II Kings 2

¹Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a great wind, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

²And Elijah said to Elisha, Come no farther for the Lord has sent me to Beth-el. But Elisha said, As the Lord is living and as your soul is living, I will not be parted from you. So they went down to Beth-el.

³And at Beth-el the sons of the prophets came out to Elisha and said, Has it been made clear to you that the Lord is going to take away your master from over you today? And he said, Yes, I have knowledge of it: say no more.

⁴Then Elijah said to him, Come no farther, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho. But he said, As the Lord is living and as your soul is living, I will not be parted from you. So they went on to Jericho.

⁵And at Jericho the sons of the prophets came up to Elisha and said to him, Has it been made clear to you that the Lord is going to take away your master from over you today? And he said in answer, Yes, I have knowledge of it: say no more.

⁶Then Elijah said to him, Come no farther, for the Lord has sent me to Jordan. But he said, As the Lord is living and as your soul is living, I will not be parted from you. So they went on together.

⁷And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went out and took their places facing them a long way off, while the two of them were by the edge of Jordan.

⁸Then Elijah took off his robe, and, rolling it up, gave the water a blow with it, and the waters were parted, flowing back this way and that, so that they went over on dry land.

⁹And when they had come to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, Say what you would have me do for you before I am taken from you. And Elisha said, Be pleased to let a special measure of your spirit be on me.

¹⁰And he said, You have made a hard request: still, if you see me when I am taken from you, you will get your desire; but if not, it will not be so.

¹¹And while they went on their way, going on talking together, suddenly there were carriages and horses of fire separating them from one another and Elijah went up to heaven in a great wind.

¹²And when Elisha saw it he gave a cry, My father, my father, the carriages of Israel and its horsemen! And he saw him no longer; and he was full of grief.

¹³Then he took up Elijah's robe, which had been dropped from him, and went back till he came to the edge of Jordan.

¹⁴And he took Elijah's robe, which had been dropped from him, and giving the water a blow with it, said, Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? and at his blow the waters were parted this way and that; and Elisha went over.

¹⁵And when the sons of the prophets who were facing him at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha. And they came out to him, and went down on the earth before him.

¹⁶And they said, Your servants have with us here fifty strong men; be pleased to let them go in search of Elijah; for it may be that the spirit of the Lord has taken him up and put him down on some mountain or in some valley. But he said, Do not send them.

¹⁷But when they kept on requesting him, he was shamed and said, Send, then. So they sent fifty men; but after searching for three days, they came back without having seen him.

¹⁸And they came back to him, while he was still at Jericho; and he said to them, Did I not say to you, Go not?

¹⁹Now the men of the town said to Elisha, You see that the position of this town is good; but the water is bad, causing the young of the cattle to come to birth dead.

²⁰So he said, Get me a new vessel, and put salt in it; and they took it to him.

²¹Then he went out to the spring from which the water came, and put salt in it, and said, The Lord says, Now I have made this water sweet; no longer will it be death-giving or unfertile.

²²And the water was made sweet again to this day, as Elisha said.

²³Then from there he went up to Beth-el; and on his way, some little boys came out from the town and made sport of him, crying, Go up, old no-hair! go up, old no-hair!

²⁴And turning back, he saw them, and put a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the wood and put forty-two of the children to death.

²⁵From there he went to Mount Carmel, and came back from there to Samaria.

II Kings 2

¹It happened, when the Lord would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

²Elijah said to Elisha, "Please wait here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel." Elisha said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.

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

⁴Elijah said to him, "Elisha, please wait here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho." He said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho.

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

⁶Elijah said to him, "Please wait here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan." He said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." They both went on.

⁷Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan.

⁸Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that they two went over on dry ground.

⁹It 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."

¹⁰He said, "You have asked a hard thing. If you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so."

¹¹It 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.

¹²Elisha saw it, and he cried, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" He saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and tore them in two pieces.

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

¹⁴He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, "Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" When he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha went over.

¹⁵When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho over against 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.

¹⁶They said to him, "See now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up, and put him on some mountain, or into some valley. He said, "You shall not send them."

¹⁷When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, "Send them." They sent therefore fifty men; and they searched for three days, but did not find him.

¹⁸They came back to him, while he stayed at Jericho; and he said to them, "Did I not tell you, 'Do not go?'"

¹⁹The 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."

²⁰He said, "Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it." They brought it to him.

²¹He went out to the spring of the waters, and threw salt into it, and said, "Thus says the Lord, 'I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more death or miscarrying.'"

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

²³He 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 baldhead!"

²⁴He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Two female bears came out of the woods, and mauled forty-two of those youths.

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