2 Kings 2

1 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up in a whirlwind, as though into heaven, Elijah and Elisha went out from Gilgal. [a] 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” And Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they came to Bethel. [b] 3 And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord is taking your master away from over your head?” And he said, “I know it too. Be quiet.”

4 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” And Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and your soul lives, I will not leave you.” And they came to Jericho. 5 And the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho came near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord is taking your master away from over your head?” And he said, “Yes, I know it too. Be quiet.”

6 And Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me as far as the Jordan.” And Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and your soul lives, I will not leave you.” And the two of them went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets stood facing them, far off; and the two of them stood at the Jordan. 8 And Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was divided this way and that, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. [c]

9 And as they were crossing over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I should do for you, before I am taken up from you.” And Elisha said, “Let a double share of your spirit be upon me.” [e] 10 And Elijah said, “You have asked a hard thing. If you see me as I am taken up from you, it will be so for you; and if not, it will not be.”

11 And as they went on, walking and talking, there was a chariot of fire and horses of fire, and they parted the two of them from each other; and Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind, as though into heaven. † † 12 And Elisha was watching, and he cried out, “My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and its horseman!” And he did not see him any more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. [f]

13 And he lifted up the mantle of Elijah, which had fallen from above Elisha; and Elisha turned back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 And he took the mantle of Elijah, which had fallen from above him, and struck the water — and it did not part. And he said, “Where is the God of Elijah — even he?” And he struck the water, and it was torn apart this way and that, and Elisha crossed over. [g]

15 And the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho saw him from the other side and said, “The spirit of Elijah has rested on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed down to him to the ground. 16 And they said to him, “Look, there are with your servants fifty men of strength. Let them go and look for your master — perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has lifted him up and thrown him into the Jordan, or onto one of the mountains, or onto one of the hills.” And Elisha said, “You are not to send them.” [i]

17 But they pressed him until he was ashamed, and he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, and they searched three days and did not find him. 18 And they came back to him, for he was staying in Jericho; and Elisha said, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”

19 And the men of the city said to Elisha, “Look, the city sits in a good place, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is barren.” [j] 20 And Elisha said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” And they took one and brought it to him.

21 And Elisha went out to the place where the water flows out, and he threw the salt in there and said, “This is what the Lord says: I have healed this water. There will be no more death or barrenness from it.” 22 And the water has been healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha, which he spoke.

23 And he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up along the road, little boys came out of the city and jeered at him and said to him, “Go on up, baldhead! Go on up!” [k] 24 And he turned around after them and saw them, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two bears came out of the thicket and tore forty-two of the boys. 25 And he went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.