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2 Kings 2
Holman Christian Standard Bible

Elijah in the Whirlwind

2 The time had come for the Lord to take Elijah up to heaven(A) in a whirlwind.(B) Elijah and Elisha(C) were traveling from Gilgal,(D) 2 and Elijah said to Elisha,(E) “Stay here;(F) the Lord is sending me on to Bethel.”(G)

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

3 Then the sons of the prophets(I) who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?”(J)

He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”

4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; the Lord is sending me to Jericho.”(K)

But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.

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

He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”

6 Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord is sending me to the Jordan.”(L)

But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.

7 Fifty men from the sons of the prophets came and stood facing them from a distance while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his mantle,(M) rolled it up, and struck the waters, which parted to the right and left. Then the two of them crossed over on dry ground.(N) 9 After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken from you.”

So Elisha answered, “Please, let me inherit two shares[a] of your spirit.”(O)

10 Elijah replied, “You have asked for something difficult. If you see me being taken from you,(P) you will have it. If not, you won’t.”

11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire with horses of fire(Q) suddenly appeared and separated the two of them. Then Elijah went up into heaven in the whirlwind.(R) 12 As Elisha watched, he kept crying out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!”(S) Then he never saw Elijah again. He took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.(T)

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

13 Elisha picked up the mantle(U) that had fallen off Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the mantle Elijah had dropped and struck the waters. “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” he asked. He struck the waters himself, and they parted to the right and the left, and Elisha crossed over.

15 When the sons of the prophets from Jericho who were facing him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed down to the ground in front of him.

16 Then the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Since there are 50 strong men here with your servants, please let them go and search for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the Lord has carried him away and put him on one of the mountains or into one of the valleys.”(V)

He answered, “Don’t send them.”

17 However, they urged him to the point of embarrassment,(W) so he said, “Send them.” They sent 50 men, who looked for three days but did not find him. 18 When they returned to him in Jericho(X) where he was staying, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Even though our lord can see that the city’s location is good, the water is bad and the land unfruitful.”(Y)

20 He replied, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.”(Z)

After they had brought him one, 21 Elisha went out to the spring of water, threw salt in it,(AA) and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will death or unfruitfulness result from it.’” 22 Therefore, the water remains healthy to this very day according to the word that Elisha spoke.

23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel.(AB) As he was walking up the path, some small boys came out of the city and harassed him,(AC) chanting, “Go up, baldy! Go up, baldy!” 24 He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord.(AD) Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the children. 25 From there Elisha went to Mount Carmel,(AE) and then he returned to Samaria.(AF)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 2:9 Two shares is the inheritance of blessing for the firstborn son; Dt 21:17. Here Elisha is asking for the leadership role among the prophets.
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2 Kings 2
International Standard Version

Elijah is Taken to Heaven

2 As the time drew near when the Lord was about to take Elijah to heaven in a wind storm, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah instructed Elisha, “Remain here on this side, please, because the Lord is sending me as far as Bethel.”

But Elisha replied, “As the Lord lives, I’m not going to leave you while you’re still alive!” So they both went on to Bethel.

3 When the Guild of Prophets[a] who lived in Bethel came out to greet Elisha, they asked him, “You are aware, aren’t you, that later today the Lord is going to remove your master from being your mentor?”[b]

“Of course I’m aware of it,” he said. “Calm down.”

4 Elijah also spoke to him, “Elisha, remain here on this side, please, because the Lord is sending me to Jericho.”

But Elisha responded, “As the Lord lives, and while you’re still alive, I’m not going to leave you!” So they went to Jericho.

5 The Guild of Prophets who lived in Jericho approached Elisha and asked him, “You are aware, aren’t you, that later today the Lord is going to remove your master from being your mentor?”[c]

“Of course I’m aware of it,” he said. “Calm down.”

6 Elijah also spoke to him, “Elisha, remain here on this side, please, because the Lord is sending me to the Jordan River.”[d]

But Elisha responded, “As the Lord lives, and while you’re still alive, I’m not going to leave you!” So they went on their way,[e] 7 accompanied by 50 men from the Guild of Prophets, who stood at a short distance from them while they were both standing by the Jordan. 8 Elijah took off his ornamented cloak, wrapped it up in a roll, struck the water, and all of a sudden the water divided into two parts! One side of the river stood still opposite the other until the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

9 When they had crossed the Jordan River,[f] Elijah invited Elisha, “Ask me what you want me to do for you before I’m taken away from you.”

So Elisha asked, “Please, may there be a double portion of[g] your spirit upon me!”

10 “That’s a hard thing to ask for,” Elijah answered, “but if you see me while I’m being taken from you, it will happen for you. But if you don’t see me, it won’t happen.”

11 As they continued on, talking as they went, suddenly chariots blazing with fire and pulled by fiery horses appeared, separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a wind storm to heaven! 12 As Elisha continued to watch, he cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots of Israel and its cavalry!”[h] Then he did not see Elijah anymore.

After this, Elisha[i] gripped his clothes that he was wearing, tore them apart into two pieces, 13 picked up Elijah’s ornamented cloak that had fallen from him, and went back to stand on the bank of the Jordan River.[j] 14 Elisha[k] took hold of Elijah’s ornamental cloak that had been left behind,[l] struck the water, and cried out: “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” All of a sudden, after he had struck the water, the water divided into two parts! One side of the river stood opposite the other, and Elisha crossed over.

Elisha is Recognized as Elijah’s Successor

15 As soon as the Guild of Prophets who lived adjacent to Jericho saw Elisha,[m] they began to announce, “The spirit[n] of Elijah is at rest on Elisha!” So they came out to meet him and they greeted him by bowing low to the ground in front of him.

16 Then they asked Elisha,[o] “Look! We have 50 valiant men here with your servant! Please let them go out and search for your master Elijah.[p] Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up on a mountain or into a valley.”

Elisha responded, “Don’t bother searching.”

17 But they persisted until he was frustrated, so he said, “Send them out!” So they sent out the 50 men, and they looked around for three days but did not find Elijah.[q] 18 By the time they returned, Elisha[r] was living in Jericho. Then Elisha asked them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

Elisha Cures the Waters of Jericho

19 The men who lived in the city addressed Elisha. “Look now,” they said, “our[s] city’s location is good, as you[t] have been observing, but the water springs[u] here are bad and the land isn’t sustaining crops.”

20 Elisha ordered them, “Bring me a new bowl and put some salt in it.” So they brought him what he had requested.[v]

21 Elisha went out to the springs, threw the salt into them, and declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have purified these waters. Neither death nor barrenness is to flow from them anymore.’” 22 As a result, the water springs[w] remain pure to this day, just as[x] Elisha had declared.

Elisha Rebukes Some Mockers

23 Later, Elisha[y] left there to go up to Bethel, and as he was traveling along the road, some insignificant[z] young men came from the city and started mocking him. They told him, “Get on up,[aa] baldy! Get on up, baldy!” 24 He looked behind him, took note of the young men, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Suddenly two female bears emerged from the woods and mauled 42 of the young men. 25 After this, he left from there to go to Mt. Carmel, and from there he went back to Samaria.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 2:3 Lit. The children of the prophets; and so throughout the book; i.e. a group of disciples within Israel’s prophetic community whose precise association with Elijah and Elisha is never specified
  2. 2 Kings 2:3 Lit. your head over you
  3. 2 Kings 2:5 Lit. your head over you
  4. 2 Kings 2:6 The Heb. lacks River
  5. 2 Kings 2:6 The Heb. lacks their way
  6. 2 Kings 2:9 The Heb. lacks the Jordan River
  7. 2 Kings 2:9 Or double desire for; Lit. double mouth for
  8. 2 Kings 2:12 The Heb. word cavalry can refer to horses, to horsemen, or to both
  9. 2 Kings 2:12 Lit. he
  10. 2 Kings 2:13 The Heb. lacks River
  11. 2 Kings 2:14 Lit. He
  12. 2 Kings 2:14 Lit. had fallen from him
  13. 2 Kings 2:15 Lit. him
  14. 2 Kings 2:15 Or Spirit
  15. 2 Kings 2:16 Lit. him
  16. 2 Kings 2:16 The Heb. lacks Elijah
  17. 2 Kings 2:17 Lit. him
  18. 2 Kings 2:18 Lit. he
  19. 2 Kings 2:19 Lit. The
  20. 2 Kings 2:19 Lit. as my Lord
  21. 2 Kings 2:19 Lit. the waters
  22. 2 Kings 2:20 The Heb. lacks what he had requested
  23. 2 Kings 2:22 Lit. the waters
  24. 2 Kings 2:22 Lit. as the word of
  25. 2 Kings 2:23 Lit. he
  26. 2 Kings 2:23 Or small; i.e. in significance, not stature or age; the individuals were adults
  27. 2 Kings 2:23 The taunt may be an allusion to Elijah’s experience described in v. 11.
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2 Kings 1
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