2 Kings 2

1It happened, when Yahweh was about to take Elijah up into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah and Elisha went on from Gilgal.

2And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for Yahweh has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As Yahweh lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

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

4And Elijah said to him, "Elisha, please stay here, for Yahweh has sent me to Jericho." But he said, "As Yahweh lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho.

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

6Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As Yahweh lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.

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

8Then Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided here and there, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

9And when they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I should do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”

10He said, “You have asked a hard thing. If you see me being taken from you, it will be so for you; but if not, it will not be.”

11And as they were going along and talking, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah went up by the whirlwind into heaven.

12And Elisha was watching, and he was crying out, “My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” Then he saw him no more, and he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.

13He picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen from him, and returned and stood on the bank of the Jordan.

14Then he took Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen from him, and struck the water and said, “Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?” Then he struck the water, and it was divided this way and that way, and Elisha crossed over.

15When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him from a distance, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” Then they came to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.

16Then they said to him, “Look, your servants have fifty able men. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of Yahweh has carried him away and thrown him onto one of the mountains or into one of the valleys.” But he said, “Do not send them.”

17But they urged him until he was ashamed, and he said, “Send them.” So they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days, but they did not find him.

18When they returned to him, he was sitting in Jericho, and he said to them, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not go’?”

19Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please look, the location of the city is good, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land causes miscarriages.”

20He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

21Then he went out to the source of the water and threw salt there, and said, “Thus says Yahweh: I have healed this water. No longer will there come from it death or miscarriage.”

22So the waters were healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.

23Then he went up from there to Bethel. And as he was going up on the way, small boys came out from the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, baldhead! Go up, baldhead!”

24He turned around and saw them, and he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two she-bears came out of the forest and mauled forty-two of the boys.

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