Elijah Taken Up to Heaven

1Shortly before the LORD {YHWH} took Elijah (my God is YHWH) up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha (God is salvation) were on their way from Gilgal (a wheel), 2and Elijah (my God is YHWH) said to Elisha (God is salvation), “Please stay here, for the LORD {YHWH} has sent me on to Bethel (house of God).”

But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.”

So they went down to Bethel.

3Then the sons of the prophets at Bethel (house of God) came out to Elisha (God is salvation) and said, “Do you know that the LORD {YHWH} will take your master away from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” he replied. “Do not speak of it.”

4And Elijah (my God is YHWH) said to Elisha (God is salvation), “Please stay here, for the LORD {YHWH} has sent me on to Jericho (city of palms).”

But Elisha replied, “As surely 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 at Jericho (city of palms) came up to Elisha (God is salvation) and said, “Do you know that the LORD {YHWH} will take your master away from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” he replied. “Do not speak of it.”

6And Elijah (my God is YHWH) said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD {YHWH} has sent me on to the Jordan (flowing down).”

But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.”

So the two of them went on.

7Then a company of fifty of the sons of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing Elijah and Elisha as the two of them stood by the Jordan (flowing down). 8And Elijah (my God is YHWH) took his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the waters, which parted to the right and to the left, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

9After they had crossed over, Elijah (my God is YHWH) said to Elisha (God is salvation), “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken away from you?”

“Please, let me inherit a double portion of your spirit {ruach},” Elisha replied.

10“You have requested a difficult thing,” said Elijah. “Nevertheless, if you see me as I am taken from you, it will be yours. But if not, then it will not be so.”

11As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah (my God is YHWH) went up into heaven in a whirlwind.

12As Elisha (God is salvation) watched, he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel (he wrestles with God)!” And he saw Elijah no more. So taking hold of his own clothes, he tore them in two.

13Elisha also picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah (my God is YHWH), and he went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan (flowing down). 14Then he took the cloak of Elijah (my God is YHWH) that had fallen from him and struck the waters. “Where now is the LORD, the God {YHWH Elohe} of Elijah?” he asked.

And when he had struck the waters, they parted to the right and to the left, and Elisha (God is salvation) crossed over.

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

15When the sons of the prophets who were watching him from Jericho (city of palms) saw what had happened, they said, “The spirit {ruach} of Elijah (my God is YHWH) rests on Elisha (God is salvation).” And they went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.

16“Look now,” they said to Elisha, “we your servants have fifty valiant men. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD {Ruach YHWH} has taken him up and put him on one of the mountains or in one of the valleys.”

“Do not send them,” Elisha replied.

17But when they pressed him to the point of embarrassment, he said, “Send them.”

And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find Elijah.

18When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho (city of palms), he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you⁺ not to go?”

Elisha Heals the Waters of Jericho

19Then the men of the city said to Elisha (God is salvation), “Please note, our lord, that the city’s location is good, as you can see. But the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.”

20“Bring me a new bowl,” he replied, “and put some salt in it.”

So they brought it to him, 21and Elisha went out to the spring, cast the salt into it, and said, “This is what the LORD {YHWH} says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will it cause death or unfruitfulness (barrenness).a’”

22And the waters there have been healthy to this day, according to the word spoken by Elisha (God is salvation).

Elisha Mocked

23From there, Elisha went up to Bethel (house of God), and as he was walking up the road, a group of boys (some small youths)b came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”

24Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD {YHWH}.

Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.

25And Elisha went on to Mount Carmel (garden-land), and from there he returned to Samaria (watch mountain).