2 *Kings 2

₁The time came for the Lord to take Elijah up to heaven in a strong wind. When Elijah and Elisha went from the town of Gilgal, ₂Elijah said to Elisha: ‘You must stay here because the Lord has sent me to Bethel.’ But Elisha said: ‘As sure as the Lord lives and you live, I will not leave you to go to Bethel on your own.’ So they went to the town of Bethel.

₃A group of prophets from Bethel came to Elisha and asked him: ‘Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master away today?’ Elisha said: ‘Yes, I know. Don't talk about it.’

₄Elijah said to Elisha: ‘Elisha, please stay here. The Lord has told me to go to the city of Jericho.’ But Elisha said: ‘As sure as the Lord lives and you live, I will not leave you.’ When they came to Jericho ₅a group of prophets from Jericho came to Elisha and asked him: ‘Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master away today?’ Elisha said: ‘Yes, I know. Don't talk about it.’

₆Elijah said to Elisha: ‘You must stay here because the Lord has told me to go to the Jordan River.’ Elisha said: ‘As sure as the Lord lives and you live, I will not leave you.’ Then they walked on. ₇Elijah and Elisha came to the Jordan River and they stopped there. 50 of the prophets were standing further away near the Jordan River. ₈Elijah took off his cloak and he rolled it up and hit the water with it. The water divided and there was a path through the river and Elijah and Elisha walked through the river on dry ground.

₉As they walked through the river, Elijah said to Elisha: ‘You must tell me what I can do for you before the Lord takes me away from you.’ Elisha answered: ‘Please give me twice as much of your power as you give the other prophets’ ₁₀Then Elijah said: ‘You have asked for something that is difficult. If you see me when the Lord takes me away, then you will get what you want, but if you do not see me, you will not get it.’

₁₁As they were walking and talking, a war-chariot and horses of fire suddenly came between Elijah and Elisha and it took Elijah up into heaven in a strong wind. ₁₂Elisha saw it and he shouted: ‘My father, my father, you were like a war-chariot and men on horses for Israel.’ When Elisha could not see Elijah anymore, he tore his clothes into 2 pieces. ₁₃He picked up Elijah's cloak that had fallen from him and he went to the side of the Jordan River. ₁₄He took the cloak and he also hit the water and said: ‘Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? Where is He?’ When Elisha hit the water with the cloak, the water divided and there was a path through the river and Elisha walked through the river.

₁₅The prophets from Jericho were standing not far from there and when they saw what happened, they said: ‘Now Elisha is a prophet like Elijah.’ They came to Elisha and bowed before him. ₁₆They said to him: ‘Please listen. We have 50 young men with us. Please let them go and look for your master. Maybe a strong wind has picked him up and put him down on one of the mountains or in a valley.’ But Elisha said: ‘No, they must not go.’ ₁₇The prophets kept on asking Elisha to let them go and later he did not know what to do. Then he said: ‘Well, let them go.’ They sent the 50 men and they looked for Elijah for 3 days but they did not find him. ₁₈Then they came back to Elisha who had stayed in Jericho. He said to them: ‘I told you not to go.’

₁₉The leaders of the city of Jericho said to Elisha: ‘Sir, you can see that the city is built in a beautiful place, but the water here is bad and it makes the ground not good to plant in.’ ₂₀Elisha said: ‘Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.’ They gave him a bowl and they put salt in it. ₂₁Then Elisha went to the place where the water came out of the ground. He threw the salt into the water and said: ‘The Lord says: “I am making this water pure again. It will not make the ground dry or make the plants die.” ’ ₂₂The water became good again as Elisha said and it is pure to this day.

₂₃Elisha went from the city of Jericho to Bethel. While he was walking there, a lot of boys from the town came to him. They laughed at him and said: ‘Go away, you bald-headed man.’ ₂₄Elisha turned_around and he said to them: ‘God will punish you.’ Then 2 bears came from the forest and they killed 42 of the boys. ₂₅Elisha went from Bethel to Mount Carmel and then he went back to Samaria.