2 Kings 2

¹ It happened, when Yahweh would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. ² Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here; for Yahweh has sent me as far as Bethel.” Elisha said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

³ The sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your master from your head today?” He said, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”

⁴ Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here; for Yahweh has sent me to Jericho.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.

⁵ The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your master from your head today?” He answered, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”

⁶ Elijah said to him, “Please stay here; for Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” They two went on.

⁷ Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood opposite them at a distance; and they two stood by the Jordan. ⁸ Elijah took his mantle, wrapped it together, and struck the waters, and they were divided this way and that, so that they two went over on dry ground.

⁹ 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 He said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be so to you; but if not, it will not be so.”

¹¹ It happened, as they still went on, and talked, that behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. ¹² Elisha saw it, and he cried, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” He saw him no more. He took hold of his own clothes, and tore them in two pieces.

¹³ He also took up Elijah’s mantle that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ He took Elijah’s mantle that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, “Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?” When he also had struck the waters, they were divided this way and that; and Elisha went over.

¹⁵ When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him from across the way, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. ¹⁶ They said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master; perhaps Yahweh’s Spirit has taken him up, and cast him on some mountain, or into some valley.” He said, “You shall not send them.”

¹⁷ When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” Therefore they sent fifty men; and they searched three days, but didn’t find him. ¹⁸ They came back to him, while he stayed at Jericho; and he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t go’?”

¹⁹ The men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, please, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land miscarries.” ²⁰ He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” They brought it to him. ²¹ He went out to the spring of the waters, and threw salt into it, and said, “Yahweh says, ‘I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there death or miscarrying any more.’” ²² So the waters were healed to this day, according to Elisha’s word which he spoke.

²³ 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 bald head! Go up, you bald head!” ²⁴ He looked behind him, and saw them, and cursed them in Yahweh’s name. Two female bears came out of the woods, and mauled forty-two of those youths.

²⁵ He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.