2 Kings 2

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 This is what happened when Yahweh took Elijah up to heaven in the whirlwind: Elijah and Elisha set outfrom Gilgal,	1 Now it happened that, when the Lord willed to lift up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were going out of Gilgal.
2 and Elijah said to Elisha, 'You stay here, for Yahweh is only sending me to Bethel.' But Elisha replied,'As Yahweh lives and as you yourself live, I wil not leave you!' and they went down to Bethel.	2 And Elijah said to Elisha: “Remain here. For the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” And Elisha said to him, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” And when they had descended to Bethel,
3 The brotherhood of prophets living at Bethel came out to meet Elisha and said, 'Do you know thatYahweh wil carry your lord and master away today?' 'Yes, I know,' he said, 'be quiet.'	3 the sons of the prophets, who were at Bethel, went out to Elisha. And they said to him, “Do you not know that today the Lord will take away your lord from you?” And he responded: “I know it. Be silent.”
4 Elijah said, 'Elisha, you stay here, Yahweh is only sending me to Jericho.' But he replied, 'As Yahwehlives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you!' and they went on to Jericho.	4 Then Elijah said to Elisha: “Remain here. For the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” And when they had arrived at Jericho,
5 The brotherhood of prophets living at Jericho went up to Elisha and said, 'Do you know that Yahweh wil carry your lord and master away today?' 'Yes, I know,' he said, 'be quiet.'	5 the sons of the prophets, who were at Jericho, drew near to Elisha. And they said to him, “Do you not know that today the Lord will take away your lord from you?” And he said: “I know it. Be silent.”
6 Elijah said, 'Elisha, you stay here, Yahweh is only sending me to the Jordan.' But he replied, 'As Yahwehlives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you!' And they went on together.	6 Then Elijah said to him: “Remain here. For the Lord has sent me as far as the Jordan.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” And so, the two of them continued on together.
7 Fifty of the brotherhood of prophets followed them, halting some distance away as the two of them stoodbeside the Jordan.	7 And fifty men from the sons of the prophets followed them, and they stood opposite them, at a distance. But the two of them were standing above the Jordan.
8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water; and the water divided to left and right, and the twoof them crossed over dry-shod.	8 And Elijah took his cloak, and he rolled it up, and he struck the waters, which were divided into two parts. And they both went across on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, 'Make your request. What can I do for you before I amsnatched away from you?' Elisha answered, 'Let me inherit a double share of your spirit.'	9 And when they had gone across, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what you wish that I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “I beg you, that twice your spirit may be accomplished in me.”
10 'Your request is difficult,' Elijah said. 'If you see me while I am being snatched away from you, it wil beas you ask; if not, it wil not be so.'	10 And he responded: “You have requested a difficult thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, you will have what you requested. But if you do not see, it shall not be.”
11 Now as they walked on, talking as they went, a chariot of fire appeared and horses of fire comingbetween the two of them; and Elijah went up to heaven in the whirlwind.	11 And as they continued on, they were conversing while walking. And behold, a fiery chariot with fiery horses divided the two. And Elijah ascended by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 Elisha saw it, and shouted, 'My father! My father! Chariot of Israel and its chargers!' Then he lost sightof him, and taking hold of his own clothes he tore them in half.	12 Then Elisha saw it, and he cried out: “My father, my father! The chariot of Israel with its driver!” And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own garments, and he tore them into two parts.
13 He picked up Elijah's cloak which had fal en, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.	13 And he picked up the cloak of Elijah, which had fallen from him. And turning back, he stood above the bank of the Jordan.
14 He took Elijah's cloak and struck the water. 'Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?' he cried. As hestruck the water it divided to right and left, and Elisha crossed over.	14 And he struck the waters with the cloak of Elijah, which had fallen from him, and they were not divided. And he said, “Where is the God of Elijah, even now?” And he struck the waters, and they were divided here and there. And Elisha went across.
15 The brotherhood of prophets saw him in the distance, and said, 'The spirit of Elijah has come to rest onElisha'; they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.	15 Then the sons of the prophets, who were at Jericho, watching from a distance, said, “The spirit of Elijah has rested upon Elisha.” And approaching to meet him, they reverenced him prone on the ground.
16 'Look,' they said, 'your servants have fifty strong men with them, let them go and look for your master;the Spirit of Yahweh may have taken him up and thrown him down on a mountain or into a val ey.' 'Send no one,'he replied.	16 And they said to him, “Behold, with your servants there are fifty strong men, who are able to go forth and to seek your lord. For perhaps, the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley.” But he said, “Do not send them.”
17 But they so shamed him with their insistence that he consented. So they sent fifty men who searchedfor three days without finding him.	17 And they urged him, until he acquiesced and said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men. And after they had searched for three days, they did not find him.
18 They then came back to Elisha who had stayed in Jericho; he said, 'Didn't I tell you not to go?'	18 And they returned to him, for he was living in Jericho. And he said to them: “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not send them?’ ”
19 The people of the city said to Elisha, 'The city is pleasant to live in, as my lord indeed can see, but thewater is foul and the country suffers from miscarriages.'	19 Also, the men of the city said to Elisha: “Behold, this city is a very good habitation, as you yourself perceive, O lord. But the waters are very bad, and the ground is barren.”
20 'Bring me a new bowl,' he said, 'and put some salt in it.' They brought it to him.	20 And so he said, “Bring a new vessel to me, and place salt in it.” And when they had brought it,
21 Then he went to the source of the water, threw salt into it and said, 'Yahweh says this, "I make thiswater wholesome: neither death nor miscarriage shal come from it any more." '	21 he went out to the source of the waters, and he cast the salt into it. And he said: “Thus says the Lord: I have healed these waters, and no longer shall there be death or barrenness in them.”
22 And the water became wholesome, as it is today, exactly as Elisha had said it would.	22 Then the waters were healed, even to this day, in accord with the word of Elisha, which he spoke.
23 From there he went up to Bethel, and while he was on the road, some smal boys came out of the townand jeered at him. 'Hurry up, baldy!' they shouted. 'Come on up, baldy!'	23 Then he went up from there into Bethel. And as he was ascending along the way, little boys departed from the city. And they were mocking him, saying: “Go up, bald head! Go up, bald head!”
24 He turned round and looked at them; and he cursed them in the name of Yahweh. And two bears cameout of the forest and savaged forty-two of the boys.	24 And when he had looked back, he saw them, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two bears went out from the forest, and they wounded forty-two boys among them.
25 From there he went on to Mount Carmel and then returned to Samaria.	25 Then he went away from there to mount Carmel. And he returned from there into Samaria.