1 Chegou então a altura do Senhor levar Elias para o céu num remoinho!2 Elias disse a Eliseu, quando deixaram Gilgal: Fica aqui, porque o Senhor disse-me que fosse a Betel.Mas Eliseu respondeu-lhes: Garanto-te por Deus e pela tua alma que não te deixarei!Foram pois a Betel juntos.3 Aí, os jovens profetas da escola de Betel vieram ao encontro deles e perguntaram a Eliseu: Sabes que o Senhor vai levar Elias hoje para si? Sim, calem-se! respondeu Eliseu. Já sei isso.4 Elias disse a Eliseu: Peço-te que fiques aqui em Betel, porque o Senhor mandou-me a Jericó.Mas Eliseu tornou a responder: Juro-te por Deus e pela tua vida que não te deixarei. Foram assim até Jericó.5 Os estudantes da escola de Jericó vieram ter com Eliseu e perguntaram-lhe: Sabes que o Senhor vai levar Elias hoje para o céu? Eliseu respondeu: Estejam calados. Eu sei bem isso!6 Elias disse a Eliseu: Por favor, fica aqui, porque o Senhor mandou-me ao rio Jordão.Eliseu respondeu como anteriormente: Juro-te por Deus e pela tua alma que não te deixarei.7 Lá foram juntos e chegaram ao rio Jordão, enquanto os cinquenta jovens profetas ficavam a ver, à distância.8 Elias tirou a capa, dobrou-a e bateu com ela na água; a torrente dividiu-se e eles passaram a seco.9 Quando chegaram ao outro lado, Elias disse a Eliseu: Pede-me o que quiseres, antes que eu seja levado.E Eliseu respondeu: Peço-te que me dês uma dobrada porção do teu poder profético.10 Pedes uma dura coisa. Mas se puderes vêr-me quando for levado de junto de ti, obterás o que pretendes. Se não, não a terás.11 Enquanto iam caminhando e conversando, de repente um carro de fogo apareceu e passou pelo meio deles, separando-os; Elias foi assim levado para os céus num remoinho.12 Eliseu, que viu tudo, gritou: Meu pai! Meu pai! O carro de Israel com os condutores! Quando o carro desapareceu Eliseu rasgou a sua roupa.13 Depois pegou na capa de Elias, voltou para a margem do Jordão e bateu na água com ela. Onde está o Senhor Deus de Elias?, exclamou ele. A corrente separou-se e Eliseu passou em seco para o outro lado.15 Quando os moços profetas de Jericó viram o que acontecera, disseram: O espírito de Elias ficou em Eliseu! E foram ter com ele para o felicitar respeitosamente.16 Senhor, basta que digas uma palavra e cinquenta dos nossos colegas que mais bem correm irão à procura do teu senhor no deserto; talvez o Espírito do Senhor o tenha deixado sobre qualquer monte, ou ravina.Não, disse Eliseu: Não façam nada disso.17 Mas eles continuaram a insistir a ponto de o importunarem; por fim acedeu: Está bem. Vão lá. Foram então cinquenta rapazes à procura dele durante três dias, mas não o acharam.18 Eliseu estava ainda em Jericó quando eles voltaram: Não vos disse para não irem?19 Uma delegação dos responsáveis da cidade de Jericó veio falar a Eliseu: Temos um problema: a cidade está bem localizada, como podes ver; mas a água é má e a terra é estéril.20 Está bem, tragam-me uma tigela nova, cheia de sal. Trouxeram-lha.21 Depois dirigiu-se ao poço da povoação e deitou lá para dentro o sal dizendo: O Senhor curou estas águas. Não mais causarão nem morte nem infertilidade.22 Na verdade as águas ficaram purificadas, tal como Eliseu dissera.23 De Jericó dirigiu-se a Betel. Quando ia andando no caminho, certos rapazes da cidade começaram a troçar dele. Sobe, careca!, gritavam eles. Sobe, careca! Ele voltou-se e amaldiçoou-os em nome do Senhor; apareceram então duas ursas que saíam dos bosques, e mataram quarenta e dois deles. Depois foi para o monte Carmelo e finalmente voltou para 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 to Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el.3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said to him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to-day? And he said, Yes, I know it; hold ye your peace.4 And Elijah said to 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 to him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to-day? And he answered, Yes, I know it; hold ye your peace.6 And Elijah said to him, Tarry here, I pray thee; 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 had gone over, that Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I am 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 shalt see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so to 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 who 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 to him, Behold now, there are with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest perhaps 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 to them, Did I not say to you, Go not?19 And the men of the city said to Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is bad, 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 to 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 to this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spoke.23 And he went up from thence to Beth-el: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said to 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 tore forty and two children of them.25 And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.