were walking along, talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire came between them, and Elijah was taken up in the whirlwind to heaven.
And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which divided them both apart. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 Elisha saw what happened and cried out, “My father! My father! Look! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” Then Elisha couldn't see him anymore. He took his clothes and ripped them to pieces.
And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen of it! And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes, and tore them in two pieces.
13 Then Elisha picked up Elijah's cloak that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
14 He took Elijah's cloak that had fallen from him, hit the water, and cried out, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he hit the water, it divided to the one side and to the other and Elisha crossed over.
And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah? And when he also had smitten the waters, they were divided here and there, and Elisha went over.
15 The sons of the prophets who lived in Jericho saw him from the opposite side and shouted out, “Elijah's spirit now rests upon Elisha!” They went over to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him.
And when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
16 “Look,” they said to Elisha, “we your servants have fifty good men here. Please allow them to go and search for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the Lord has taken him and put him down on a mountain or in a valley somewhere.” “Don't bother sending them,” Elisha replied.
And they said to him, Behold now, there are fifty strong men with thy servants. Let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master, lest the Spirit of Jehovah has taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.
17 But they went on trying to persuade him until he was too embarrassed to say no. “Go ahead and send them,” he told them. So they sent fifty men, who searched for Elijah for three days but couldn't find him.
And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. Therefore they sent fifty men. And they sought three days, but did not find him.
18 When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn't I tell you not to bother going?”
And they came back to him while he remained at Jericho. And he said to them, Did I not say to you, Do not go?
19 The townspeople said to Elisha, “Look, sir, while our town has a good location as you can see, the water is bad and the soil is poor.”
And the men of the city said to Elisha, Behold, we pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the ground barren.
20 “Bring me a brand new bowl and put some salt in it,” he replied. So they brought it to him.
And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.
21 Then Elisha went to the spring, threw the salt into it, and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have purified this water. It won't cause death or miscarriages anymore.’”
And he went forth to the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and said, Thus says Jehovah, I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more death or barren land.
22 The water there is still pure to this very day, just as Elisha said it would be.
So the waters were healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.
23 Elisha went on from there to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a group of youths came from the town. They made fun of him, calling out, “Go on up, baldy! Go on up, baldy!”
And he went up from there to Bethel. And as he was going up by the way, there came forth young lads out of the city, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, thou baldhead; go up, thou baldhead.
24 Turning around, he looked at them and called down a curse on them in the Lord's name. Suddenly two female bears came out of the forest and mauled forty-two of them.
And he looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of Jehovah. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tore forty-two lads of them.
25 Elisha carried on to Mount Carmel, and from there he went back to Samaria.
And he went from there to mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
