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.