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.
1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take Elijah up 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 has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said [unto him], [As] the LORD lives and [as] thy soul lives, 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 today? And he said, Yes, I know [it]; be silent.
4 And Elijah said unto him again, Elisha, tarry here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho. And he said, [As] the LORD lives and [as] thy soul lives, 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 today? And he answered, Yes, I know [it]; be silent.
6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan. And he said, [As] the LORD lives and [as] thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. And [thus] the two went on.
7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood in front of them afar off; and the two of them stood by the Jordan.
8 And Elijah took his mantle and wrapped [it] together and smote the waters, and they separated to one side and the other so that they both went over on dry ground.
9 And when they had gone over, Elijah said unto 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 difficult thing. If thou shalt 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, a chariot of fire with horses of fire separated the two, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind.
12 And as Elisha saw [it], 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 And lifting up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, he went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
14 And taking up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, he smote the waters, and said, Where [is] the LORD God of Elijah? And when he smote the waters, they separated to one side and the other, and Elisha went over.
15 And seeing him, the sons of the prophets who [were] at Jericho said, The spirit of Elijah rests 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 are fifty strong men with thy servants; let them go and seek thy master; peradventure the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley. And he said, Do not send [them].
17 But when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men, and they sought him three days, but did not find him.
18 And when they came again to him (for he tarried at Jericho), he said unto them, Did I not tell you to not go?
19 And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, the seat of this city [is] good, as my lord sees, but the water [is] evil, and the ground barren.
20 Then he said, Bring me a new cruse and put salt in it. And they brought [it] to him.
21 And he went forth unto the springs of the waters and cast the salt in there and said, Thus hath the LORD said, I have healed these waters; there shall be no more death or barrenness in them.
22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the word which Elisha spoke.
23 Then he went up from there unto Bethel, and as he was going up by the way, the young men of the city came forth and mocked him, saying, 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 two bears came forth out of the forest and tore apart forty-two young men of them.
25 And he went from there to mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.: