2 Kings 2
2
The Lord Takes Elijah Away
1Not long before the Lord took Elijah up into heaven in a strong wind, Elijah and Elisha were leaving Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “The Lord wants me to go to Bethel, but you must stay here.”
Elisha replied, “I swear by the living Lord and by your own life that I will stay with you no matter what!” And he went with Elijah to Bethel.
3A group of prophets who lived there asked Elisha, “Do you know that today the Lord is going to take away your master?”
“Yes, I do,” Elisha answered. “But don't remind me of it.”
4Elijah then said, “Elisha, now the Lord wants me to go to Jericho, but you must stay here.”
Elisha replied, “I swear by the living Lord and by your own life, that I will stay with you no matter what!” And he went with Elijah to Jericho.
5A group of prophets who lived there asked Elisha, “Do you know that today the Lord is going to take away your master?”
“Yes, I do,” Elisha answered. “But don't remind me of it.”
6Elijah then said to Elisha, “Now the Lord wants me to go to the Jordan River, but you must stay here.”
Elisha replied, “I swear by the living Lord and by your own life that I will never leave you!” So the two of them walked on together.
7Fifty prophets followed Elijah and Elisha from Jericho, then stood at a distance and watched as the two men walked toward the river. 8When they got there, Elijah took off his coat, then he rolled it up and struck the water with it. At once a path opened up through the river, and the two of them walked across on dry ground.
9 #
Dt 21.15-17. After they had reached the other side, Elijah said, “Elisha, the Lord will soon take me away. What can I do for you before that happens?”
Elisha answered, “Please give me twice as much of your power as you give the other prophets, so I can be the one who takes your place as their leader.”
10“It won't be easy,” Elijah answered. “It can happen only if you see me as I am being taken away.”
11Elijah and Elisha were walking along and talking, when suddenly there appeared between them a flaming chariot pulled by fiery horses. At once, a strong wind took Elijah up into heaven. 12#2 K 13.14; Si 48.9,12. Elisha saw this and shouted, “Israel's cavalry and chariots have taken my master away!”#2.12 Israel's … away: Or “Master, you were like cavalry and chariots for the people of Israel!” After Elijah had gone, Elisha tore his clothes in sorrow.
13Elijah's coat had fallen off, so Elisha picked it up and walked back to the Jordan River. 14He struck the water with the coat and wondered, “Will the Lord perform miracles for me as he did for Elijah?” As soon as Elisha did this, a dry path opened up through the water, and he walked across.
15When the prophets from Jericho saw what happened, they said to each other, “Elisha now has Elijah's power.”
They walked over to him, bowed down, 16and said, “There are 50 strong men here with us. Please let them go look for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the Lord carried him off to some mountain or valley.”
“No,” Elisha replied, “they won't find him.”
17They kept begging until he was embarrassed to say no. He finally agreed, and the prophets sent the men out. They looked three days for Elijah but never found him. 18They returned to Jericho, and Elisha said, “I told you that you wouldn't find him.”
Elisha Makes the Water Pure at Jericho
19One day the people of Jericho said, “Elisha, you can see that our city is in a good spot. But the water from our spring is so bad that it even keeps our crops from growing.”
20He replied, “Put some salt in a new bowl and bring it to me.”
They brought him the bowl of salt, 21and he carried it to the spring. He threw the salt into the water and said, “The Lord has made this water pure again. From now on you'll be able to grow crops, and no one will starve.”
22The water has been fine ever since, just as Elisha said.
Some Boys Make Fun of Elisha
23Elisha left and headed toward Bethel. Along the way some boys started making fun of him by shouting, “Go away, baldy! Get out of here!”
24Elisha turned around and stared at the boys. Then he cursed them in the name of the Lord. At once two bears ran out of the woods and ripped to pieces 42 of the boys.
25Elisha went up to Mount Carmel, then returned to Samaria.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
2 Kings 2
2
Elijah goes to heaven
1Now the LORD was going to take Elijah up to heaven in a windstorm, and Elijah and Elisha were leaving Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, because the LORD has sent me to Bethel.”
But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives and as you live, I won’t leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3The group of prophets from Bethel came out to Elisha. These prophets said to Elisha, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master away from you today?”
Elisha said, “Yes, I know. Don’t talk about it!”
4Elijah said, “Elisha, stay here, because the LORD has sent me to Jericho.”
But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives and as you live, I won’t leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
5The group of prophets from Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master away from you today?”
He said, “Yes, I know. Don’t talk about it!”
6Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, because the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.”
But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives and as you live, I won’t leave you.” So both of them went on together. 7Fifty members from the group of prophets also went along, but they stood at a distance. Both Elijah and Elisha stood beside the Jordan River. 8Elijah then took his coat, rolled it up, and hit the water. Then the water was divided in two! Both of them crossed over on dry ground. 9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “What do you want me to do for you before I’m taken away from you?”
Elisha said, “Let me have twice your spirit.”
10Elijah said, “You’ve made a difficult request. If you can see me when I’m taken from you, then it will be yours. If you don’t see me, it won’t happen.”
11They were walking along, talking, when suddenly a fiery chariot and fiery horses appeared and separated the two of them. Then Elijah went to heaven in a windstorm.
12Elisha was watching, and he cried out, “Oh, my father, my father! Israel’s chariots and its riders!” When he could no longer see him, Elisha took hold of his clothes and ripped them in two.
Elisha succeeds Elijah
13Then Elisha picked up the coat that had fallen from Elijah. He went back and stood beside the banks of the Jordan River. 14He took the coat that had fallen from Elijah and hit the water. He said, “Where is the LORD, Elijah’s God?” And when he hit the water, it divided in two! Then Elisha crossed over.
15The group of prophets from Jericho saw him from a distance. They said, “Elijah’s spirit has settled on Elisha!” So they came out to meet him, bowing down before him. 16“Look,” they told him, “there are fifty strong men among us, your servants. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the LORD’s spirit has picked him up and put him down on some mountain or in some valley.”
Elisha said, “Don’t send them.” 17They insisted until he became embarrassed and said, “Okay, send them.” So they sent fifty men who searched for three days. But they couldn’t find Elijah. 18When these men returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
19The citizens said to Elisha, “As you can see, sir, this city is in a good location, but the water is bad, and the land causes miscarriages.”
20He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put some salt in it.” They did so. 21Elisha then went out and threw salt into the spring. He said, “This is what the LORD has said: I have purified this water. It will no longer cause death and miscarriage.” 22The water has stayed pure right up to this very day, in agreement with the word that Elisha spoke.
Elisha and the bears
23Elisha went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up the road, some young people came out of the city. They mocked him: “Get going, Baldy! Get going, Baldy!” 24Turning around, Elisha looked at them and cursed them in the LORD’s name. Then two bears came out of the woods and mangled forty-two of the youths. 25From there Elisha went to Mount Carmel and then back to Samaria.
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