2 Kings 2
2
Elijah Is Taken Up to Heaven
1Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. The Lord was going to use a strong wind to take Elijah up to heaven. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here. The Lord has sent me to Bethel.”
But Elisha said, “I won’t leave you. And that’s just as sure as the Lord and you are alive.” So they went down to Bethel.
3There was a group of prophets at Bethel. They came out to where Elisha was. They asked him, “Do you know what the Lord is going to do? He’s going to take your master away from you today.”
“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied. “So be quiet.”
4Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha. The Lord has sent me to Jericho.”
Elisha replied, “I won’t leave you. And that’s just as sure as the Lord and you are alive.” So they went to Jericho.
5There was a group of prophets at Jericho. They went up to where Elisha was. They asked him, “Do you know what the Lord is going to do? He’s going to take your master away from you today.”
“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied. “So be quiet.”
6Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here. The Lord has sent me to the Jordan River.”
Elisha replied, “I won’t leave you. And that’s just as sure as the Lord and you are alive.” So the two of them walked on.
7Fifty men from the group of prophets followed them. The men stopped and stood not far away from them. They faced the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan River. 8Elijah rolled up his coat. Then he struck the water with it. The water parted to the right and to the left. The two of them went across the river on dry ground.
9After they had gone across, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me. What can I do for you before I’m taken away from you?”
“Please give me a double share of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
10“You have asked me for something that’s very hard to do,” Elijah said. “But suppose you see me when I’m taken away from you. Then you will receive what you have asked for. If you don’t see me, you won’t receive it.”
11They kept walking along and talking together. Suddenly there appeared a chariot and horses made of fire. The chariot and horses came between the two men. Then Elijah went up to heaven in a strong wind. 12Elisha saw it and cried out to Elijah, “My father! You are like a father to me! You, Elijah, are the true chariots and horsemen of Israel!” Elisha didn’t see Elijah anymore. Then Elisha took hold of his own garment and tore it in two.
13He picked up the coat that had fallen from Elijah. He went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan River. 14Then he struck the water with Elijah’s coat. “Where is the power of the Lord?” he asked. “Where is the power of the God of Elijah?” When Elisha struck the water, it parted to the right and to the left. He went across the river.
15The group of prophets from Jericho were watching. They said, “The spirit of Elijah has been given to Elisha.” They went over to Elisha. They bowed down to him with their faces toward the ground. 16“Look,” they said. “We have 50 capable men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has lifted him up. Maybe he has put him down on a mountain or in a valley.”
“No,” Elisha replied. “Don’t send them.”
17But they kept asking until he felt he couldn’t say no. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent 50 men. They looked for Elijah for three days. But they didn’t find him. 18So they returned to Elisha. He was staying in Jericho. Elisha said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
Elisha Makes Jericho’s Water Pure
19The people of Jericho said to Elisha, “Look. This town has a good location. You can see that for yourself. But the spring of water here is bad. So the land doesn’t produce anything.”
20“Bring me a new bowl,” Elisha said. “Put some salt in it.” So they brought it to him.
21Then he went out to the spring. He threw the salt into it. He told the people, “The Lord says, ‘I have made this water pure. It will never cause death again. It will never keep the land from producing crops again.’ ” 22The water has stayed pure to this day. That’s what Elisha had said would happen.
Some Boys Make Fun of Elisha
23Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. He was walking along the road. Some boys came out of the town. They made fun of him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here! You don’t even have any hair on your head!” 24He turned around and looked at them. And he asked for bad things to happen to them. He did it in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods. They attacked 42 of the boys. 25Elisha went on to Mount Carmel. From there he returned to Samaria.
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2 Kings 2
2
Elijah in the Whirlwind
1The time had come for the Lord to take Elijah up to heaven#Gn 5:24; Heb 11:5 in a whirlwind.#2Kg 2:11 Elijah and Elisha#1Kg 19:16–21 were traveling from Gilgal,#Jos 4:19; 2Kg 4:38 2and Elijah said to Elisha,#1Kg 19:16,19–21 “Stay here;#Ru 1:15 the Lord is sending me on to Bethel.”#1Kg 12:28–29
But Elisha replied, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.”#1Sm 1:26; 2Kg 4:30 So they went down to Bethel.
3Then the sons of the prophets#1Sm 10:5; 1Kg 20:35; 2Kg 4:1,38 who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?” #Gn 5:24
He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”
4Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; the Lord is sending me to Jericho.”#Jos 6:16; 1Kg 16:34
But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
5Then the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho came up to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?”
He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”
6Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord is sending me to the Jordan.”#Jos 3:8; Mt 3:5–6,13
But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.
7Fifty men from the sons of the prophets came and stood observing them at a distance while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8Elijah took his mantle,#1Kg 19:13,19 rolled it up, and struck the water, which parted to the right and left. Then the two of them crossed over on dry ground.#Ex 14:21–22; Jos 3:14–17 9When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken from you.”
So Elisha answered, “Please, let me inherit two shares of your spirit.”#Nm 11:16–25; Dt 21:15–17
10Elijah replied, “You have asked for something difficult. If you see me being taken from you,#Ac 1:9–11 you will have it. If not, you won’t.”
11As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire with horses of fire#2Kg 6:17 suddenly appeared and separated the two of them. Then Elijah went up into heaven in the whirlwind.#2Kg 2:1 12As Elisha watched, he kept crying out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” #2Kg 13:14
Elisha Succeeds Elijah
When he could see him no longer, he took hold of his own clothes, tore them in two,#Gn 37:29,34 13picked up the mantle#1Kg 19:19 that had fallen off Elijah, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14He took the mantle Elijah had dropped, and he struck the water. “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” he asked. He struck the water himself, and it parted to the right and the left, and Elisha crossed over.
15When the sons of the prophets from Jericho who were observing saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed down to the ground in front of him.
16Then the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Since there are fifty strong men here with your servants, please let them go and search for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the Lord has carried him away and put him on one of the mountains or into one of the valleys.”#1Kg 18:12; Ac 8:39
He answered, “Don’t send them.”
17However, they urged him to the point of embarrassment,#Jdg 3:25; 2Kg 8:11 so he said, “Send them.” They sent fifty men, who looked for three days but did not find him. 18When they returned to him in Jericho#2Kg 2:4 where he was staying, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
19The men of the city said to Elisha, “My lord can see that even though the city’s location is good, the water is bad and the land unfruitful.”#Dt 28:15–18; Jos 6:26; 1Kg 16:34
20He replied, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.”#Lv 2:13; Nm 18:19
After they had brought him one, 21Elisha went out to the spring, threw salt in it,#Ex 15:25–26; 2Kg 4:41; 6:6 and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will death or unfruitfulness result from it.’” 22Therefore, the water still remains healthy today according to the word that Elisha spoke.
23From there Elisha went up to Bethel.#2Kg 2:2–3 As he was walking up the path, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him,#2Ch 36:16; Ps 31:17–18 chanting, “Go up, baldy! Go up, baldy!” 24He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord.#Lv 26:21–22; Neh 13:25 Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the children. 25From there Elisha went to Mount Carmel,#1Kg 18:19–20 and then he returned to Samaria.#1Kg 16:24; 2Kg 1:2
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