2 Kings 2
1 And when the Lord would take vp Eliiah into heauen by a whirle winde, Eliiah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
When Yahweh was about to take [the prophet] Elijah up to heaven in a (whirlwind/twisting wind), Elijah and [his fellow prophet] Elisha were traveling [south] from Gilgal [town].
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.
Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, because Yahweh has told [only] me to go to Bethel [town].” But Elisha replied, “Just as certainly as Yahweh lives and you live, I will not leave you!” So they went down [together] 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.
A group of prophets came to Elisha [and Elijah before they entered the town], and they asked Elisha, “Do you know that Yahweh is going to take your master/boss [Elijah] away from you today?” Elisha answered, “Certainly I know that, but don’t talk about it!” [IDM]
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.
Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, because Yahweh has told [only] me to go to Jericho.” But Elisha replied [again], “Just as certainly as Yahweh lives and you live, I will not leave you!” So they went [together] to Jericho [city].
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.
[As they neared] Jericho, a group of prophets who were from there came to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh is going to take your master/boss [Elijah] away from you today?” He answered again, “Certainly I know that, but don’t talk about it!” [IDM]
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.
Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, because Yahweh has told [only] me to go to the Jordan [River].” But [again] Elisha replied, “As certainly as Yahweh lives and you live, I will not leave you!” So they continued walking together.
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.
Fifty men from a group of prophets [who were from Jericho] also went, but they watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped at the edge of the Jordan [River].
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.
Then Elijah rolled up his cloak and struck the water with it. A path opened up for them through the river, and they walked across [as though they were] 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.
When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “What do you want me to do for you before (I am taken away/Yahweh takes me away)?” Elisha replied, “I want to receive twice as much of your power [as you have had, ] (OR enable me to very powerfully continue your ministry).”
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.
Elijah replied, “You have asked for something which is difficult [for me to cause to happen]. But, if you see me when (I am taken from you/Yahweh takes me from you), you will get what you are requesting. But if you do not see me, then you will not get it.”
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 and talking, suddenly a chariot that had fire [surrounding it], pulled by horses which also had fire [surrounding them], appeared. [The chariot driver] drove the chariot between Elijah and Elisha and separated them. Then Elijah was taken up to heaven in a (whirlwind/twisting wind).
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.
Elisha saw it. He cried out, “My father/master! My father/master! The chariots of us Israeli people and their drivers [have taken my master away]!” [They disappeared into the sky, ] and Elisha never saw Elijah again. Then Elisha tore his own robe into two pieces [to show that he was sad].
13 He tooke vp also the cloke of Eliiah that fell from him, and returned, and stoode by the banke of Iorden.
Elijah’s cloak [had fallen off when he was taken away, so] Elisha picked it up and returned to the bank of the Jordan [River].
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.
He [rolled up the cloak and] struck the water with it, and cried out, “Will Yahweh, the God who [enabled] Elijah [to perform miracles, enable me to do similar things]?” Then the water separated, and a path opened up for him, and Elisha went across.
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 group of prophets from Jericho saw what happened, they exclaimed, “Elisha now has the power that Elijah had!” [MTY] They walked over to him and bowed down in front of 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.
[One of] them said, “Sir, if you permit us, 50 of our strongest men will go and search for your master [on the other side of the river]. Perhaps the Spirit of Yahweh has left him on some mountain or in some valley.” Elisha replied, “No, do not send them.”
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 they kept insisting. Finally he was tired of saying “No,” and he said, “Okay, send them.” So 50 men searched for three days, but they 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?
They returned to Jericho, and Elisha was still there. He said to them, “I told you that you should not go, [because you would not find him]!” [RHQ]
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 leaders of [Jericho] city came to talk with Elisha. One of them said, “Our master, we have a problem. You can see that this is a very nice place [to live in]. But the water is bad, and as a result, crops will not grow on the land.”
20 Then he saide, Bring me a newe cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.
Elisha said to them, “Put some salt in a new bowl and bring the bowl to me.” 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.
Then he went out to the spring [from which the people in the town got water]. He threw the salt into the spring. Then he said, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘I have made this water good/pure. No longer will anyone die, from having drunk this water, and now crops will be able to grow.’” [LIT]
22 So the waters were healed vntill this day, according to the worde of Elisha which hee had spoken.
And the water became pure, just as Elisha said it would be. Since that time it has always remained pure.
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.
Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a group of young boys from Bethel [saw him and] started to make fun of him. They continued shouting, “Go away, you bald-headed man!”
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.
Elisha turned around and looked/glared at them. He asked Yahweh to (curse them/do something bad to them). Immediately two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them.
25 So he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.
Elisha left Bethel and went to Carmel Mountain, and after that he returned to Samaria [city].
