2 Kings, 2

1. And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

1. Yahweh took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. It happened this way: Elijah and Elisha had left Gilgal, and Elijah said to Elisha,

2. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said [unto him, As] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

2. "I beg you to stay here, for Yahweh is sending me to Bethel." Elisha said, "I swear by Yahweh and by your life that I will never leave you." So they went down to Bethel together.

3. And the sons of the prophets that [were] at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know [it]; hold ye your peace.

3. The fellow prophets in Bethel went out to welcome Elisha and said to him, "Don't you know that today Yahweh will take your master away from you?" He answered them, "Yes, I also know it. So, be quiet."

4. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, [As] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

4. Elijah said to Elisha, "Please stay here, for Yahweh is only sending me to Jericho." Elisha answered, "I swear by Yahweh and by your life that I will never leave you."

5. And the sons of the prophets that [were] at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know [it]; hold ye your peace.

5. So they went on to Jericho. The fellow prophets in Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, "Do you not know that Yahweh is to take your master away today?" Elisha answered, "Yes, I know it. Be quiet."

6. And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, [As] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

6. Elijah said once more to Elisha, "Stay here, I beg you, for Yahweh is only sending me to the Jordan." But Elisha answered, "I swear by Yahweh and by your life that I will never leave you." And as they went on their way,

7. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

7. fifty fellow prophets of Jericho followed them at a certain distance. When Elijah and Elisha stood by the Jordan

8. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped [it] together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

8. Elijah took his mantle, rolled it, and struck the water with it. The water parted to both sides and they crossed over on dry ground.

9. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

9. After they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "What shall I do for you before I am taken away from you? Ask me." Elisha said, "Grant that I may have the best of your spirit."

10. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: [nevertheless], if thou see me [when I am] taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be [so].

10. Elijah answered, "Your request is most difficult. Yet if you see me while I am being taken from you, then you shall have it. But if not, you shall not have it."

11. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, [there appeared] a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

11. As they were talking on the way, a chariot of fire with horses of fire stood between them, and Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind.

12. And Elisha saw [it], and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

12. Elisha saw him and cried out, "Father, my father, chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" When Elisha lost sight of him, he took hold of his own clothes and tore them.

13. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

13. He then picked up the mantle which had fallen from Elijah and returned to the banks of the Jordan.

14. And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where [is] the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

14. There he struck the water with the mantle, but it did not part. So he asked, "Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?" And as he struck the water again it parted. Elisha crossed over.

15. And when the sons of the prophets which [were] to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

15. The fellow prophets of Jericho saw him from the other side, and said, "The spirit of Elijah rests upon Elisha." And as they came to him, they bowed to the ground before him saying,

16. And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.

16. "There are fifty valiant men here with us. Let them go in search of Elijah, for it may be that the spirit of Yahweh has left him in some mountain or valley." Elisha replied, "Do not send anyone."

17. And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.

17. But they insisted so much that Elisha let them go, and they sent fifty men to search for Elijah.

18. And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?

18. After three days they had not found him and they returned to Elisha, who had stayed in Jericho. He commented, "Did I not tell you not to go?"

19. And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city [is] pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water [is] naught, and the ground barren.

19. The men of the city said to Elisha, "The location of this city is good, as my lord can see, but the water is bad, and so the land is unproductive."

20. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought [it] to him.

20. He said to them, "Bring me a new pot with salt in it." When they brought it to him,

21. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren [land].

21. Elisha went to the fountain and threw salt in it saying, "This is what Yahweh says: I have healed this water, never more will it cause death or sickness."

22. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.

22. And the water has remained wholesome to this day, just as Elisha said.

23. And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.

23. From there, he went up to Bethel. He was on his way when some youths came out from the city and made fun of him saying, "Go up, baldhead! Go up, baldhead!"

24. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

24. Elisha turned around, looked at them and cursed them in the name of Yahweh. At once, two she-bears came out of the forest and killed forty-two of them.

25. And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.

25. From there Elisha set out for Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.