2 Kings 2
2
Elijah is Taken Up to Heaven
1The time came for the LORD to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah and Elisha set out from Gilgal, 2and on the way Elijah said to Elisha, “Now stay here; the LORD has ordered me to go to Bethel.”
But Elisha answered, “I swear by my loyalty to the living LORD and to you that I will not leave you.” So they went on to Bethel.
3A group of prophets who lived there went to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master away from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” Elisha answered. “But let's not talk about it.”
4Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Now stay here; the LORD has ordered me to go to Jericho.”
But Elisha answered, “I swear by my loyalty to the living LORD and to you that I will not leave you.” So they went on to Jericho.
5A group of prophets who lived there went to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master away from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” Elisha answered. “But let's not talk about it.”
6Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Now stay here; the LORD has ordered me to go to the River Jordan.”
But Elisha answered, “I swear by my loyalty to the living LORD and to you that I will not leave you.” So they went on, 7and fifty of the prophets followed them to the Jordan. Elijah and Elisha stopped by the river, and the fifty prophets stood a short distance away. 8Then Elijah took off his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the water with it; the water divided, and he and Elisha crossed to the other side on dry ground. 9#Deut 21.17There, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what you want me to do for you before I am taken away.”
“Let me receive the share of your power that will make me your successor,”#2.9 the share… successor: Elisha asked for the share that the firstborn son inherited by law from his father (see Deut 21.17). Elisha answered.
10“That is a difficult request to grant,” Elijah replied. “But you will receive it if you see me as I am being taken away from you; if you don't see me, you won't receive it.”
11They kept talking as they walked on; then suddenly a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire came between them, and Elijah was taken up to heaven by a whirlwind. 12#2 Kgs 13.14Elisha saw it and cried out to Elijah, “My father, my father! Mighty defender of Israel! You are gone!” And he never saw Elijah again.
In grief, Elisha tore his cloak in two. 13Then he picked up Elijah's cloak that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14He struck the water with Elijah's cloak, and said, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” Then he struck the water again, and it divided, and he walked over to the other side. 15The fifty prophets from Jericho saw him and said, “The power of Elijah is on Elisha!” They went to meet him, bowed down before him, 16and said, “There are fifty of us here, all strong men. Let us go and look for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the LORD has carried him away and left him on some mountain or in some valley.”
“No, you must not go,” Elisha answered.
17But they insisted until he gave in and let them go. The fifty of them went and looked high and low for Elijah for three days, but didn't find him. 18Then they returned to Elisha, who had waited at Jericho, and he said to them, “Didn't I tell you not to go?”
Miracles of Elisha
19Some men from Jericho went to Elisha and said, “As you know, sir, this is a fine city, but the water is bad and causes miscarriages.”
20“Put some salt in a new bowl, and bring it to me,” he ordered. They brought it to him, 21and he went to the spring, threw the salt in the water, and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I make this water pure, and it will not cause any more deaths or miscarriages.’ ” 22And that water has been pure ever since, just as Elisha said it would be.
23Elisha left Jericho to go to Bethel, and on the way some boys came out of a town and made fun of him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they shouted.
24Elisha turned round, glared at them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and tore 42 of the boys to pieces.
25Elisha went on to Mount Carmel, and later returned to Samaria.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
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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