2 Kings Chapter 2
Elijah Taken Up to Heaven
1 Yahveh was getting ready to take Elijah up in a tornado. Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal 2 and told him, “Stay here. Yahveh has sent me to Bethel.”
“As sure as Yahveh lives and you live, I won’t leave you.” They went down to Bethel. 3 The company of prophets in Bethel came out to Elisha, “Do you know Yahveh’s going to take your master away today?”
“Yes, I know. Keep it to yourselves.”
4 Elijah told him, “Stay here. Yahveh has sent me to Jericho.”
“As sure as Yahveh lives and you live, I won’t leave you.” They went on to Jericho. 5 The company of prophets in Jericho came to Elisha, “Do you know Yahveh’s going to take your master away today?”
“Yes, I know. Keep it to yourselves.”
6 Elijah told him. “Stay here. Yahveh has sent me to the Jordan.”
He said, “As sure as Yahveh lives and you live, I won’t leave you.” They continued on.
Kg 2:1-6
7 Fifty men from the company of prophets came and stood at a distance on the other side of the Jordan while the two of them stood on this side. 8 Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water. It separated from one side to the other, so the two of them crossed on dry riverbed. 9 Then Elijah asked Elisha, “What should I do for you before I leave?”
“Put a double portion of your spirit on me.”
10 “You’re asking for a lot. But if you see me when Yahveh’s taking me away, your request will happen. If you don’t, it won’t.”
11 As they went along talking, a flaming chariot with flaming horses appeared and separated them. Elijah ascended to the sky in a tornado. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “Father! Father! The chariotry of Israel and its drivers!” He never saw him again. He tore his clothes, 13 picked up the mantle that Elijah had dropped, and went back to the Jordan. 14 He struck the water with it and said, “Where’s Yahveh, Elijah’s God?” The water separated from one side to the other, and he went back across. 2 Kg 2:7-14
15 The school of the prophets in Jericho saw what happened, “Elijah’s spirit is resting on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed to the ground, 16 “Please let these fifty strong men go look for your master. Maybe the wind from Yahveh has taken him up and dropped him on some mountain or in some valley.”
He said, “Don’t do that.” 17 They urged him till he felt embarrassed, “Go ahead, then.” They sent the 50 men, who searched for three days without finding him. 18 They came back while Elisha was at Jericho.
“Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
Elisha Heals the Water
19 Then the men in the city told Elisha, “This city is a nice place to live in, as you can see, but the water’s bad and the ground causes barrenness.”
20 He said, “Bring me a new jug and put salt in it.”
They brought one, 21 and he went out to the spring and threw the salt in it, “Yahveh says he’s purified the water. It won’t cause death or barrenness anymore.” 22 The water is still pure.
Forty-Two Youths Jeer Elisha
23 As he was climbing the road from there to Bethel, some young boys came out of the city to taunt him, “Ascend, baldy! Ascend, baldy!”
24 When he looked back, he put a curse on them in the name of Yahveh. Two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of them. 25 He went on from there to Mount Carmel and then back to Samaria. 2 Kg 2:15-25