Now when Yahweh was about to take up Elijah into the heavens by a whirlwind, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for Yahweh has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
The sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your lord from your head today?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; be silent.”
Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for Yahweh has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.
Then the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your lord from your head today?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it. Be silent.”
Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan.” And he said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” Then they both went on.
Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan.
Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
And when they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I can do for you before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me.”
He said, “You have made a difficult request. If you see me when I am taken from you, it will be so for you; but if not, it will not be so.”
And as they continued walking and talking, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into the heavens.
When Elisha saw it, he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more, so he took hold of his clothes and tore them in two pieces.
And he picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood at the bank of the Jordan.
Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?” And when he struck the waters they were divided here and there and Elisha crossed over.
Elisha Succeeds Elijah
When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.
And they said to him, “See now, there are with your servants 50 strong men. Please let them go and seek your lord. Perhaps the Spirit of Yahweh has taken him up and put him on some mountain or into some valley.” He said, “Do not send them.”
When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” So they sent 50 men and they searched for three days but did not find him.
They came back to him while he stayed at Jericho, and he said to them, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not go?’”
And the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, please, the site of this city is good, as my lord can see; but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.”
He said, “Bring me a new small bowl and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.
He went out to the spring of water and threw salt into it and said, “This is what Yahweh says, ‘I have healed these waters. There will not be any more death or unfruitfulness from there.’”
So the waters were healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha that he spoke.
And he went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up on the road, some youths came out of the city and mocked him and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”
He looked behind him and saw them and cursed them in the name of Yahweh. Two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of those youths.
He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.