1: And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up
Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2: And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD
hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy
soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
3:
And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said
unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to
day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
4: And Elijah
said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to
Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not
leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
5: And the sons of the prophets
that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the
LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I
know it; hold ye your peace.
6: And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I
pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD
liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.
7: And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view
afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
8: And Elijah took his
mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided
hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
9: And
it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask
what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I
pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
10: And he
said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken
from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
11: And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that,
behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them
both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12: And
Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and
the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own
clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
13: He took up also the mantle
of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
14: And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote
the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had
smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
15: And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho
saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to
meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
16: And they
said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them
go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD
hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he
said, Ye shall not send.
17: And when they urged him till he was
ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three
days, but found him not.
18: And when they came again to him, (for he
tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?
19: And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee,
the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is
naught, and the ground barren.
20: And he said, Bring me a new cruse,
and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.
21: And he went
forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus
saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any
more death or barren land.
22: So the waters were healed unto this
day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.
23: And he
went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came
forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up,
thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
24: And he turned back, and
looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth
two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
25: And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he
returned to Samaria.