1 And it came about when the Loʀᴅ was about to AGen 5:24; Heb 11:5take up Elijah by a 1Or windstormwhirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with B1 Kin 19:16-21Elisha from CJosh 4:19Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “ARuth 1:15Stay here please, for the Loʀᴅ has sent me as far as B1 Kin 12:28, 29Bethel.” But Elisha said, “C1 Sam 1:26; 2 Kin 2:4, 6As the Loʀᴅ lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 Then A2 Kin 4:1, 38; 5:22the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Loʀᴅ will take away your master from over 1Lit your headyou today?” And he said, “Yes, I know; be still.”

4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please A2 Kin 2:2stay here, for the Loʀᴅ has sent me to BJosh 6:26Jericho.” But he said, “A2 Kin 2:2As the Loʀᴅ lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5 A2 Kin 2:3The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “B2 Kin 2:3Do you know that the Loʀᴅ will take away your master from over 1Lit your headyou today?” And he 2Lit saidanswered, “Yes, I know; be still.” 6 Then Elijah said to him, “Please A2 Kin 2:2stay here, for the Loʀᴅ has sent me to BJosh 3:8, 15-17the Jordan.” And he said, “As the Loʀᴅ lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.

7 Now A2 Kin 2:15, 16fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Elijah A1 Kin 19:13, 19took his mantle and folded it together and BEx 14:21, 22; 2 Kin 2:14struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

9 When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please, let a ANum 11:17-25; Deut 21:17double portion of your spirit be upon me.” 10 He said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you AActs 1:10see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11 As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared A2 Kin 6:17a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a 1Or windstormwhirlwind to heaven. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “A2 Kin 13:14My father, my father, the 1Lit chariotchariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw 2Lit himElijah no more. Then BGen 37:34; Job 1:20he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the Loʀᴅ, the God of Elijah?” And when he also had A2 Kin 2:8struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over.

15 Now when A2 Kin 2:7the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him. 16 They said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men, please let them go and search for your master; perhaps A1 Kin 18:12; Acts 8:39the Spirit of the Loʀᴅ has taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.” 17 But when A2 Kin 8:11they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men; and they searched three days but did not find him. 18 They returned to him while he was staying at Jericho; and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”

19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold now, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land 1Lit causes barrennessis unfruitful.” 20 He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt 1Lit therein it.” So they brought it to him. 21 He went out to the spring of water and AEx 15:25, 26; 2 Kin 4:41; 6:6threw salt 1Lit therein it and said, “Thus says the Loʀᴅ, ‘I have 2Lit healedpurified these waters; there shall not be from there death or 3Lit barrennessunfruitfulness any longer.’ ” 22 So the waters have been 1Lit healedpurified to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

23 Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city and A2 Chr 36:16; Ps 31:17, 18mocked him and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!” 24 When he looked behind him and saw them, he ANeh 13:25-27cursed them in the name of the Loʀᴅ. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of 1Lit themtheir number. 25 He went from there to A1 Kin 18:19, 20; 2 Kin 4:25Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.