< 2 Kings 2 >

1 And when the Lord would take vp Eliiah into heauen by a whirle winde, Eliiah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
Shortly before the LORD took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal,
2 Then Eliiah saide to Elisha, Tarie here, I pray thee: for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel. But Elisha said, As the Lord liueth, and as thy soule liueth, I will not leaue thee. So they came downe to Beth-el.
and Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3 And the children of the Prophets that were at Beth-el, came out to Elisha, and said vnto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take thy master from thine head this day? And he said, Yea, I knowe it: holde ye your peace.
Then the sons of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied. “Do not speak of it.”
4 Againe Eliiah saide vnto him, Elisha, tarie here, I pray thee: for the Lord hath sent me to Iericho: But he said, As the Lord liueth, and as thy soule liueth, I will not leaue thee. So they came to Iericho.
And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
5 And the children of the Prophets that were at Iericho, came to Elisha, and saide vnto him, Knowest thou, that the Lord will take thy master from thine head this day? And he sayde, Yea, I knowe it: holde ye your peace.
Then the sons of the prophets at Jericho came up to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied. “Do not speak of it.”
6 Moreouer Eliiah saide vnto him, Tarie, I pray thee, here: for the Lord hath sent me to Iorden. But he saide, As the Lord liueth, and as thy soule liueth, I will not leaue thee. So they went both together.
And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.
7 And fiftie men of the sonnes of the Prophets went and stoode on the other side a farre off, and they two stoode by Iorden.
Then a company of fifty of the sons of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing Elijah and Elisha as the two of them stood by the Jordan.
8 Then Eliiah tooke his cloke, and wrapt it together, and smote the waters, and they were deuided hither and thither, and they twaine went ouer on the dry lande.
And Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the waters, which parted to the right and to the left, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 Nowe when they were passed ouer, Eliiah saide vnto Elisha, Aske what I shall doe for thee before I be taken from thee. And Elisha saide, I pray thee, let thy Spirit be double vpon me.
After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken away from you?” “Please, let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
10 And he saide, Thou hast asked an hard thing: yet if thou see me when I am taken from thee, thou shalt haue it so: and if not, it shall not be.
“You have requested a difficult thing,” said Elijah. “Nevertheless, if you see me as I am taken from you, it will be yours. But if not, then it will not be so.”
11 And as they went walking and talking, beholde, there appeared a charet of fire, and horses of fire, and did separate them twaine. So Eliiah went vp by a whirle winde into heauen.
As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind.
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cryed, My father, my father, the charet of Israel, and the horsemen thereof: and he sawe him no more: and he tooke his owne clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
As Elisha watched, he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And he saw Elijah no more. So taking hold of his own clothes, he tore them in two.
13 He tooke vp also the cloke of Eliiah that fell from him, and returned, and stoode by the banke of Iorden.
Elisha also picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah, and he went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
14 After, he tooke the cloke of Eliiah, that fell from him, and smote the waters, and sayde, Where is the Lord God of Eliiah? And so he also, after he had striken the waters, so that they were deuided this way and that way, went ouer, euen Elisha.
Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. And when he had struck the waters, they parted to the right and to the left, and Elisha crossed over.
15 And when the children of the Prophets, which were at Iericho, saw him on the other side, they sayde, The Spirite of Eliiah doeth rest on Elisha: and they came to meete him, and fell to the grounde before him,
When the sons of the prophets who were facing him from Jericho saw what had happened, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.
16 And said vnto him, Beholde nowe, there be with thy seruants fiftie strong men: let them go, we pray thee, and seeke thy master, if so be the Spirite of the Lord hath taken him vp, and cast him vpon some mountaine, or into some valley. But he said, Ye shall not sende.
“Look now,” they said to Elisha, “we your servants have fifty valiant men. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and put him on one of the mountains or in one of the valleys.” “Do not send them,” Elisha replied.
17 Yet they were instant vpon him, til he was ashamed: wherefore he saide, Sende. So they sent fiftie men, which sought three dayes, but founde him not.
But when they pressed him to the point of embarrassment, he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find Elijah.
18 Therefore they returned to him, (for he taryed at Iericho) and he said vnto them, Did not I say vnto you, Goe not?
When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
19 And the men of the citie saide vnto Elisha, Beholde, we pray thee: the situation of this citie is pleasant, as thou, my lorde, seest, but the water is naught, and the ground baren.
Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please note, our lord, that the city’s location is good, as you can see. But the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.”
20 Then he saide, Bring me a newe cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.
“Bring me a new bowl,” he replied, “and put some salt in it.” So they brought it to him,
21 And he went vnto the spring of the waters, and cast there the salt, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I haue healed this water: death shall no more come thereof, neither barennesse to the ground.
and Elisha went out to the spring, cast the salt into it, and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will it cause death or unfruitfulness.’”
22 So the waters were healed vntill this day, according to the worde of Elisha which hee had spoken.
And the waters there have been healthy to this day, according to the word spoken by Elisha.
23 And he went vp from thence vnto Beth-el. And as he was going vp the way, litle children came out of the citie, and mocked him, and saide vnto him, Come vp, thou balde head, come vp, thou balde head.
From there, Elisha went up to Bethel, and as he was walking up the road, a group of boys came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”
24 And he turned backe, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two beares came out of the forest, and tare in pieces two and fourtie children of them.
Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.
25 So he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.
And Elisha went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

< 2 Kings 2 >