2 Kings 2
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Elijah Ascends to Heaven
2 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.(A) 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.(B) 3 The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”(C)
4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.(D) 5 The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”(E)
6 Then Elijah said to him, “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.(F) 7 Fifty men of the company of prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan.(G) 8 Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and the two of them crossed on dry ground.(H)
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.” 10 He responded, “You have asked a hard thing, yet if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” 11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven.(I) 12 Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.(J)
Elisha Succeeds Elijah
13 He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water. He said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? Where is he?” He struck the water again, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha crossed over.(K)
15 When the company of prophets who were at Jericho saw him at a distance, they declared, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.(L) 16 They said to him, “See now, we have fifty strong men among your servants; please let them go and seek your master; it may be that the spirit of the Lord has caught him up and thrown him down on some mountain or into some valley.” He responded, “No, do not send them.”(M) 17 But when they urged him to the point of embarrassment, he said, “Send them.” So they sent fifty men who searched for three days but did not find him.(N) 18 When they came back to him (he had remained at Jericho), he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”
Elisha Performs Miracles
19 Now the people of the city said to Elisha, “The location of this city is good, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” 20 He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went to the spring of water and threw the salt into it and said, “Thus says the Lord: I have made this water wholesome; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.”(O) 22 So the water has been wholesome to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.
23 He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go away, baldhead! Go away, baldhead!” 24 When he turned around and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.(P) 25 From there he went on to Mount Carmel and then returned to Samaria.(Q)
Melachim Bais 2
Orthodox Jewish Bible
2 And it came to pass, when Hashem would take up Eliyahu into Shomayim in a se’arah (storm wind, whirlwind), that Eliyahu went with Elishah from Gilgal.
2 And Eliyahu said unto Elishah, Tarry here, now; for Hashem hath sent me to Beit-El. And Elishah said unto him, As Hashem liveth, and as thy nefesh liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beit-El.
3 And the Bnei HaNevi’im that were at Beit-El came forth to Elishah, and said unto him, Doest thou have da’as that Hashem will take away thy adon from over thy rosh hayom? And he said, Yes, I have da’as; be silent.
4 And Eliyahu said unto him, Elishah, tarry here, now; for Hashem hath sent me to Yericho. And he said, As Hashem liveth, and as thy nefesh liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Yericho.
5 And the Bnei HaNevi’im that were at Yericho came to Elishah, and said unto him, Doest thou have da’as that hayom (today) Hashem will take away thy adon from over thy rosh? And he answered, Yes, I have da’as; be silent.
6 And Eliyahu said unto him, Tarry, now, here; for Hashem hath sent me to the Yarden. And he said, As Hashem liveth, and as thy nefesh liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two walked on.
7 And chamishim ish (fifty men) of the Bnei HaNevi’im went, standing opposite them at a distance; and they two stood by the Yarden.
8 And Eliyahu took his aderet (mantle, cloak), and rolled it up, and struck the mayim, and they were split from here and from there, so that they two crossed over on charavah (dry ground [See Yehoshua 3:17]).
9 And it came to pass, when they were crossed over, that Eliyahu said unto Elishah, Request what I shall do for thee, before I am taken away from thee. And Elishah said, Let, now, a double portion of thy ruach be upon me.
10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing; nevertheless, if thou see me when lukach (I am taken away) from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
11 And it came to pass, as they still walked on, and talked, that, hinei, there appeared a merkavah of eish, and susim of eish, and separated the two of them between them; and Eliyahu went up in a se’arah (storm wind, whirlwind) into Shomayim.
12 And Elishah saw, and he cried, Avi, Avi, the merkavah (war chariot) of Yisroel, and the parash (horsemen, charioteers) thereof. And he saw him no more; and he took hold of his own robe, and tore his apparel in two pieces.
13 He took up also the aderet Eliyahu that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Yarden;
14 And he took the aderet Eliyahu that fell from him, and struck the mayim, and said, Where is Hashem Elohei Eliyahu? And when he also had struck the mayim, they split from here and from there; and Elishah crossed over.
15 And when the Bnei HaNevi’im which were watching at Yericho saw him from a distance, they said, The ruach Eliyahu doth rest on Elishah. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
16 And they said unto him, Hinei now, there be among thy avadim chamishim anashim bnei chayil (fifty able-bodied men); let them go, now, and look for thy adon; perhaps the Ruach Hashem hath taken him up, and set him down [See Ac 8:39-40 OJBC] upon one of the harim, or in one of the geya’ot (valleys). And he said, Ye shall not send.
17 And when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore chamishim ish; and they searched shloshah yamim, but found him not.
18 And when they returned to him (for he tarried at Yericho), he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?
19 And the anshei HaIr said unto Elishah, Hinei, now, the situation of this city is tov, as adoni seeth; but the mayim is ra’im, and ha’aretz (the land) meshakkalet (barren, unfruitful).
20 And he said, Bring me a tzelokhit chadasha (new bowl), and put melach therein. And they brought it to him.
21 And he went forth unto the motza hamayim (spring of water), and cast the melach in there, and said, Thus saith Hashem, I have healed these mayim; there shall not be from there any more mavet or meshakkalet (unfruitfulness, barrenness).
22 So the mayim were healed unto hayom hazeh (this day), according to the devar Elishah which he spoke.
23 And he went up from there unto Beit-El; and as he was going up along the derech, there came forth ne’arim ketannim out of the Ir, and jeered in mockery at him, and said unto him, Go on up, thou kere’ach (bald head); go on up, thou kere’ach.
24 And he turned around, and looked on them, and cursed them in the Shem Hashem. And there came forth two dubim (female bears) out of the woods, and mauled 42 yeladim of them.
25 And he went from there to Mt Carmel, and from there he returned to Shomron.
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