以利亚被接到天上

耶和华用旋风接以利亚升天之前,以利亚和以利沙正在离开吉甲的路上。 以利亚对以利沙说:“你留在这里吧,耶和华吩咐我去伯特利。”以利沙说:“我凭永活的耶和华和你的性命起誓,我决不离开你。”于是二人前往伯特利。 伯特利的众先知出来见以利沙,问他:“你知道耶和华今天要接走你师傅吗?”他说:“我知道,请不要作声。”

以利亚对以利沙说:“你留在这里吧,耶和华差遣我去耶利哥。”以利沙说:“我凭永活的耶和华和你的性命起誓,我决不离开你。”于是二人前往耶利哥。 耶利哥的众先知来见以利沙,问他:“你知道耶和华今天要接走你师傅吗?”他说:“我知道,请不要作声。”

以利亚对以利沙说:“你留在这里吧,耶和华差遣我去约旦河。”以利沙说:“我凭永活的耶和华和你的性命起誓,我决不离开你。”于是二人继续前行。 先知中有五十人跟他们来到约旦河,远远地站着,他们二人则站在河边。 以利亚脱下外衣卷起来,用它击打河水,水立即左右分开,二人脚踏干地而过。

到对岸后,以利亚对以利沙说:“在我被接走之前,你要我为你做什么?”以利沙说:“请将你的灵加倍地给我。” 10 以利亚说:“这是个很难的要求。不过,我被接走的时候,如果你看得见我,就可以得到,否则就得不到。” 11 他们边走边谈,忽然有火马拉的火车把他们二人隔开,以利亚乘着旋风升上了天。 12 以利沙见此情景,便喊道:“我父啊!我父啊!以色列的战车和骑兵啊!”以利沙见以利亚消失在天空中,就悲伤地把自己的衣服撕成两半。

13 他拿起以利亚身上掉下来的外衣,回到约旦河边, 14 用它击打河水,说:“以利亚的上帝耶和华在哪里呢?”河水就左右分开,以利沙便过了河。

15 耶利哥的先知们从远处看见他,就说:“以利亚的灵降在以利沙身上了。”他们就上前迎接,俯伏在他面前, 16 说:“仆人们这里有五十个壮士,请让他们去寻找你师傅吧,或许耶和华的灵把他放在某座山上或某个山谷里了。”以利沙说:“你们不要派人去找了。” 17 他们再三恳求,以利沙难以推辞,就让他们派人去了。他们派去了五十人,找了三天也没有找到。 18 他们回来的时候,以利沙仍在耶利哥。他对他们说:“我不是早就告诉你们不要去吗?”

以利沙行神迹

19 耶利哥城的人对以利沙说:“我主,你看这城地势很好,只是水不好,地里长不出庄稼。” 20 以利沙说:“拿一个新碗装些盐给我。”他们就去照办。 21 以利沙走到水源那里,把盐倒在水中说:“耶和华说,‘我洁净了这水,从此它不会再使人死亡,也不会再使土地贫瘠。’” 22 果然如以利沙所说,那里的水变好了,直到如今。

23 以利沙从那里去伯特利,正在赶路的时候,从城里出来一群少年讥笑他说:“秃头,上去吧!秃头,上去吧!” 24 以利沙转身看着他们,奉耶和华的名咒诅他们。林中随即走出来两只母熊,咬死了其中的四十二个少年。 25 以利沙从伯特利上了迦密山,又从迦密山回到撒玛利亚。

以利亚被接升天

耶和华将要用旋风接以利亚往天上去的时候,以利亚和以利沙一起离开吉甲。 以利亚对以利沙说:“你留在这里吧,因为耶和华差派我到伯特利去。”以利沙说:“我指着永活的耶和华和你的性命起誓:我必不离开你。”于是他们下到伯特利去。 在伯特利的先知门徒出来见以利沙,对他说:“你知道今天耶和华要接你的老师离开你吗?”他说:“我已经知道了,你们别再多说。” 以利亚对以利沙说:“你留在这里吧,因为耶和华差派我往耶利哥。”他说:“我指着永活的耶和华和你的性命起誓:我必不离开你。”于是他们来到耶利哥。 在耶利哥的先知门徒前来见以利沙,对他说:“你知道今天耶和华要接你的老师离开你吗?”他说:“我已经知道了,你们别再多说。” 以利亚对他说:“你留在这里吧,因为耶和华差派我往约旦河去。”以利沙说:“我指着永活的耶和华和你的性命起誓:我必不离开你。”于是他们二人继续前行。

先知门徒中有五十人跟着他们,远远地站在他们对面;他们二人在约旦河河边站着。 以利亚拿着自己的外衣,把它卷起,击打河水,河水就左右分开,他们二人就在干地上走过去了。 他们过去之后,以利亚对以利沙说:“在我没有被接离开你以先,我可以为你作些甚么,你尽管求吧!”以利沙说:“求你使你的灵双倍地临到我。” 10 以利亚说:“你所求的是一件难事,不过我被接离开你的时候,如果你看见我,就必得着,否则就得不着了。” 11 他们边走边谈的时候,忽然,有火车火马把他们二人分开,以利亚就在旋风中被接往天上去了。 12 以利沙看见,就喊叫:“我父!我父!以色列的战车马兵啊!”跟着就不再看见他了。以利沙抓住自己的衣服,把它撕成两片。 13 他拾起以利亚身上掉下来的外衣,就回去,站在约旦河河边。 14 他拿着从以利亚身上掉下来的外衣,击打河水,说:“耶和华以利亚的 神在哪里呢?”他一击打河水,河水就左右分开,以利沙就走过去了。

15 那些耶利哥的先知门徒在远处看见,就说:“以利亚的灵在以利沙身上了。”他们就来迎接他,俯伏在地拜他。 16 他们对他说:“请看,你的仆人这里有五十个壮士;请让他们去寻找你的老师,或者耶和华的灵把他提去,丢在某一座山上,或某一处山谷里。”以利沙说:“你们不必派人去了。” 17 他们恳求他,使他不好意思推辞,于是他说:“你们派人去吧。”他们就派出五十个人,寻觅了三天,仍然找不着。 18 于是他们回到以利沙那里;那时,他还停留在耶利哥,他对他们说:“我不是告诉了你们不必去的吗?”

以利沙治好耶利哥恶劣的水

19 那城的人对以利沙说:“请看这城的地势很好,老师你也看见,可惜水恶劣,以致此地没有出产。” 20 以利沙说:“给我拿一个新碗来,里面要盛点盐。”他们就把碗拿给他。 21 他就出去到水源那里,把盐倒在那里,然后说:“耶和华这样说:‘我已经医好了这水,从此不再有人死亡,地也不再没有出产了。’” 22 那水果然治好了,直到今日,正如以利沙所说的话。

23 以利沙从那里上伯特利去,正沿路上去的时候,从城里有一班年轻人走出来,讥笑他,说:“秃头的上去吧!秃头的上去吧!” 24 以利沙回头看着他们,奉耶和华的名咒诅他们。于是有两只母熊从树林里走出来,撕裂了他们中间四十二个年轻人。 25 以利沙从那里上迦密山,又从迦密山回到撒玛利亚。

The time came for Adonai to take Eliyahu up into heaven in a whirlwind. Eliyahu and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal, when Eliyahu said to Elisha, “Please wait here, because Adonai has sent me all the way to Beit-El.” But Elisha said, “As Adonai lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Beit-El. The guild prophets of Beit-El came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Adonai is taking your master away from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he answered; “say no more.”

Eliyahu said to him, “Elisha, please wait here, because Adonai has sent me to Yericho.” He replied, “As Adonai lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Yericho. The guild prophets of Yericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Adonai is taking your master away from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he answered; “say no more.”

Eliyahu said to him, “Please wait here, because Adonai has sent me to the Yarden.” He replied, “As Adonai lives, and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. Fifty of the guild prophets went and stood watching them from a distance, while they stood by the Yarden. Then Eliyahu took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it; and the water divided itself to the left and to the right; so that they crossed on dry ground. After they had crossed, Eliyahu said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away from you.” Elisha said, “Please! Let a double share of your spirit be on me!” 10 He replied, “You have requested a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, you will get what you asked for; but if not, you won’t.”

11 Suddenly, as they were walking on and talking, there appeared a fiery chariot with horses of fire; and as it separated the two of them from each other, Eliyahu went up into heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Isra’el!” Then he lost sight of him. Seizing his clothes, he tore them in half. 13 Then he picked up Eliyahu’s cloak, which had fallen off him. Standing on the bank of the Yarden, 14 he took the cloak that had fallen off Eliyahu, struck the water and said, “Where is Adonai, the God of Eliyahu?” But when he actually did strike the water, it divided itself to the left and to the right; then Elisha crossed over.

15 When the guild prophets of Yericho saw him in the distance, they said, “The spirit of Eliyahu does rest on Elisha.” Advancing to meet him, they prostrated themselves on the ground before him 16 and said to him, “Here now, your servants include fifty strong men. Please let them go and look for your master, in the event that the Spirit of Adonai has taken him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.” He answered, “Don’t send them.” 17 But they kept pressing him until finally, embarrassed, he said to send them. So they sent fifty men. For three days they searched, but they didn’t find him. 18 On returning to him where he was waiting in Yericho, he said to them, “I told you not to go, didn’t I?”

19 The men of the city said to Elisha, “My lord can see that this is a pleasant city to live in; but the water is bad, so that the ground is causing miscarriages.” 20 “Bring me a new jug,” he said, “and put salt in it.” They brought it to him. 21 He went out to the source of the water, threw salt into it and said, “This is what Adonai says: ‘I have healed this water; it will no longer cause death or miscarrying.’” 22 The water was healed and has remained healed to this day, in keeping with Elisha’s spoken word.

23 Elisha left to go up to Beit-El. As he was on his way up the road, some boys came out of the town and began making fun of him. “Go on up, baldy! Go on up, baldy!” 24 He looked behind him, saw them and put a curse on them in the name of Adonai; whereupon two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.

25 He went on from there to Mount Karmel and then returned to Shomron.

1-2 Now the time came for the Lord to take Elijah to heaven—by means of a whirlwind! Elijah said to Elisha as they left Gilgal, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Bethel.”

But Elisha replied, “I swear to God that I won’t leave you!”

So they went on together to Bethel. There the young prophets of Bethel Seminary came out to meet them and asked Elisha, “Did you know that the Lord is going to take Elijah away from you today?”

“Quiet!” Elisha snapped. “Of course I know it.”

Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here in Bethel, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.”

But Elisha replied again, “I swear to God that I won’t leave you.” So they went on together to Jericho.

Then the students at Jericho Seminary came to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take away your master today?”

“Will you please be quiet?” he commanded. “Of course I know it!”

6-7 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan River.”

But Elisha replied as before, “I swear to God that I won’t leave you.”

So they went on together and stood beside the Jordan River as fifty of the young prophets watched from a distance. Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it; and the river divided and they went across on dry ground!

When they arrived on the other side Elijah said to Elisha, “What wish shall I grant you before I am taken away?”

And Elisha replied, “Please grant me twice as much prophetic power as you have had.”

10 “You have asked a hard 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.”

11 As they were walking along, talking, suddenly a chariot of fire, drawn by horses of fire, appeared and drove between them, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.

12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariot of Israel and the charioteers!”

As they disappeared from sight he tore his robe. 13-14 Then he picked up Elijah’s cloak and returned to the bank of the Jordan River, and struck the water with it.

“Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” he cried out. And the water parted and Elisha went across!

15 When the young prophets of Jericho saw what had happened, they exclaimed, “The spirit of Elijah rests upon Elisha!” And they went to meet him and greeted him respectfully.

16 “Sir,” they said, “just say the word and fifty of our best athletes will search the wilderness for your master; perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has left him on some mountain or in some ravine.”

“No,” Elisha said, “don’t bother.”

17 But they kept urging until he was embarrassed and finally said, “All right, go ahead.” Then fifty men searched for three days, but didn’t find him.

18 Elisha was still at Jericho when they returned. “Didn’t I tell you not to go?” he growled.

19 Now a delegation of the city officials of Jericho visited Elisha. “We have a problem,” they told him. “This city is located in beautiful natural surroundings, as you can see; but the water is bad and causes our women to have miscarriages.”[a]

20 “Well,” he said, “bring me a new bowl filled with salt.” So they brought it to him.

21 Then he went out to the city well and threw the salt in and declared, “The Lord has healed these waters. They shall no longer cause death or miscarriage.”

22 And sure enough! The water was purified, just as Elisha had said.

23 From Jericho he went to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a gang of young men from the city began mocking and making fun of him because of his bald head. 24 He turned around and cursed them in the name of the Lord; and two female bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of them. 25 Then he went to Mount Carmel and finally returned to Samaria.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 2:19 causes our women to have miscarriages, implied in v. 21. Literally, “the land is unfruitful.”