⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.”

¹⁷ I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people along with you so that you will not bear it all by yourself.^(A)

¹⁷ He must acknowledge as firstborn the son of the one who is disliked, giving him a double portion^[a] of all that he has; since he is the first issue of his virility, the right of the firstborn is his.^(A)

⁷ Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate^[a] will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you.

⁹ O Lord God, let your promise to my father David now be fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.^{(A) 10} Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of yours?”^(B)

²⁵ “And now I know that none of you, among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom, will ever see my face again.^{(A) 26} Therefore I declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you,^{(B) 27} for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.^{(C) 28} Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God^[a] that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.^{[b](D) 29} I know that after I have gone, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.^{(E) 30} Some even from your own group will come distorting the truth in order to entice the disciples to follow them. ³¹ Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to warn everyone with tears.^{(F) 32} And now I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified.^{(G) 33} I coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothing.^{(H) 34} You know for yourselves that I worked with my own hands to support myself and my companions.^{(I) 35} In all this I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”^(J)

³⁶ When he had finished speaking, he knelt down with them all and prayed.^(K)

⁸ On that day the Lord will shield the inhabitants of Jerusalem so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the Lord, at their head.^(A)