1
And it came to pass, when the LORD would take upElijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijahwent with Elisha from Gilgal.
2
And Elijahsaid unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elishasaid unto him, As the LORDliveth, and as thy soulliveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
3
And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
4
And Elijahsaid unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORDliveth, and as thy soulliveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
5
And the sons of the prophets that were at Jerichocame to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
6
And Elijahsaid unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORDliveth, and as thy soulliveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.
7
And fiftymen of the sons of the prophetswent, and stood to view afar off: and they twostood by Jordan.
8
And Elijahtook his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
9
And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijahsaid unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elishasaid, I pray thee, let a doubleportion of thy spirit be upon me.
10
And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
11
And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them bothasunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12
And Elishasaw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in twopieces.
13
He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
14
And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORDGod of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
15
And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jerichosaw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
16
And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servantsfiftystrongmen; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon somemountain, or into somevalley. And he said, Ye shall not send.
17
And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fiftymen; and they soughtthreedays, but found him not.
18
And when they came again to him,(for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?
19
And the men of the citysaid unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lordseeth: but the water is naught, and the groundbarren.
20
And he said, Bring me a newcruse, and putsalt therein. And they brought it to him.
21
And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.
22
So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.
23
And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forthlittlechildren out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
24
And he turnedback, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forthtwo she bears out of the wood, and tareforty and twochildren of them.
25
And he went from thence to mountCarmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.