Elisha is Recognized as Elijah’s Successor

¹⁵ As soon as the Guild of Prophets who lived adjacent to Jericho saw Elisha,^[a] they began to announce, “The spirit^[b] 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,^[c] “Look! We have 50 valiant men here with your servant! Please let them go out and search for your master Elijah.^[d] 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.^{[e] 18} By the time they returned, Elisha^[f] was living in Jericho. Then Elisha asked them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”