2 Kings 2
Revised Geneva Translation
2 And when the LORD was ready to take up Elijah into Heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here. For the LORD has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So, they came down to Bethel.
3 And the children of the Prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you this day?” And he said, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
4 Again, Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please wait here. For the LORD has sent me 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 And the children of the Prophets who were in Jericho came to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you this day?” And he said, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
6 Moreover, Elijah said to him, “Please wait here. For the LORD has sent me to Jordan.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So, they both went.
7 And fifty men of the sons of the Prophets went and stood on the other side, far off. And those two stood by Jordan.
8 Then, Elijah took his cloak and wrapped it up and struck the waters. And they were divided here and there. And the two of them went over on the dry land.
9 Now, when they had passed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let your spirit be double upon me.”
10 And he said, “You have asked a hard thing. If, when I am taken from you, you see me, you shall have it so. But if not, it shall not be.”
11 And as they went walking and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which separated the two of them. So, Elijah went up, in a whirlwind, into Heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, “My father! My father! The chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” And he no longer saw him. And he took his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
13 He also took up the cloak of Elijah which fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of Jordan.
14 Afterward, he took the cloak of Elijah which fell from him and struck the waters, and said, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” And so, he also, after he had struck the waters, so that they were divided this way and that way, went over, Elisha.
15 And when the children of the Prophets who were at Jericho saw him on the other side, they said, “The spirit of Elijah does rest on Elisha!” And they came to meet him, and fell to the ground before him,
16 and said to him, “Behold, now, there are fifty strong men with your servants. Please let them go and seek your master, if so be that the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” But he said, “You shall not send.”
17 Still, they urged him until he was ashamed. Therefore, he said, “Send.” So, they sent fifty men, who looked for three days but did not find him.
18 Therefore they returned to him (for he waited in Jericho). And he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”
19 And the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, if you please. The situation of this city is pleasant, as you, my lord, see. But the water is bad, and the ground barren.”
20 Then he said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” And they brought it to him.
21 And he went to the spring of the waters, and cast the salt there, and said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘I have healed this water. Death shall no longer come from it, nor barrenness.”
22 So the waters have been healed to this day, according to the Word of Elisha which he had spoken.
23 And he went up from there to Bethel. And as he was going up the road, little children came out of the city, and mocked him, and said to him, “Come up, you bald head! Come up, you bald head!”
24 And he turned back and looked at them and cursed them in the Name of the LORD. And two bears came out of the forest and tore forty-two of those children in pieces.
25 So, he went from there to Mount Carmel. And from there he returned to Samaria.
2 Kings 2
Revised Standard Version
Elijah Ascends to Heaven
2 Now when the Lord was about to take Eli′jah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Eli′jah and Eli′sha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 And Eli′jah said to Eli′sha, “Tarry here, I pray you; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Eli′sha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Eli′sha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; hold your peace.”
4 Eli′jah said to him, “Eli′sha, tarry here, I pray you; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But 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 drew near to Eli′sha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; hold your peace.”
6 Then Eli′jah said to him, “Tarry here, I pray you; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8 Then Eli′jah took his mantle, and rolled it up, and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed, Eli′jah said to Eli′sha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Eli′sha said, “I pray you, let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” 10 And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” 11 And as they still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Eli′jah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Eli′sha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.
Elisha Succeeds Elijah
Then he took hold of his own clothes and rent them in two pieces. 13 And he took up the mantle of Eli′jah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the mantle of Eli′jah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Eli′jah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other; and Eli′sha went over.
15 Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him over against them, they said, “The spirit of Eli′jah rests on Eli′sha.” And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him. 16 And they said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men; pray, let them go, and seek your master; it may be that the Spirit of the Lord has caught him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.” 17 But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men; and for three days they sought him but did not find him. 18 And they came back to him, while he tarried at Jericho, and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, Do not go?”
Elisha Performs Miracles
19 Now the men of the city said to Eli′sha, “Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” 20 He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt in it, and said, “Thus says the Lord, I have made this water wholesome; henceforth neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” 22 So the water has been wholesome to this day, according to the word which Eli′sha spoke.
23 He went up from there to Bethel; and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24 And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys. 25 From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and thence he returned to Samar′ia.
© 2019, 2024 by Five Talents Audio. All rights reserved.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.