| NET Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Just before the LORD took Elijah up to heaven in a windstorm, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal. | 1The time had come for the LORD to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal, |
| 2Elijah told Elisha, "Stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As certainly as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. | 2and Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; the LORD is sending me on to Bethel." But Elisha replied, "As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. |
| 3Some members of the prophetic guild in Bethel came out to Elisha and said, "Do you know that today the LORD is going to take your master from you?" He answered, "Yes, I know. Be quiet." | 3Then the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said, "Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?" He said, "Yes, I know. Be quiet." |
| 4Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho." But he replied, "As certainly as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went to Jericho. | 4Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here; the LORD is sending me to Jericho." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went to Jericho. |
| 5Some members of the prophetic guild in Jericho approached Elisha and said, "Do you know that today the LORD is going to take your master from you?" He answered, "Yes, I know. Be quiet." | 5Then the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho came up to Elisha and said, "Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?" He said, "Yes, I know. Be quiet." |
| 6Elijah said to him, "Stay here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." But he replied, "As certainly as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they traveled on together. | 6Elijah said to him, "Stay here; the LORD is sending me to the Jordan." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on. |
| 7The fifty members of the prophetic guild went and stood opposite them at a distance, while Elijah and Elisha stood by the Jordan. | 7Fifty men from the sons of the prophets came and stood facing them from a distance while the two of them stood by the Jordan. |
| 8Elijah took his cloak, folded it up, and hit the water with it. The water divided, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. | 8Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the waters, which parted to the right and left. Then the two of them crossed over on dry ground. |
| 9When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, "What can I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha answered, "May I receive a double portion of the prophetic spirit that energizes you." | 9After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken from you." So Elisha answered, "Please, let me inherit two shares of your spirit." |
| 10Elijah replied, "That's a difficult request! If you see me taken from you, may it be so, but if you don't, it will not happen." | 10Elijah replied, "You have asked for something difficult. If you see me being taken from you, you will have it. If not, you won't." |
| 11As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a fiery chariot pulled by fiery horses appeared. They went between Elijah and Elisha, and Elijah went up to heaven in a windstorm. | 11As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire with horses of fire suddenly appeared and separated the two of them. Then Elijah went up into heaven in the whirlwind. |
| 12While Elisha was watching, he was crying out, "My father, my father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!" Then he could no longer see him. He grabbed his clothes and tore them in two. | 12As Elisha watched, he kept crying out, "My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!" Then he never saw Elijah again. He took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. |
| 13He picked up Elijah's cloak, which had fallen off him, and went back and stood on the shore of the Jordan. | 13Elisha picked up the mantle that had fallen off Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. |
| 14He took the cloak that had fallen off Elijah, hit the water with it, and said, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" When he hit the water, it divided and Elisha crossed over. | 14Then he took the mantle Elijah had dropped and struck the waters. "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" he asked. He struck the waters himself, and they parted to the right and the left, and Elisha crossed over. |
| 15When the members of the prophetic guild in Jericho, who were standing at a distance, saw him do this, they said, "The spirit that energized Elijah rests upon Elisha." They went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him. | 15When the sons of the prophets from Jericho who were facing him saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." They came to meet him and bowed down to the ground in front of him. |
| 16They 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 may have carried him away and dropped him on one of the hills or in one of the valleys." But Elisha replied, "Don't send them out." | 16Then the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "Since there are 50 strong men here with your servants, please let them go and search for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the LORD has carried him away and put him on one of the mountains or into one of the valleys." He answered, "Don't send them." |
| 17But they were so insistent, 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. | 17However, they urged him to the point of embarrassment, so he said, "Send them." They sent 50 men, who looked for three days but did not find him. |
| 18When they came back, Elisha was staying in Jericho. He said to them, "Didn't I tell you, 'Don't go'?" | 18When they returned to him in Jericho where he was staying, he said to them, "Didn't I tell you not to go?" |
| 19The men of the city said to Elisha, "Look, the city has a good location, as our master can see. But the water is bad and the land doesn't produce crops." | 19Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Even though our lord can see that the city's location is good, the water is bad and the land unfruitful." |
| 20Elisha said, "Get me a new jar and put some salt in it." So they got it. | 20He replied, "Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it." After they had brought him one, |
| 21He went out to the spring and threw the salt in. Then he said, "This is what the LORD says, 'I have purified this water. It will no longer cause death or fail to produce crops." | 21Elisha went out to the spring of water, threw salt in it, and said, "This is what the LORD says: 'I have healed this water. No longer will death or unfruitfulness result from it.'" |
| 22The water has been pure to this very day, just as Elisha prophesied. | 22Therefore, the water remains healthy to this very day according to the word that Elisha spoke. |
| 23He went up from there to Bethel. As he was traveling up the road, some young boys came out of the city and made fun of him, saying, "Go on up, baldy! Go on up, baldy!" | 23From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking up the path, some small boys came out of the city and harassed him, chanting, "Go up, baldy! Go up, baldy!" |
| 24When he turned around and saw them, he called God's judgment down on them. Two female bears came out of the woods and ripped forty-two of the boys to pieces. | 24He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the children. |
| 25From there he traveled to Mount Carmel and then back to Samaria. | 25From there Elisha went to Mount Carmel, and then he returned to Samaria. |
|
