2Kings 2

Elijah Taken into Heaven

2When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal.H3068H5927H452H8064H5591H452H3212H477H15372And Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, for the LORD has told me to go to Bethel." But Elisha replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you!" So they went down together to Bethel.H452H559H477H3427H3068H7971H1008H477H559H3068H2416H5315H2416H5800H3381H10083The group of prophets from Bethel came to Elisha and asked him, "Did you know that the LORD is going to take your master away from you today?" "Of course I know," Elisha answered. "But be quiet about it."H1121H5030H1008H3318H477H559H3045H3068H3947H113H7218H3117H559H3045H28144Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, for the LORD has told me to go to Jericho." But Elisha replied again, "As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you." So they went on together to Jericho.H452H559H477H3427H3068H7971H3405H559H3068H2416H5315H2416H5800H935H34055Then the group of prophets from Jericho came to Elisha and asked him, "Did you know that the LORD is going to take your master away from you today?" "Of course I know," Elisha answered. "But be quiet about it."H1121H5030H3405H5066H477H559H3045H3068H3947H113H7218H3117H559H3045H28146Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, for the LORD has told me to go to the Jordan River." But again Elisha replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you." So they went on together.H452H559H3427H3068H7971H3383H559H3068H2416H5315H2416H5800H8147H32127Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River.H2572H376H1121H5030H1980H5975H5048H7350H8147H5975H33838Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground!H452H3947H155H1563H5221H4325H2673H8147H5674H27249When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away." And Elisha replied, "Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor."H5674H452H559H477H7592H6213H3947H477H559H8147H6310H730710"You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah replied. "If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won't."H559H7592H7185H7200H394711As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.H1980H1980H1696H7393H784H5483H784H6504H8147H996H452H5927H5591H806412Elisha saw it and cried out, "My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!" And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.H477H7200H6817H1H1H7393H3478H6571H7200H2388H899H7167H8147H716813Elisha picked up Elijah's cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River.H7311H155H452H5307H7725H5975H8193H338314He struck the water with Elijah's cloak and cried out, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" Then the river divided, and Elisha went across.H3947H155H452H5307H5221H4325H559H3068H430H452H5221H4325H2673H477H567415When the group of prophets from Jericho saw from a distance what happened, they exclaimed, "Elijah's spirit rests upon Elisha!" And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.H1121H5030H3405H7200H559H7307H452H5117H477H935H7125H7812H77616"Sir," they said, "just say the word and fifty of our strongest men will search the wilderness for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has left him on some mountain or in some valley." "No," Elisha said, "don't send them."H559H3426H5650H2572H2428H1121H582H3212H1245H113H7307H3068H5375H7993H259H2022H259H1516H559H797117But they kept urging him until they shamed him into agreeing, and he finally said, "All right, send them." So fifty men searched for three days but did not find Elijah.H6484H954H559H7971H7971H2572H376H1245H7969H3117H467218Elisha was still at Jericho when they returned. "Didn't I tell you not to go?" he asked.H7725H3427H3405H559H559H3212

Elisha’s First Miracles

19One day the leaders of the town of Jericho visited Elisha. "We have a problem, my lord," they told him. "This town is located in pleasant surroundings, as you can see. But the water is bad, and the land is unproductive."H582H5892H559H477H4186H5892H2896H113H7200H4325H7451H776H792120Elisha said, "Bring me a new bowl with salt in it." So they brought it to him.H559H3947H2319H6746H7760H4417H394721Then he went out to the spring that supplied the town with water and threw the salt into it. And he said, "This is what the LORD says: I have purified this water. It will no longer cause death or infertility

."H3318H4161H4325H7993H4417H559H559H3068H7495H4325H4194H792122And the water has remained pure ever since, just as Elisha said.H4325H7495H3117H1697H477H169623Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a group of boys from the town began mocking and making fun of him. "Go away, baldy!" they chanted. "Go away, baldy!"H5927H1008H5927H1870H3318H6996H5288H5892H7046H559H5927H7142H5927H714224Elisha turned around and looked at them, and he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them.H6437H310H7200H7043H8034H3068H3318H8147H1677H3293H1234H705H8147H320625From there Elisha went to Mount Carmel and finally returned to Samaria.H3212H2022H3760H7725H8111