2 Kings 2

1 Shortly before the LORD took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal,

2 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 “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 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 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 Elisha also picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah, and he went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.

14 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 watching 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 “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 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 When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

19 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 “Bring me a new bowl,” he replied, “and put some salt in it.” So they brought it to him,

21 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 And the waters there have been healthy to this day, according to the word spoken by Elisha.

23 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 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 Elisha went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

1 ¶ And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said [unto him, As] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

3 And the sons of the prophets that [were] at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know [it]; hold ye your peace.

4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, [As] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

5 And the sons of the prophets that [were] at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know [it]; hold ye your peace.

6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, [As] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped [it] together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

9 ¶ And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: [nevertheless], if thou see me [when I am] taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be [so].

11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, [there appeared] a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

12 And Elisha saw [it], and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

13 ¶ He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where [is] the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

15 And when the sons of the prophets which [were] to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

16 And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.

17 And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.

18 And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?

19 ¶ And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city [is] pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water [is] naught, and the ground barren.

20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought [it] to him.

21 And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren [land].

22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.

23 And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.

24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

25 And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.

1 And when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in the weather, Elijah and Elisha went from Gilgal.

2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Stay here, for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they came down to Bethel,

3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came out unto Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy Lord from thy heads this day? And he said: I know it also: hold your peace.

4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, good fellow, tarry here: for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they came to Jericho,

5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came unto Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head this day? And he said: I know it also: hold your peace.

6 And Elijah said unto him, Stay here, for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee: and they went both of them together.

7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood over against him afar off: and they stood by Jordan.

8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the water; and it parted on both sides, and they passed through dry.

9 And when they were come over, Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken from thee. And Elisha said, That thy spirit may be with me double.

10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: but if thou shalt see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so; but if not, it shall not be so.

11 And as they walked together, and he spake, behold, there came a chariot of fire with horses of fire, and separated them one from another: and Elijah ascended up to heaven in the weather.

12 And Elisha saw it, and cried, My father, my father, chariots of Israel, and his horsemen. And saw him no more. And he took hold of his garments, and rent them in twain.

13 And he took up the coat of Elijah, which had fallen from him, and returned, and stood on the bank of Jordan.

14 And he took the same coat of Elijah, which had fallen from him, and smote the water, and said, Where then is the LORD God of Elijah? And he smote the water, and it parted on both sides: and Elisha passed through.

15 And when the children of the prophets that were at Jericho saw him against him, they said: The spirit of Elijah resteth upon Elisha: and they went out to meet him, and worshipped the earth.

16 And they said unto him, Behold, there are among thy servants fifty men, strong men, let them go and seek thy master: peradventure the spirit of the LORD hath taken him, and cast him into some mountain, or into some valley. But he said, "Do not let them go.

17 But they constrained him, until he stood unruly, and said, Let go. And they sent fifty men, and sought him three days; but they found him not.

18 And they came again unto him. And he tarried at Jericho, and said unto them, Did I not tell you not to go?

19 And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, it is good to dwell in this city, as my lord hath seen; but it is evil water, and the land is barren.

20 And he said, Bring me a new bowl, and put salt therein. And they brought it unto him.

21 And he went out unto the fountain of waters, and cast the salt therein, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have made this water wholesome; there shall no more death nor barrenness come thence.

22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spake.

23 And he went up to Bethel. And as he walked along the way, little boys came out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Baldy, come up hither. Baldy, come up hither!

24 And he turned, and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came two bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two of the children.

25 And from thence he went up into mount Carmel, and returned thence to Samaria.