< 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.
Forsothe it was don, whanne the Lord wolde reise Elie bi a whirlewynd in to heuene, Elie and Elisee yeden fro Galgalis.
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 Elie seide to Elisee, Sitte thou here, for the Lord sente me til into Bethel. To whom Elisee seide, The Lord lyueth and thi soule lyueth, for Y schal not forsake thee. And whanne thei hadden come doun 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.”
the sones of prophetis, that weren in Bethel, yeden out to Elisee, and seiden to hym, Whether thou knowist, that the Lord schal take awey thi lord to dai fro thee? Which answeride, And I knowe; be ye stille.
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.
Forsothe Elie seide to Elisee, Sitte thou here, for the Lord sente me into Jerico. And he seide, The Lord lyueth and thi soule lyueth, for Y schal not forsake thee. And whanne thei hadden come to Jerico,
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.”
the sones of prophetis, that weren in Jerico, neiyiden to Elisee, and seiden to hym, Whether thou knowist, that the Lord schal take awei thi lord to dai fro thee? And he seide, Y knowe; be ye stille.
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.
Forsothe Elie seide to Elisee, Sitte thou here, for the Lord sente me `til to Jordan. Which seide, The Lord lyueth and thi soule lyueth, for Y schal not forsake thee. Therfor bothe yeden togidere;
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 fifti men of the sones of prophetis sueden, which also stoden fer euen ayens; sothely thei bothe stoden ouer 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 Elie took his mentil, and wlappide it, and smoot the watris; whiche weren departid `into euer ethir part, and bothe yeden bi the drie.
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 whanne thei hadden passid, Elie seide to Elisee, Axe thou that, that thou wolt that Y do to thee, bifor that Y be takun awey fro thee. And Elisee seide, Y biseche, that thi double spirit be `maad in 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.”
Which Elie answeride, Thou axist an hard thing; netheles if thou schalt se me, whanne Y schal be takun awei fro thee, that that thou axidist schal be; sotheli, if thou schalt not se, it schal not be.
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 whanne thei yeden, and spaken goynge, lo! a chare of fier and horsys of fier departiden euer either; and Elie stiede bi a whirlewynd in to heuene.
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.
Forsothe Elise siy, and criede, My fadir! my fadir! the chare of Israel, and the charietere therof. And he siy no more Elie. And he took hise clothis, and to-rente tho in to twei partis.
13 Then Elisha picked up Elijah's cloak that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
And he reiside the mentil of Elie, that felde doun to hym; and he turnede ayen, and stood ouer the ryuer of 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 with the mentil of Elie, that felde doun to hym, he smoot the watris, whiche weren not departid. And he seide, Where is God of Elie also now? And he smoot the watris, and tho weren departid hidur and thidur; and Elisee passide.
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.
Sotheli the sones of prophetis, that weren in Jerico euene ayens, siyen, and seiden, The spirit of Elie restide on Elisee. And thei camen in to the meetyng of hym, and worschipiden hym lowli to erthe.
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 thei seiden to hym, Lo! with thi seruauntis ben fifti stronge men, that moun go, and seke thi lord, lest perauenture the Spirit of the Lord hath take hym, and hath cast forth hym in oon of the hillis, ethir in oon of the valeys.
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.
Which seide, `Nyle ye sende. And thei constreyneden hym, til he assentide to hem, and seide, Sende ye. And thei senten fifti men; and whanne thei hadden souyt bi thre daies, thei founden not.
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 thei turneden ayen to hym; and he dwelide in Jerico. And he seide to hem, Whether Y seide not to you, Nyle ye sende?
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.”
Therfor the men of the citee seiden to Elisee, Lo! the dwellyng of this cite is ful good, as thou thi silf, lord, seest; but the watris ben ful yuele, and the lond is bareyn.
20 “Bring me a brand new bowl and put some salt in it,” he replied. So they brought it to him.
And he seide, Brynge ye to me a newe vessel, and sende ye salt in to it. And whanne thei hadden brouyt it,
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.’”
he yede out to the welle of watris, and sente salt in to it, and seide, The Lord seith these thingis, Y haue helid these watris, and nethir deeth, nether bareynesse, schal be more in tho.
22 The water there is still pure to this very day, just as Elisha said it would be.
Therfor the watris weren heelid til in to this dai, bi the word of Elisee, which he spak.
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!”
Forsothe Elisee stiede fro thennus in to Bethel; and whanne he stiede bi the weie, litle children yeden out of the citee, and scorneden hym, and seiden, Stie, thou ballard! stie, thou ballard!
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 whanne he hadde biholde, he siy hem, and curside hem in the name of the Lord. And twey beeris yeden out of the forest, and to-rente fourti children of hem.
25 Elisha carried on to Mount Carmel, and from there he went back to Samaria.
Sotheli Elisee wente fro thennus in to the hil of Carmele, and fro thennus he turnede `ayen to Samarie.