2 Kings 2
1 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].
It happened, when the LORD would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2 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.
Elijah said to Elisha, "Please wait here, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel." Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.
3 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]
The sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from your head today?" He said, "Yes, I know it; hold your peace."
4 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].
Elijah said to him, "Elisha, please wait here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho." He said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho.
5 [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]
The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from your head today?" He answered, "Yes, I know it. Hold your peace."
6 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.
Elijah said to him, "Please wait here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." He said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." They both went on.
7 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].
Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan.
8 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.
Elijah took his cloak, and wrapped it together, and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that the two of them went over on dry ground.
9 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).”
It happened, when they had gone over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you." Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me."
10 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.”
He said, "You have asked a hard thing. If you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so."
11 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).
It happened, as they still went on, and talked, that look, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 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].
Elisha saw it, and he cried, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen." He saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and tore them in two pieces.
13 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].
And he picked up the cloak of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
14 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.
And he took the cloak of Elijah that fell from him, and struck the water, and it did not divide. And he said, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah, even he?" And he struck the water a second time, and they divided to the one side and to the other; and Elisha crossed over.
15 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.
When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho over against him saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
16 [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.”
And they said to him, "See now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and thrown him into the Jordan, or on some mountain, or into some valley." And he said, "Do not send them."
17 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.
When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, "Send them." They sent therefore fifty men; and they searched for three days, but did not find him.
18 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]
They came back to him, while he stayed at Jericho; and he said to them, "Did I not tell you not to go?"
19 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.”
The men of the city said to Elisha, "Look, please, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land miscarries."
20 Elisha said to them, “Put some salt in a new bowl and bring the bowl to me.” So they brought it to him.
He said, "Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it." They brought it to him.
21 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]
He went out to the spring of the waters, and threw salt into it, and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more death or miscarrying.'"
22 And the water became pure, just as Elisha said it would be. Since that time it has always remained pure.
So the waters were healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.
23 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!”
He went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up by the way, some youths came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him, "Go up, you baldy. Go up, you baldhead."
24 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.
He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. Two female bears came out of the woods, and mauled forty-two of those youths.
25 Elisha left Bethel and went to Carmel Mountain, and after that he returned to Samaria [city].
He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
