2:1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into
heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from
Gilgal.
2:2 And Elijah said to Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the
LORD hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said, [As] the LORD
liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So
they went down to Beth-el.
2:3 And the sons of the prophets that [were] at Beth-el came
forth to Elisha, and said to him, Knowest thou that the LORD
will take away thy master from thy head to-day? And he said,
Yes, I know [it]; hold ye your peace.
2:4 And Elijah said to 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.
2:5 And the sons of the prophets that [were] at Jericho came to
Elisha, and said to him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take
away thy master from thy head to-day? And he answered, Yes, I
know [it]; hold ye your peace.
2:6 And Elijah said to him, Tarry here, I pray thee; 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.
2:7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to
view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
2:8 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.
2:9 And it came to pass, when they had gone over, that Elijah
said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I am taken
away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double
portion of thy spirit be upon me.
2:10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: [nevertheless],
if thou shalt see me [when I am] taken from thee, it shall be
so to thee; but if not, it shall not be [so].
2:11 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.
2:12 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.
2:13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him,
and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
2:14 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.
2:15 And when the sons of the prophets who [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.
2:16 And they said to him, Behold now, there are with thy
servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek
thy master: lest perhaps 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.
2:17 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.
2:18 And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at
Jericho,) he said to them, Did I not say to you, Go not?
2:19 And the men of the city said to Elisha, Behold, I pray
thee, the situation of this city [is] pleasant, as my lord
seeth: but the water [is] bad, and the ground barren.
2:20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein.
And they brought [it] to him.
2:21 And he went forth to 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].
2:22 So the waters were healed to this day, according to the
saying of Elisha which he spoke.
2:23 And he went up from thence to Beth-el: and as he was going
up by the way, there came forth little children out of the
city, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, thou bald-head;
go up, thou bald-head.
2:24 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 tore forty and two children of them.
2:25 And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he
returned to Samaria.
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