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.”

¹⁷ Then I will come down and talk with you there. ^(A)I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.

¹⁷ But he shall acknowledge the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn ^(A)by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he ^(B)is the beginning of his strength; ^(C)the right of the firstborn is his.

⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but ^(A)if I depart, I will send Him to you.

⁸ In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them.

⁹ Now, O Lord God, let Your promise to David my father be established, ^(A)for You have made me king over a people like the ^(B)dust of the earth in multitude. ^10 (C)Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may ^(D)go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?”

²⁵ Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, ^(A)when the Spirit rested upon them, that ^(B)they prophesied, ^[a]although they never did so again.

²⁵ “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. ²⁶ Therefore I testify to you this day that I am ^(A)innocent^[a] of the blood of all men. ²⁷ For I have not ^[b]shunned to declare to you ^(B)the whole counsel of God. ^28 (C)Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit ^(D)has made you overseers, to shepherd the church ^[c]of God ^(E)which He purchased ^(F)with His own blood. ²⁹ For I know this, that after my departure ^(G)savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Also ^(H)from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking ^[d]perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. ³¹ Therefore watch, and remember that ^(I)for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

³² “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and ^(J)to the word of His grace, which is able ^(K)to build you up and give you ^(L)an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³ I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. ^34 [e]Yes, you yourselves know ^(M)that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. ³⁵ I have shown you in every way, ^(N)by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

³⁶ And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

¹⁷ Then ^(A)they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.