The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Kings 02
1 When Yahweh was about to take Elijah
upby a whirlwindintoheaven, Elijah went
with Elisha from Gilgal.
2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Please wait here,
for Yahweh has sent me as far as Bethel.”
Elisha said, “As Yahweh lives, and as
your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So
they went down to Bethel.
3 The sons of the prophets who were at
Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him,
“Do you know that Yahweh will take away
your master from over you today?”
He said, “Yes, I know it. Hold your
peace.”
4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please wait
here, for Yahweh has sent me to Jericho.”
He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your
soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they
came to Jericho.
5 The sons of the prophets who were at
Jericho came near to Elisha, and said to
him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take
away your master from over you today?”
He answered, “Yes, I know it. Hold your
peace.”
6 Elijah said to him, “Please wait here,for
Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan.”
He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your
soul lives, I will not leave you.” Then they
both went on.
7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets
went and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan.
8 Elijah took his mantle, and rolled it
up, and struck the waters; and they were
divided here and there, so that they both
went over on dry ground.
9 When they had gone over, Elijah said to
Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before
I am taken from you.”
Elisha said, “Please let a double portion
of your spirit be on me.”
10 He said, “You have asked a hard thing.
If you see me when I am taken from you, it
will be so for you; but if not, it will not be
so.”
11 As they continued on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire
separated them; and Elijah went up by a
whirlwind into heaven.
12 Elisha saw it, and he cried, “My father,
my father, the chariots of Israel and its
horsemen!” He saw him no more. Then he took hold
of his own clothes and tore them in two
pieces.
13 He also took up Elijah’s mantle thatfell
from him, and went back and stood by the
bank of the Jordan.
14 He took Elijah’s mantle that fell from
him, and struck the waters, and said,
“Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?”
When he also had struck the waters, they
were divided apart, and Elisha went over.
15 When the sons of the prophets who
were at Jericho facing him saw him, they
said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.”
They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
16 They said to him, “See now, there are
withyour servantsfifty strongmen. Please
let them go and seek your master. Perhaps
Yahweh’s Spirit has taken him up, and put
him on some mountain or into some valley.”
He said, “Don’t send them.”
17 When they urged him until he was
ashamed, he said, “Send them.”
Therefore they sent fifty men; and they
searched for three days, but didn’t find
him.
18 They cameback tohimwhilehe stayed
atJericho; and he said to them, “Didn’tItell
you, ‘Don’t go’?”
19 The men of the city said to Elisha,
“Behold, please, the situation of this city is
pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is
bad, and the land is barren.”
20 He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put
salt in it.” Then they brought it to him.
21 He went outto the spring ofthe waters,
and threw salt into it, and said, “Yahweh
says, ‘I have healed these waters. There
shall not be from there any more death or
barren wasteland.’ ”
22 So the waters were healed to this day,
according to Elisha’s word which he spoke.
23 He went up from there to Bethel. As
he was going up by the way, some youths
came out of the city and mocked him, and
said to him, “Go up, you baldy! Go up, you
baldy!”
24 He looked behind him and saw them,
and cursed them in Yahweh’s name. Then two female bears came out of the woods
and mauled forty-two of those youths.
25 He went from there to Mount Carmel,
and from there he returned to Samaria.