Elijah Taken to Heaven

2 Now it came about, when the Lord was about to ^(A)bring Elijah up by a ^[a]whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah left ^(B)Gilgal with ^(C)Elisha. ² And Elijah said to Elisha, “^(D)Stay here please, for the Lord has sent me as far as ^(E)Bethel.” But Elisha said, “^(F)As surely as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

⁶ And Elijah said to him, “Please ^(A)stay here, for the Lord has sent me to ^(B)the Jordan.” But he said, “As surely as the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.

⁷ Now ^(C)fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. ⁸ And Elijah ^(D)took his coat, folded it, and ^(E)struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

⁹ When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask me what I should do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let a ^(F)double portion of your spirit be upon me.” ¹⁰ He said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you ^(G)see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” ¹¹ And as they were walking along and talking, behold, ^(H)a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and they separated the two of them. Then Elijah went up by a ^[a]whirlwind to heaven. ¹² And Elisha was watching it and he was crying out, “^(I)My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” And he did not see ^[b]Elijah again. Then ^(J)he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. ¹³ He also took up the coat of Elijah that had fallen from him, and he went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ Then he took the coat of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters, and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he also had ^(K)struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over.

⁵¹ When the days were approaching for ^(A)His ^[a]ascension, He ^[b]was determined ^(B)to go to Jerusalem; ⁵² and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the ^(C)Samaritans to ^[c]make arrangements for Him. ⁵³ And they did not receive Him, ^(D)because ^[d]He was traveling toward Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When His disciples ^(E)James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to ^(F)command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” ⁵⁵ But He turned and rebuked them.^{[e] 56} And they went on to another village.

Exacting Discipleship

^57 (G)As they were going on the road, ^(H)someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” ⁵⁸ And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but ^(I)the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” ⁵⁹ And He said to another, “^(J)Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” ⁶⁰ But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and ^(K)proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹ Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but ^(L)first permit me to say goodbye to those at my home.” ⁶² But Jesus said to him, “^(M)No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”