²⁶ And the child Samuel ^(A)grew in stature, and ^(B)in favor both with the Lord and men.

²⁷ Then a ^(C)man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ^(D)‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? ²⁸ Did I not ^(E)choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And ^(F)did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? ²⁹ Why do you ^(G)kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My ^(H)dwelling place, and honor your sons more than ^(I)Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’ ³⁰ Therefore the Lord God of Israel says: ^(J)‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the Lord says: ^(K)‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and ^(L)those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. ³¹ Behold, ^(M)the days are coming that I will cut off your ^[a]arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. ³² And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be ^(N)an old man in your house forever. ³³ But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age. ³⁴ Now this shall be ^(O)a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: ^(P)in one day they shall die, both of them. ³⁵ Then ^(Q)I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. ^(R)I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before ^(S)My anointed forever. ^36 (T)And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and say, “Please, ^[b]put me in one of the priestly positions, that I may eat a piece of bread.” ’ ”

Elijah Ascends to Heaven

2 And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to ^(A)take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with ^(B)Elisha from Gilgal. ² Then Elijah said to Elisha, ^(C)“Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and ^(D)as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they went down to Bethel.

³ Now ^(E)the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master ^[a]from over you today?”

And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent!”

⁴ Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Jericho.”

But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they came to Jericho.

⁵ Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?”

So he answered, “Yes, I know; keep silent!”

⁶ Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan.”

But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So the two of them went on. ⁷ And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. ⁸ Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and ^(F)it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ^(G)ground.

⁹ And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?”

Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”

¹⁰ So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” ¹¹ Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly ^(H)a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah ^(I)went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

¹² And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, ^(J)“My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. ¹³ He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, ^(K)it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.

¹⁵ Now when the sons of the prophets who were ^(L)from^[b] Jericho saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him.

The Great Commission^(A)

^14 (B)Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. ^15 (C)And He said to them, “Go into all the world ^(D)and preach the gospel to every creature. ^16 (E)He who believes and is baptized will be saved; ^(F)but he who does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ And these ^(G)signs will follow those who ^[a]believe: ^(H)In My name they will cast out demons; ^(I)they will speak with new tongues; ^18 (J)they^[b] will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; ^(K)they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Christ Ascends to God’s Right Hand^(L)

¹⁹ So then, ^(M)after the Lord had spoken to them, He was ^(N)received up into heaven, and ^(O)sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them ^(P)and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.