2 Kings 2

¹And it came to pass, when the LORD was about to take Elijah up in the tempest to the heavens, that Elijah and Elisha were walking from Gilgal.

²And 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 as you live, I will not leave you.' And they went down to Bethel.

³And the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, Do you know that today the Lord is taking your master from above your head? And he said, I also know; be quiet.

⁴And Elijah said to Elisha, 'Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.' And he said, 'As the LORD lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.' And they came to Jericho.

⁵And the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha and said to him: Do you know that today the Lord is taking your master from over your head? And he said: I also know — be silent.

⁶And Elijah said to him: 'Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.' And he said: 'As the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.' And the two of them walked on.

⁷And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite, at a distance; and the two stood by the Jordan.

⁸And Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the waters, and they parted this way and that, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

⁹And it came to pass, as they were crossing, that Elijah said to Elisha: 'Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.' And Elisha said: 'Please let a double portion of your spirit come upon me.'

¹⁰And he said: You have asked a hard thing. If you see me being taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be.

¹¹And it came to pass, as they were walking along and talking, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them; and Elijah went up in the tempest to the heavens.

¹²And Elisha was watching, and he cried out: 'My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and its horsemen!' And he saw him no more. And he seized his garments and tore them in two pieces.

¹³And he picked up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him, and returned and stood on the bank of the Jordan.

¹⁴And he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the waters, and said: Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? And he also struck the waters, and they divided this way and that way; and Elisha crossed over.

¹⁵And the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw from opposite and said, 'The spirit of Elijah has rested upon Elisha.' And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground.

¹⁶And they said to him: 'Look, please—there are with your servants fifty valiant men. Let them go, please, and search for your master, lest the spirit of the Lord has carried him and cast him on one of the mountains or on one of the valleys.' And he said: 'Do not send.'

¹⁷And they pressed him until he was ashamed, and he said, Send. So they sent fifty men and searched for three days but did not find him.

¹⁸And they returned to him while he was staying in Jericho, and he said to them, 'Did I not tell you, do not go?'

¹⁹And the men of the city said to Elisha: Behold now, the situation of the city is good, as my lord sees; but the waters are bad, and the land causes miscarriage.

²⁰And he said: 'Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.' And they brought it to him.

²¹And he went out to the spring of the waters and threw salt there and said, Thus says the Lord: I have healed these waters; there shall no longer be death or miscarriage from there.

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

²³And he went up from there to Bethel, and as he was going up on the road, some small boys came out from the city and mocked him, saying to him: 'Go up, baldhead! Go up, baldhead!'

²⁴And he turned behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two bears came out of the forest and tore apart forty-two of the youths.

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