2 Kings
Chapter Two
1 ¶ And it came to
pass, when the LORD was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind,
that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2 Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent
me on to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as your
soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they went down to Bethel.
3 Now 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 away your master from over
you today?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent!"
4 Then Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here, please, for the LORD has
sent me on to Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as your
soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they came to Jericho.
5 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to
him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you
today?" So he answered, "Yes, I know; keep silent!"
6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me
on to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul
lives, I will not leave you!" So the two of them went on.
7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a
distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan.
8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was
divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 ¶ And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha,
"Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha
said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me."
10 So he said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me
when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be
so."
11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot
of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah
went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot
of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of
his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.
13 ¶ He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and
went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the
water, and said, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" And when he also
had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.
15 Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said,
"The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." And they came to meet him,
and bowed to the ground before him.
16 Then they said to him, "Look now, there are fifty strong men with your
servants. Please let them go and search for your master, lest perhaps the Spirit
of the LORD has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley."
And he said, "You shall not send anyone."
17 But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, "Send them!"
Therefore they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days but did not
find him.
18 And when they came back to him, for he had stayed in Jericho, he said to
them, "Did I not say to you, 'Do not go'?"
19 ¶ Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Please notice, the
situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and
the ground barren."
20 And he said, "Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it." So they
brought it to him.
21 Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there,
and said, "Thus says the LORD: 'I have healed this water; from it there
shall be no more death or barrenness.'"
22 So the water remains healed 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 the road, some
youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, "Go up, you
baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!"
24 So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in
the name of the LORD. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled
forty-two of the youths.
25 Then he went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
Go to Chapter Three
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