1And when the time neared that the LORD would take Elijah up into heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2And Elijah told Elisha, “Wait here, I pray you, for the LORD has sent me to Bethel.” And Elisha replied, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” And so, they continue to Bethel. 3And a group of prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and asked him, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master away from you today?” And he replied, “Yes, I know; but be quiet about it.” 4And Elijah told him, “Elisha, wait here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” And Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” And so they went to Jericho. 5And the prophets who were at Jericho came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master away today?” And he replied, “Of course, I know it; hold your peace.” 6And Elijah told Elisha, “Wait here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” And once again Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” And the two went on. 7Then fifty men of the group of the prophets went, and stood at a distance to watch; as the two, Elijah and Elisha, had stopped beside the Jordan.

8And Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the waters, and they were divided to one side and the other, so that they two crossed over on dry ground. 9And when they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I should do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “I pray you, let me inherit a double portion of your spirit.” 10And Elijah said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken up from you, it shall be yours - otherwise, it shall not be so.” 11And as they walked on, talking together, suddenly there appeared a chariot, and horses of fire, that drove between and separating them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12And Elisha saw this, and he cried out, “My father, my father (Elisha’s way of expressing how he viewed Elijah’s relationship to him), the chariots and horsemen of Israel.” And Elisha saw him no more; and he took hold of his own clothes, and tore them in two pieces.

13Then Elisha picked up Elijah’s mantle that had fallen from him when he was taken up, and went back, and stood on the bank of the Jordan; 14And he took the mantle that Elijah had dropped, struck the waters with it, and said, “Where now is the LORD God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the waters, they parted to one side and the other; and Elisha crossed over. 15And when the group of prophets who were watching from Jericho saw what happened, they said, “The spirit of Elijah does indeed rest on Elisha.” And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. 16And said to him, “We, your servants, have fifty strong men; let them go, we pray you, and look for your master, perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up, and set him upon some mountain, or in some valley.” And Elisha said, “No, you shall not send them.” 17And when they pleaded with him until he was too embarrassed to refuse, he finally said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men; who searched for Elijah for three days, but did not find him. 18And when they returned to Elisha, who was still at Jericho, he said to them, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not go’”?

19And the men of the city said to Elisha, “Look, this city is well situated, as you can see; but the water is bad, and the ground unproductive.” 20And Elisha said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” And they brought it to him. 21And he went to the spring of the waters, and threw the salt in there, and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘I have healed these waters; there shall no more be any death from there, or barren land.’” 22So the waters were healed since that day, just as Elisha said.

23And Elisha went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, a group of boys came out of the city, mocking him, saying, “Go away, you bald head; go away, baldy.” 24And Elisha turned around, and looked at them, and called down a curse in the name of the LORD. And then two she-bears came out of the woods, and mauled forty-two of those boys. 25And Elisha went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.