CHAPTER 2
1 Forsooth it was done, when the Lord would raise Elijah by a whirl-wind into heaven, Elijah and Elisha went from Gilgal.
2 And Elijah said to Elisha, Sit thou here, for the Lord [hath] sent me till into Bethel. To whom Elisha said, The Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, for I shall not forsake thee. And when they had come down to Bethel,
3 the sons of prophets, that were in Bethel, went out to Elisha, and said to him, Whether thou knowest, that the Lord shall take away thy lord today from thee? Which answered, And I know; be ye still.
4 Forsooth Elijah said to Elisha, Sit thou here, for the Lord [hath] sent me into Jericho. And he said, The Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, for I shall not forsake thee. And when they had come to Jericho,
5 the sons of prophets, that were in Jericho, nighed to Elisha, and said to him, Whether thou knowest, that the Lord shall take away thy lord today from thee? And he said, I know; be ye still.
6 Forsooth Elijah said to Elisha, Sit thou here, for the Lord [hath] sent me to the Jordan. Which said, The Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, for I shall not forsake thee. Therefore both went together;
7 and fifty men of the sons of prophets pursued [or followed], which also stood far even against; soothly they both stood over the Jordan.
8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it, and smote the waters; which were parted into ever either part, and both went by [or through] the dry.
9 And when they had passed [over], Elijah said to Elisha, Ask thou that, that thou wilt that I do to thee, before that I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I beseech, that thy double spirit be made in me or with me*As Elijah’s successor, Elisha asked for the share that the first-born son inherited by law from his father. (Good News Bible).
10 Which Elijah answered, Thou askest an hard thing; nevertheless if thou shalt see me, when I shall be taken away from thee, that that thou askest shall be; soothly if thou shalt not see, it shall not be.
11 And when they went, and spake going, lo! a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, parted ever either; and Elijah ascended [or went up] by a whirlwind into heaven†Not into heaven of stars, neither of brightness in bliss, but into heaven of the air; and by the air Elijah was borne into earthly paradise, whither Enoch was translated before..
12 Forsooth Elisha saw, and cried, My father! my father! the chariot of Israel, and the charioteer thereof. And he saw no more Elijah. And he took his clothes, and rent those into two parts.
13 And he raised the mantle of Elijah, that felled down to him; and he turned again, and stood over the river of Jordan.
14 And with the mantle of Elijah, that felled down to him, he smote the waters, which were not parted. And he said, Where is [the] God of Elijah also now? And he smote the waters, and those [or they] were parted hither and thither; and Elisha passed [over].
15 Soothly the sons of [the] prophets, that were in Jericho even against, saw, and said, The spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha. And they came into the meeting of him, and worshipped or honoured him lowly to [the] earth.
16 And they said to him, Lo! with thy servants be fifty strong men, that may go, and seek thy lord, lest per-adventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him, and hath cast forth him in one of the hills, either in one of the valleys. And Elisha said, Do not ye send.
17 And they constrained him, till he assented to them, and said, Send ye. And they sent fifty men; and when they had sought him by three days, they found him not.
18 And they turned again to Elisha; and he dwelled in Jericho. And he said to them, Whether I said not to you, Do not ye send?
19 Therefore the men of the city said to Elisha, Lo! the dwelling of this city is full good, as thou thyself, lord, seest; but the waters be most evil, and the land is barren.
20 And he said, Bring ye to me a new vessel, and put ye salt into it. And when they had brought it to him,
21 he went out to the well of waters, and sent salt into it, and said, The Lord saith these things, I have healed these waters, and neither death, nor barrenness, shall be more in them.
22 Therefore the waters were healed till into this day, by the word of Elisha, which he spake.
23 Forsooth Elisha went up from thence into Bethel; and when he went up by the way, little children went out of the city, and scorned him, and said, Go up, thou bald one! go up, thou bald one!
24 And when he had beheld, he saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two bears went out of the forest, and rent two and forty children of them.
25 Soothly Elisha went from thence into the hill of Carmel, and from thence he turned again to Samaria.
*CHAPTER 2:9 As Elijah’s successor, Elisha asked for the share that the first-born son inherited by law from his father. (Good News Bible)
†CHAPTER 2:11 Not into heaven of stars, neither of brightness in bliss, but into heaven of the air; and by the air Elijah was borne into earthly paradise, whither Enoch was translated before.