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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
[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 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.
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 But, fifty men of the sons of the prophets, came, and stood over against them, afar off, —and, they two, stood by the Jordan.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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 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, 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.
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 Then took he up the mantle of Elijah, which had fallen from him, —and returned and stood, on the brink of the Jordan;
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 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.
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 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 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 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.
[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 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 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 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?
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 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 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 And he said—Bring me a new bowl, and put therein, salt. So they brought it unto 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 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.
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, [as they remain] unto this day, —according to the word of Elisha which he spake.
And the water became pure, just as Elisha said it would be. Since that time it has always remained pure.
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!
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, 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.
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 And he went from thence, unto 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].
