2 Kings 2
1 And it came to pass, when Yahweh was about to take up Elijah in a storm into the heavens, that Elijah departed, 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 said Elijah unto Elisha—Tarry here, I pray thee, for, Yahweh, hath sent me as far as Bethel. And Elisha said, By the life of Yahweh and by the life of thine own soul, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
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 sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came forth unto Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that, to-day, Yahweh is taking away thy lord, from thy head? And he said—I also, know, be silent.
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 Then Elijah said to him—Elisha, I pray thee, tarry here, for, Yahweh, hath sent me to Jericho. And he said—By the life of Yahweh and by the life of thine own soul, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
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 Then drew near the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho, unto Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that, to-day, Yahweh is taking away thy lord from thy head? And he said—I also, know; be silent.
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 And Elijah said to him—Tarry here, I pray thee, for, Yahweh, hath sent me to the Jordan. And he said—By the life of Yahweh and by the life of thine own soul, I will not leave thee. So they two, went on.
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 But, fifty men of the sons of the prophets, came, and stood over against them, afar off, —and, they two, stood by the Jordan.
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 Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided, hither and thither, —so that they two, passed over, on dry ground.
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 And it came to pass, as they went over, that, Elijah, said unto Elisha—Ask, what I shall do for thee, ere yet I be taken from thee. And Elisha said, Let there be, I pray thee, a double portion of thy spirit upon 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 said—Thou hast asked a hard thing, —if thou see me when taken from thee, thou shall have it, so, but, if not, thou shalt not have it.
“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 it came to pass, as they were going on and on and talking, that lo! there was a chariot of fire, with horses of fire, which parted, those two, asunder, —and Elijah went up in a storm, into the heavens.
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, as soon as Elisha saw it, he, began crying out—My father! my father! The chariots of Israel, and the horsemen thereof! But, when he could see him no longer, he took hold of his 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 Then took he up the mantle of Elijah, which had fallen from him, —and returned and stood, on the brink of the Jordan;
Elisha also picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah, and he went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
14 and took the mantle of Elijah which had fallen from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah? And, when, he also, smote the waters, they were divided, hither and thither, and Elisha, passed over.
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 sons of the prophets who were in Jericho, over against him, saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah, resteth, on Elisha. So they came to meet him, and bowed themselves down to him, to the ground.
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 Then said they unto him—Lo! we pray thee, there are with thy servants fifty men, sons of valour—let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy lord, lest the Spirit of Yahweh have borne him away, and cast him on one of the mountains, or into one of the valleys. And he said—Ye shall not send.
“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 But, when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said—Send. So they sent fifty men, and made search three days, but found 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 And, when they came back unto him, he, having tarried at Jericho, he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Do not go?
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 city said unto Elisha, Lo! we pray thee, the situation of the city, is good, as, my lord, seeth, —but, the waters, are bad, and, the land, apt to miscarry.
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 And he said—Bring me a new bowl, and put therein, salt. So they brought it unto him;
“Bring me a new bowl,” he replied, “and put some salt in it.” So they brought it to him,
21 and he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast therein, saith, —and said—Thus, saith Yahweh, I have healed these waters; there shall come from thence, no longer, death or aptness to miscarry.
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, [as they remain] unto this day, —according to the word of Elisha which he spake.
And the waters there have been healthy to this day, according to the word spoken by Elisha.
23 And he went up from thence, to Bethel, —and, as he was going up on the way, some lads, came forth, out of the city, and made mockery of him, and said to him, Go up, bald head! Go up, bald 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, when he turned round and saw them, he cursed them, in the name of Yahweh, —and there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tare, of them, forty-two youths.
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 And he went from thence, unto Mount Carmel, —and, from thence, he returned, to Samaria.
And Elisha went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
