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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.(A) 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.”(B) 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.(C) 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’?”

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15 When the members of the prophetic guild in Jericho, who were standing at a distance,[a] saw him do this, they said, “The spirit that energized Elijah[b] rests upon Elisha.” They went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him. 16 They said to him, “Look, there are fifty capable men with your servants. Let them go and look for your master, for the wind sent from the Lord[c] may have carried him away and dropped him on one of the hills or in one of the valleys.” But Elisha[d] replied, “Don’t send them out.” 17 But they were so insistent that he became embarrassed. So he said, “Send them out.” They sent the fifty men out, and they looked for three days, but could not find Elijah.[e] 18 When they came back, Elisha[f] was staying in Jericho. He said to them, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t go’?”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 2:15 tn Heb “and the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho, [who were standing] opposite, saw him and said.”
  2. 2 Kings 2:15 tn Heb “the spirit of Elijah.”
  3. 2 Kings 2:16 tn Or “the spirit of the Lord.”
  4. 2 Kings 2:16 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  5. 2 Kings 2:17 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  6. 2 Kings 2:18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.