2 Reis 2

1 Eis o que se passou no dia em que o Senhor arrebatou Elias ao céu num turbilhão: Elias e Eliseu partiram de Gálgala.

2 Elias disse a Eliseu: "Fica aqui, porque o Senhor me mandou a Betel". "Por Deus e por tua vida – respondeu Eliseu –, não te deixarei." E desceram a Betel.

3 Os filhos dos profetas, que estavam em Betel, saíram ao encontro de Eliseu e disseram-lhe: "Sabes que o Senhor vai tirar hoje o teu amo de sobre a tua cabeça?". "Sim, eu o sei! Ficai calados!"

4 Elias disse-lhe: "Fica aqui, Eliseu, porque o Senhor manda-me a Jericó". "Por Deus e por tua vida – respondeu ele –, não te deixarei." E chegaram a Jericó.

5 Os filhos dos profetas que estavam em Jericó foram ter com Eliseu e disseram-lhe: "Sabes que o Senhor vai tirar hoje o teu amo de sobre a tua cabeça?". "Sim, eu o sei. Calai-vos."

6 Elias disse-lhe: "Fica aqui, porque o Senhor manda-me ao Jordão". "Por Deus e pela tua vida – respondeu Eliseu –, não te deixarei." E partiram juntos.

7 Seguiram-nos cinquenta filhos de profetas os quais pararam ao longe, diante deles, enquanto Elias e Eliseu se detinham à beira do Jordão.

8 Elias tomou o seu manto, dobrou-o e feriu com ele as águas, que se separaram para as duas bandas, de modo que atravessaram ambos a pé enxuto.

9 Tendo passado, Elias disse a Eliseu: "Pede-me algo antes que eu seja arrebatado de ti: que posso eu fazer por ti?". Eliseu respondeu: "Seja-me concedida uma porção dobrada do teu espírito".

10 "Pedes uma coisa difícil – replicou Elias –. "Entretanto, se me vires quando eu for arrebatado de ti, isso te será dado: mas se não me vires, não te será dado."

11 Continuando o seu caminho, entretidos a conversar, eis que de repente um carro de fogo com cavalos de fogo os separou um do outro e Elias subiu ao céu num turbilhão.

12 Vendo isso, Eliseu exclamou: "Meu pai, meu pai! Carro e cavalaria de Israel!". E não o viu mais. Tomando então as suas vestes, rasgou-as em duas partes.

13 Apanhou o manto que Elias deixara cair e, voltando até o Jordão, parou à beira do rio.

14 Tomou o manto que Elias deixara cair, bateu com ele nas águas, dizendo: "Onde está o Senhor, o Deus de Elias? Onde está ele?". Tendo ferido as águas, estas separaram-se para um e outro lado e Eliseu o atravessou.

15 Os filhos dos profetas que estavam em Jericó, vendo o que acontecera defronte deles, disseram: "O espírito de Elias repousa em Eliseu’’. Foram-lhe ao encontro, prostraram-se por terra diante dele,

16 e disseram: "Sabe que entre os teus servos há cinquenta homens valentes, que podem ir em busca do teu amo. Talvez o tenha arrebatado o Espírito do Senhor e atirado com ele para algum monte ou para algum vale". "Não os mandeis" – respondeu Eliseu.

17 Eles, porém, tanto insistiram que Eliseu teve vergonha (de recusar): "Mandai-os" – disse ele. Mandaram, pois, cinquenta homens, os quais procuraram Elias durante três dias, mas sem resultado.

18 Quando voltaram para Eliseu, que estava em Jericó, este disse-lhes: "Não vos disse eu que não fôsseis?’’.

19 Os habitantes da cidade disseram a Eliseu: "A cidade está muito bem situada, como o pode ver o meu senhor, mas as águas são más e tornam a terra estéril".

20 Eliseu disse-lhes: "Trazei-me um prato novo e ponde nele sal". Eles lhe trouxeram.

21 Eliseu foi à fonte e deitou sal nela, dizendo: "Eis o que diz o Senhor: ‘Sanei estas águas e elas não causarão mais nem mortes nem esterilidade’."

22 Ficaram as águas sadias e ainda o são, segundo a palavra que o Senhor tinha dito por Eliseu.

23 Dali subiu a Betel. Enquanto ia pelo caminho, saíram da cidade alguns rapazes e puseram-se a zombar dele, dizendo: "Sobe, careca! Sobe, careca!".

24 Eli­seu, voltando-se para eles, olhou-os e amaldiçoou-os em nome do Senhor. Imediatamente saíram da floresta dois ursos e despedaçaram quarenta e dois daqueles rapazes.

25 Dali se retirou para o monte Carmelo, de onde voltou para Samaria.

1 When Yahweh was about to take Elijah up by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, "Please wait 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 over you today?"

He said, "Yes, I know it. Hold your peace."

4 Elijah said to him, "Elisha, please wait 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 over you today?"

He answered, "Yes, I know it. Hold your peace."

6 Elijah said to him, "Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan."

He said, "As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." Then they both went on. 7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his mantle, and rolled it up, and struck the waters; and they were divided here and there, so that they both went over on dry ground. 9 When they had gone over, 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. If you see me when I am taken from you, it will be so for you; but if not, it will not be so."

11 As they continued on and talked, 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. Then 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 apart, and Elisha went over.

15 When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho facing 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 They said to him, "See 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 put him on some mountain or into some valley."

He said, "Don’t send them."

17 When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, "Send them."

Therefore they sent fifty men; and they searched for 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 is barren."

20 He said, "Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it." Then 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 any more death or barren wasteland.’" 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 baldy! Go up, you baldy!" 24 He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in Yahweh’s name. Then 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.