2 Kings 2

Elijah Taken to Heaven

1Now when the Lord was about to atake Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and bElisha were on their way from cGilgal. 2And Elijah said to Elisha, dPlease stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, e“As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3And fthe sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”

4Elijah said to him, “Elisha, gplease stay here, for the Lord has sent me to hJericho.” But he said, i“As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5 jThe sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”

6Then Elijah said to him, kPlease 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. 7Fifty men of lthe sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8Then Elijah mtook his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, nand the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.

9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” 10And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” 11And as they still went on and talked, behold, ochariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! pThe chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.

Then he took hold of his own clothes qand tore them in two pieces.
13And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, rthe water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

15Now when sthe sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 16And they said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. It may be that tthe Spirit of the Lord has caught him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.” 17But when they urged him utill he was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men. And for three days they sought him but did not find him. 18And they came back to him while he was staying at Jericho, and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”

19Now the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” 20He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21Then he went to the spring of water and vthrew salt in it and said, “Thus says the Lord, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” 22So the water has been healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.

23He 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 up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24And he turned around, and when he saw them, whe cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys. 25From there he went on to xMount Carmel, and from there he returned yto Samaria.

2 Kings 3:26

26When the king of Moab saw that the battle was going against him, he took with him 700 zswordsmen to break through, opposite the king of Edom, but they could not.
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