4 Kings 2

¹And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elias into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elias and Eliseus were going from Galgal.

²And Elias said to Eliseus: Stay thou here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as Bethel. And Eliseus said to him: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And when they were come down to Bethel,

³The sons of the prophets, that were at Bethel, came forth to Eliseus, and said to him: Dost thou know that this day the Lord will take away thy master from thee? And he answered: I also know it. Hold your peace.

⁴And Elias said to Eliseus: Stay here, because the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And when they were come to Jericho,

⁵The sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Eliseus, and said to him: Dost thou know that this day the Lord will take away thy master from thee? And he said: I also know it. Hold your peace.

⁶And Elias said to him: Stay here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as the Jordan. And he said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on together,

⁷And fifty men of the sons of the prophets followed them, and stood in sight at a distance. But they two stood by the Jordan.

⁸And Elias took his mantle, and folded it together, and struck the waters: and they were divided hither and thither. And they both passed over on dry ground.

⁹And when they were gone over, Elias said to Eliseus: Ask what thou wilt have me to do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Eliseus said: I beseech thee that in me may be thy double spirit.

¹⁰And he answered: Thou hast asked a hard thing. Nevertheless if thou see me when I am taken from thee, thou shalt have what thou hast asked: but if thou see me not, thou shalt not have it.

¹¹And as they went on, walking and talking together, behold, a fiery chariot, and fiery horses parted them both asunder: and Elias went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

¹²And Eliseus saw him, and cried: My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the driver thereof. And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own garments, and rent them in two pieces.

¹³And he took up the mantle of Elias, that fell from him: and going back, he stood upon the bank of the Jordan,

¹⁴And he struck the waters with the mantle of Elias, that had fallen from him, and they were not divided. And he said: Where is now the God of Elias? And he struck the waters, and they were divided, hither and thither: and Eliseus passed over.

¹⁵And the sons of the prophets at Jericho, who were over against him, seeing it said: The spirit of Elias hath rested upon Eliseus. And coming to meet him, they worshipped him, falling to the ground;

¹⁶And they said to him: Behold, there are with thy servants fifty strong men, that can go, and seek thy master; lest perhaps the spirit of the Lord hath taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley. And he said: Do not send.

¹⁷But they pressed him, till he consented, and said: Send. And they sent fifty men: and they sought three days but found him not.

¹⁸And they came back to him: for he abode at Jericho. And he said to them: Did I not say to you: Do not send?

¹⁹And the men of the city said to Eliseus: Behold, the situation of this city is very good, as thou, my lord, seest; but the waters are very bad, and the ground barren.

²⁰And he said: Bring me a new vessel, and put salt into it. And when they had brought it,

²¹He went out to the spring of the waters, and cast the salt into it, and said: Thus saith the Lord: I have healed these waters, and there shall be no more in them death or barrenness.

²²And the waters were healed unto this day, according to the word of Eliseus, which he spoke.

²³And he went up from thence to Bethel. And as he was going up by the way, little boys came out of the city and mocked him, saying: Go up, thou bald head. Go up, thou bald head.

²⁴And looking back, he saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord: and there came forth two bears out of the forest, and tore of them two and forty boys.

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