2 Kings 2
2
Elijah Taken to Heaven
1When the Lord was going to take Elijah to heaven in a windstorm, Elijah and Elisha left Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here because the Lord is sending me to Bethel.”
Elisha answered, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not abandon you.” So they went to Bethel.
3Some of the disciples of the prophets at Bethel came to Elisha. They asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”
He answered, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”
4Elijah said, “Elisha, please stay here because the Lord is sending me to Jericho.”
Elisha answered, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not abandon you.” So they went to Jericho.
5Then some of the disciples of the prophets who were in Jericho approached Elisha. They asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”
He answered, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”
6Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here because the Lord is sending me to the Jordan River.”
Elisha answered, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not abandon you.”
7Fifty disciples of the prophets stood at a distance as Elijah and Elisha stood by the Jordan River. 8Elijah took his coat, rolled it up, and struck the water with it. The water divided to their left and their right, and the two men crossed ⌞the river⌟ on dry ground.
9While they were crossing, Elijah asked Elisha, “What should I do for you before I’m taken from you?”
Elisha answered, “Let me inherit a double share of your spirit.”
10Elijah said, “You have asked for something difficult. If you see me taken from you, it will be yours. Otherwise, it will not.”
11As they continued walking and talking, a fiery chariot with fiery horses separated the two of them, and Elijah went to heaven in a windstorm.
12When Elisha saw this, he cried out, “Master! Master! Israel’s chariot and horses!” When he couldn’t see Elijah anymore, he grabbed his own garment and tore it in two ⌞to show his grief⌟. 13Then he picked up Elijah’s coat (which had fallen off Elijah), went back, and stood on the bank of the Jordan River. 14He took the coat and struck the water with it. He asked, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” As he struck the water, it divided to his left and his right, and Elisha crossed ⌞the river⌟.
15The disciples of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him from a distance. They said, “Elijah’s spirit rests on Elisha!” Then they went to meet him and bowed in front of him with their faces touching the ground. 16They said to him, “There are 50 strong men here with us. Please let them go and search for your master. Maybe the Lord’s Spirit lifted him up and dropped him on one of the hills or in one of the valleys.”
Elisha answered, “Don’t send them ⌞to look⌟.” 17But the disciples kept urging him ⌞to send the men⌟ until he was embarrassed. So he said, “Send them.” They sent 50 men who searched for three days without finding him. 18They returned to Elisha in Jericho, where he was waiting. He said, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
Elisha Purifies Jericho’s Water
19The people of the city ⌞of Jericho⌟ told Elisha, “This city’s location is as good as you will ever find. But the water is bad, and the land cannot grow crops.”
20Elisha said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” They brought it to him. 21He went to the spring and threw the salt into it. Then he said, “This is what the Lord says: I have purified this water. No more deaths or crop failures will come from this water.” 22To this day the water is still pure, as Elisha had said.
23From there he went to Bethel. As he walked along the road, some boys came out of the city and mocked him. They said, “Go away, baldy! Go away!”
24Looking back, he saw them and cursed them in the Lord’s name. Two bears came out of the woods and tore 42 of these youths apart. 25He left that place, went to Mount Carmel, and returned to Samaria.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
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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