Elijah Taken to Heaven
1 When the Lord 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 the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.”
Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, 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 the Lord will take your master from you today?”
He said, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please wait here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.”
He said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, 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 the Lord will take away your master from you today?”
He answered, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
6 Elijah said to him, “Please wait here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.”
He said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” Then they both went on. 7 Fifty 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, rolled it up, and struck the waters, and they were divided to the right and to the left 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, suddenly 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 took up Elijah’s mantle that had fallen from him, went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took Elijah’s mantle that had fallen from him, struck the waters and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the waters, they were divided apart, and Elisha went over.
Elisha Succeeds Elijah
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 to the ground before him. 16 They said to him, “See now, there are with your servants, 50 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, “Do not send them.”
17 When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.”
Therefore they sent 50 men, and they searched for three days, but did not 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?’ ”
Elisha Heals Jericho’s Waters
19 The men of the city said to Elisha, “Please, this city is well situated, as my lord can see, 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, threw salt into it, and said, “The Lord 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.
Elisha Mocked
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 the name of the Lord. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of those youths. 25 He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.