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2 KIN G S 2
18 The rest of the events in Ahaziah’s reign
and everything he did are recorded in The Book
of the History of the Kings of Israel.
Elijah Taken into Heaven
When the Lord was about to take Elijah up
to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha
were traveling from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said to
Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to
go to Bethel.”
But Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord
lives and you yourself live, I will never leave
you!” So they went down together to Bethel.
3 The group of prophets from Bethel came to
Elisha and asked him, “Did you know that the
Lord is going to take your master away from
you today?”
“Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be
quiet about it.”
4 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the
Lord has told me to go to Jericho.”
But Elisha replied again, “As surely as the
Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never
leave you.” So they went on together to Jericho.
5 Then the group of prophets from Jericho
came to Elisha and asked him, “Did you know
that the Lord is going to take your master away
from you today?”
“Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be
quiet about it.”
6 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for
the Lord has told me to go to the Jordan River.”
But again Elisha replied, “As surely as the
Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never
leave you.” So they went on together.
7 Fifty men from the group of prophets also
went and watched from a distance as Elijah and
Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River. 8 Then
Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the
water with it. The river divided, and the two of
them went across on dry ground!
9 When they came to the other side, Elijah
said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you
before I am taken away.”
And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a
double share of your spirit and become your
successor.”
10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah
replied. “If you see me when I am taken from
you, then you will get your request. But if not,
then you won’t.”
11 As they were walking along and talking,
suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by
horses of fire. It drove between the two men,
separating them, and Elijah was carried by a
whirlwind into heaven. 12 Elisha saw it and cried
out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and
charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared
from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.
13 Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak, which
had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha
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returned to the bank of the Jordan River. 14 He
struck the water with Elijah’s cloak and cried
out, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?”
Then the river divided, and Elisha went across.
15 When the group of prophets from Jericho saw
from a distance what happened, they exclaimed,
“Elijah’s spirit rests upon Elisha!” And they went
to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.
16 “Sir,” they said, “just say the word and fifty of
our strongest men will search the wilderness for
your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has
left him on some mountain or in some valley.”
“No,” Elisha said, “don’t send them.” 17 But
they kept urging him until they shamed him into
agreeing, and he finally said, “All right, send
them.” So fifty men searched for three days but
did not find Elijah. 18 Elisha was still at Jericho
when they returned. “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
he asked.
Elisha’s First Miracles
19 One day the leaders of the town of Jericho visited Elisha. “We have a problem, my lord,” they
told him. “This town is located in pleasant surroundings, as you can see. But the water is bad,
and the land is unproductive.”
20 Elisha said, “Bring me a new bowl with salt
in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went
out to the spring that supplied the town with
water and threw the salt into it. And he said,
“This is what the Lord says: I have purified this
water. It will no longer cause death or infertility.*” 22 And the water has remained pure ever
since, just as Elisha said.
23 Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel.
As he was walking along the road, a group of
boys from the town began mocking and making fun of him. “Go away, baldy!” they chanted.
“Go away, baldy!” 24 Elisha turned around and
looked at them, and he cursed them in the name
of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the
woods and mauled forty-two of them. 25 From
there Elisha went to Mount Carmel and finally
returned to Samaria.
War between Israel and Moab
Ahab’s son Joram* began to rule over Israel in the eighteenth year of King Jehoshaphat’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria
twelve years. 2 He did what was evil in the
Lord’s sight, but not to the same extent as his
father and mother. He at least tore down the
sacred pillar of Baal that his father had set up.
3 Nevertheless, he continued in the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had committed and led the
people of Israel to commit.
4 King Mesha of Moab was a sheep breeder.
He used to pay the king of Israel an annual tribute of 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000
3
2:21 Or or make the land unproductive; Hebrew reads or
barrenness. 3:1 Hebrew Jehoram, a variant spelling of Joram;
also in 3:6.