1Now it happened, when Yahweh was about to take Elijah up to the heavens in a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2And Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, please, for Yahweh has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As Yahweh lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3And the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today Yahweh is taking your master from over your head?” And he said, “Yes, I know; be silent.”
4And Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, please, for Yahweh has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As Yahweh lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.
5And the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today Yahweh is taking your master from over your head?” And he said, “Yes, I know; be silent.”
6And Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As Yahweh lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.
7And fifty men from the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, while the two of them stood at the Jordan.
8And Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the waters, and they were divided to one side and the other, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9And it happened, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Let there be, please, a double portion of your spirit upon me.”
10And he said, “You have asked a hard thing. If you see me being taken from you, it will be so for you; but if not, it will not be.”
11And it happened, as they were walking along and talking, that behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire, and they separated the two of them; and Elijah went up in the whirlwind to the heavens.
12And Elisha was watching, and he was crying out, “My father! My father! The chariotry of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more. Then he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
13And he took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and he returned and stood at the bank of the Jordan.
14And he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah — even him?” And when he struck the waters, they were divided to one side and the other, and Elisha crossed over.
15And the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him from opposite and said, “The spirit of Elijah rests upon Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.
16And they said to him, “See now, there are with your servants fifty men, capable men. Let them go, please, and search for your master, lest the Spirit of Yahweh has lifted him up and cast him on one of the mountains or into one of the valleys.” But he said, “You shall not send them.”
17But they urged him until he was ashamed, and he said, “Send them.” So they sent fifty men, and they searched three days but did not find him.
18And they returned to him while he was staying in Jericho, and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”
19And the men of the city said to Elisha, “See now, the site of the city is good, as my lord sees, but the water is bad and the land is causing miscarriage.”
20And he said, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.
21And he went out to the spring of the water and threw salt there and said, “Thus says Yahweh: I have healed these waters; there shall no longer be from there death or miscarriage.”
22And the waters were healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha that he had spoken.
23And he went up from there to Bethel, and as he was going up along the road, some small boys came out from the city and jeered at him and said to him, “Go up, baldy! Go up, baldy!”
24And he turned around behind him and saw them and cursed them in the name of Yahweh, and two bears came out from the forest and tore up forty-two of the children.
25And he went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
Open in the interactive reader →