2 Kings 2
1 So it came about, when Yahweh was going to take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah left 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 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, please, because Yahweh has sent me to Bethel.” Elisha replied, “As Yahweh lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” 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 The sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your master from you today?” Elisha replied, “Yes, I know it, but do not talk about it.”
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 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, wait here, please, for Yahweh has sent me to Jericho.” Then Elisha replied, “As Yahweh lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went 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 the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your master from you today?” Elisha answered, “Yes, I know it, but do not talk about it.”
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 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan.” Elisha replied, “As Yahweh lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the 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 Later, fifty of the sons of the prophets stood opposite them at a distance while the 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 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the water with it. The river divided on both sides so that the two of them walked 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 It came about, after they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask me what I should do for you before I am taken from you.” Elisha replied, “Please let a double portion of your spirit come on 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 Elijah answered, “You have asked for a difficult thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, this will happen for you, but if not, it will not happen.”
“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 As they still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared, which separated the two men from each other, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
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 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!” He saw Elijah no more, and he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into 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 picked up Elijah's cloak that had fallen off him, and went back to stand by the bank 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 He struck the water with Elijah's cloak that had fallen and said, “Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the waters, they divided on both sides and Elisha crossed 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 When the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him across from them, they said, “The spirit of Elijah does rest on Elisha!” So they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground 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 They said to him, “See now, among your servants there are fifty strong men. Let them go, we ask, and look for your master, in case the Spirit of Yahweh has taken him up and thrown him onto some mountain or into some valley.” Elisha answered, “No, do not send them.”
“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 Elisha until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” Then they sent fifty men, and they looked for three days, but did not find him.
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 They came back to Elisha, while he stayed at Jericho, and he said to them, “Did I not say to 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 The men of the city said to Elisha, “See, we beg of you, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my master can see, but the water is bad and the land is not fruitful.”
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 Elisha replied, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it,” so 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 Elisha went out to the spring of water and threw salt in it; then he said, “Yahweh says this, 'I have healed these waters. From this time on, there will be no more death or unfruitful land.'”
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 to this day, by the word which Elisha spoke.
And the waters there have been healthy to this day, according to the word spoken by Elisha.
23 Then Elisha went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up the road, young boys came out of the city and mocked him; they said to him, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”
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 Elisha looked behind him and saw them; he called on Yahweh to curse them. Then two female bears came out of the woods and injured forty-two of the boys.
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 Then Elisha went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
And Elisha went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
