Elijah Taken Up to Heaven
1When Yahweh was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, please, for Yahweh has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As Yahweh lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3The sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh is going to take your master away from over you today?” He said, “Yes, I know — be silent.” 4Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, please, for Yahweh has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As Yahweh lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh is going to take your master away from over you today?” He answered, “Yes, I know — be silent.” 6Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As Yahweh lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on. 7Fifty men from the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood at the Jordan. 8Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the water with it. The water parted to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I should do for you before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Let a double share of your spirit be mine.” 10Elijah said, “You have asked a hard thing. If you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted to you; but if not, it will not happen.” 11As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in the whirlwind. 12Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two. 13He picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen from him, and went back and stood at the bank of the Jordan. 14He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah, struck the water, and said, “Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?” When he struck the water, it too parted to the right and to the left, and Elisha crossed over. 15When the sons of the prophets from Jericho saw him at a distance, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 16They said to him, “Look, there are fifty strong men among your servants. Let them go and search for your master — perhaps the Spirit of Yahweh has carried him off and thrown him on some mountain or into some ravine.” He said, “Do not send them.” 17But they urged him until he was ashamed to refuse, so he said, “Send them.” They sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. 18When they returned to him — he was staying in Jericho — he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
Elisha’s Early Signs
19The men of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord can see that the location of this city is good, but the water is bad and the land causes miscarriage.” 20He said, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21He went out to the spring, threw the salt into it, and said, “This is what Yahweh says: I have healed this water. No longer will it cause death or miscarriage.” 22And the water has remained healed to this day, just as Elisha said. 23From there he went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some young boys came out of the city and jeered at him, shouting, “Go up, baldhead! Go up, baldhead!” 24He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in the name of Yahweh. Then two she-bears came out of the forest and mauled forty-two of the boys. 25From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
