Elijah Taken to Heaven

Now when the Lord was about to (A)take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and (B)Elisha were on their way from (C)Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elisha, (D)“Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, (E)“As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. And (F)the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”

Elijah said to him, “Elisha, (G)please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to (H)Jericho.” But he said, (I)“As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. (J)The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”

Then Elijah said to him, (K)“Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. Fifty men of (L)the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah (M)took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, (N)and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” 10 And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” 11 And as they still went on and talked, behold, (O)chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! (P)The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.

Then he took hold of his own clothes (Q)and tore them in two pieces. 13 And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, (R)the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

15 Now when (S)the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.

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Elijah Taken Up to Heaven

When the Lord was about to take(A) Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind,(B) Elijah and Elisha(C) were on their way from Gilgal.(D) Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here;(E) the Lord has sent me to Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.”(F) So they went down to Bethel.

The company(G) of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”

Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.(H)

And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.

The company(I) of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”

Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here;(J) the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.”(K)

And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.”(L) So the two of them walked on.

Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak,(M) rolled it up and struck(N) the water with it. The water divided(O) to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry(P) ground.

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”

“Let me inherit a double(Q) portion of your spirit,”(R) Elisha replied.

10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire(S) and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven(T) in a whirlwind.(U) 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots(V) and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore(W) it in two.

13 Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak(X) that had fallen from Elijah and struck(Y) the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

15 The company(Z) of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit(AA) of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.

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The High Priestly Prayer

17 When Jesus had spoken these words, (A)he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, (B)the hour has come; (C)glorify your Son that the Son may (D)glorify you, since (E)you have given him authority over all flesh, (F)to give eternal life to all (G)whom you have given him. (H)And this is eternal life, (I)that they know you, (J)the only (K)true God, and (L)Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I (M)glorified you on earth, (N)having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, (O)glorify me in your own presence with the glory (P)that I had with you (Q)before the world existed.

(R)“I have manifested your name to the people (S)whom you gave me out of the world. (T)Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything (U)that you have given me is from you. For I have given them (V)the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that (W)I came from you; and (X)they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. (Y)I am not praying for the world but for those (Z)whom you have given me, for (AA)they are yours. 10 (AB)All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and (AC)I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but (AD)they are in the world, and (AE)I am coming to you. (AF)Holy Father, (AG)keep them in your name, (AH)which you have given me, (AI)that they may be one, (AJ)even as we are one. 12 (AK)While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have (AL)guarded them, and (AM)not one of them has been lost except (AN)the son of destruction, (AO)that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now (AP)I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have (AQ)my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 (AR)I have given them your word, and (AS)the world has hated them (AT)because they are not of the world, (AU)just as I am not of the world. 15 I (AV)do not ask that you (AW)take them out of the world, but that you (AX)keep them from (AY)the evil one.[a] 16 (AZ)They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 (BA)Sanctify them[b] in the truth; (BB)your word is truth. 18 (BC)As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And (BD)for their sake (BE)I consecrate myself,[c] that they also (BF)may be sanctified[d] in truth.

20 “I do not (BG)ask for these only, but also for those (BH)who will believe in me through their word, 21 (BI)that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that (BJ)they also may be in (BK)us, so that the world (BL)may believe that you have sent me. 22 (BM)The glory that you have given me (BN)I have given to them, (BO)that they may be one even as we are one, 23 (BP)I in them and you in me, (BQ)that they may become perfectly one, (BR)so that the world may know that you sent me and (BS)loved them even as (BT)you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be (BU)with me (BV)where I am, (BW)to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me (BX)before the foundation of the world. 25 (BY)O righteous Father, even though (BZ)the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 (CA)I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love (CB)with which you have loved me may be in them, and (CC)I in them.”

Footnotes

  1. John 17:15 Or from evil
  2. John 17:17 Greek Set them apart (for holy service to God)
  3. John 17:19 Or I sanctify myself; or I set myself apart (for holy service to God)
  4. John 17:19 Greek may be set apart (for holy service to God)

Jesus Prays to Be Glorified

17 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven(A) and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come.(B) Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.(C) For you granted him authority over all people(D) that he might give eternal life(E) to all those you have given him.(F) Now this is eternal life: that they know you,(G) the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.(H) I have brought you glory(I) on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.(J) And now, Father, glorify me(K) in your presence with the glory I had with you(L) before the world began.(M)

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

“I have revealed you[a](N) to those whom you gave me(O) out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me(P) and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you,(Q) and they believed that you sent me.(R) I pray for them.(S) I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me,(T) for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine.(U) And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world,(V) and I am coming to you.(W) Holy Father, protect them by the power of[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one(X) as we are one.(Y) 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by[c] that name you gave me. None has been lost(Z) except the one doomed to destruction(AA) so that Scripture would be fulfilled.(AB)

13 “I am coming to you now,(AC) but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy(AD) within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them,(AE) for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.(AF) 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.(AG) 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.(AH) 17 Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth.(AI) 18 As you sent me into the world,(AJ) I have sent them into the world.(AK) 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.(AL)

Jesus Prays for All Believers

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one,(AM) Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.(AN) May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.(AO) 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me,(AP) that they may be one as we are one(AQ) 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me(AR) and have loved them(AS) even as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me(AT) to be with me where I am,(AU) and to see my glory,(AV) the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.(AW)

25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you,(AX) I know you, and they know that you have sent me.(AY) 26 I have made you[e] known to them,(AZ) and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them(BA) and that I myself may be in them.”

Footnotes

  1. John 17:6 Greek your name
  2. John 17:11 Or Father, keep them faithful to
  3. John 17:12 Or kept them faithful to
  4. John 17:17 Or them to live in accordance with
  5. John 17:26 Greek your name