2 Kings 2 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Elijah Taken to Heaven

1 Now it happened ^H1961 when Yahweh ^H3068 was about ^H1961 to take ^H5927 up ^H5927 Elijah ^H452 by a [fn]whirlwind ^H5591 to heaven ^H8064, that Elijah ^H452 went ^H1980 with Elisha ^H477 from Gilgal ^H1537.

2 And Elijah ^H452 said ^H559 to Elisha ^H477, “Stay ^H3427 here ^H6311 please ^H4994, for Yahweh ^H3068 has sent ^H7971 me as far ^H5704 as Bethel ^H1008.” But Elisha ^H477 said ^H559, “As Yahweh ^H3068 lives ^H2416 and as your soul ^H5315 lives ^H2416, I will not forsake ^H5800 you.” So they went ^H3381 down ^H3381 to Bethel ^H1008. 3 Then the sons ^H1121 of the prophets ^H5030 who ^H834 were at Bethel ^H1008 came ^H3318 out ^H3318 to Elisha ^H477 and said ^H559 to him, “Do you know ^H3045 that Yahweh ^H3068 will take ^H3947 away your master ^H113 from over ^H5921 [fn]you today ^H3117?” And he said ^H559, “Yes ^H1571, I know ^H3045; be silent ^H2814.”

4 And Elijah ^H452 said ^H559 to him, “Elisha ^H477, please ^H4994 stay ^H3427 here ^H6311, for Yahweh ^H3068 has sent ^H7971 me to Jericho ^H3405.” But he said ^H559, “As Yahweh ^H3068 lives ^H2416 and as your soul ^H5315 lives ^H2416, I will not forsake ^H5800 you.” So they came ^H935 to Jericho ^H3405. 5 Then the sons ^H1121 of the prophets ^H5030 who ^H834 were at Jericho ^H3405 approached ^H5066 Elisha ^H477 and said ^H559 to him, “Do you know ^H3045 that Yahweh ^H3068 will take ^H3947 away your master ^H113 from over ^H5921 [fn]you today ^H3117?” And he [fn]answered ^H559, “Yes ^H1571, I know ^H3045; be silent ^H2814.” 6 Then Elijah ^H452 said ^H559 to him, “Please ^H4994 stay ^H3427 here ^H6311, for Yahweh ^H3068 has sent ^H7971 me to the Jordan ^H3383.” And he said ^H559, “As Yahweh ^H3068 lives ^H2416 and as your soul ^H5315 lives ^H2416, I will not forsake ^H5800 you.” So the two ^H8147 of them went ^H1980 on.

7 Now fifty ^H2572 men ^H376 of the sons ^H1121 of the prophets ^H5030 went ^H1980 and stood ^H5975 opposite ^H4480 H5048 them at a distance ^H7350, but the two ^H8147 of them stood ^H5975 by the Jordan ^H3383. 8 And Elijah ^H452 took ^H3947 his mantle ^H155 and folded ^H1563 it together ^H1563 and struck ^H5221 the waters ^H4325, and they were divided ^H2673 here ^H2008 and there ^H2008, so that the two ^H8147 of them crossed ^H5674 over ^H5674 on dry ^H2724 ground ^H2724.

9 Now it happened when they crossed ^H5674 over ^H5674, that Elijah ^H452 said ^H559 to Elisha ^H477, “Ask ^H7592 what ^H4100 I shall do ^H6213 for you before ^H2962 I am taken ^H3947 from you.” And Elisha ^H477 said ^H559, “Please ^H4994, let a double ^H8147 portion ^H6310 of your spirit ^H7307 be upon me.” 10 And he said ^H559, “You have asked ^H7592 a hard ^H7185 thing ^H7185. Nevertheless, if ^H518 you see ^H7200 me when I am taken ^H3947 from you, it shall be so ^H3651 for you; but if ^H518 not, it shall not be so.” 11 As they were going ^H1980 along and talking ^H1696, behold ^H2009, there appeared a chariot ^H7393 of fire ^H784 and horses ^H5483 of fire ^H784, and it separated ^H6504 the two ^H8147 of them. And Elijah ^H452 went ^H5927 up ^H5927 by a [fn]whirlwind ^H5591 to heaven ^H8064. 12 And Elisha ^H477 was seeing ^H7200 this and he was crying ^H6817 out ^H6817, “My father ^H1, my father ^H1, the [fn]chariots ^H7393 of Israel ^H3478 and its horsemen ^H6571!” And he saw ^H7200 [fn]Elijah no ^H3808 more ^H5750. Then he took ^H2388 hold ^H2388 of his own clothes ^H899 and tore ^H7167 them in two ^H8147 pieces ^H7168. 13 He also took ^H7311 up ^H7311 the mantle ^H155 of Elijah ^H452 that fell ^H5307 from him and returned ^H7725 and stood ^H5975 by the bank ^H8193 of the Jordan ^H3383. 14 And he took ^H3947 the mantle ^H155 of Elijah ^H452 that fell ^H5307 from him and struck ^H5221 the waters ^H4325 and said ^H559, “Where ^H346 is Yahweh ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Elijah ^H452?” Indeed ^H637, he himself also struck ^H5221 the waters ^H4325, and they were divided ^H2673 here ^H2008 and there ^H2008! And Elisha ^H477 crossed ^H5674 over ^H5674.

Elisha Has the Spirit of Elijah

15 Then the sons ^H1121 of the prophets ^H5030 who ^H834 were at Jericho ^H3405 opposite ^H4480 H5048 him saw ^H7200 him and said ^H559, “The spirit ^H7307 of Elijah ^H452 rests ^H5117 on Elisha ^H477.” And they came ^H935 to meet ^H7122 him and bowed ^H2331 themselves to the ground ^H776 before him.

16 Then they said ^H559 to him, “Behold ^H2009 now ^H4994, there ^H3426 are ^H3426 with your servants ^H5650 fifty ^H2572 excellent ^H2428 men ^H376, please ^H4994 let them go ^H1980 and search ^H1245 for your master ^H113, lest ^H6435 the Spirit ^H7307 of Yahweh ^H3068 has taken ^H5375 him up ^H5375 and cast ^H7993 him on some ^H259 mountain ^H2022 or ^H176 into some ^H259 valley ^H1516.” And he said ^H559, “You shall not send ^H7971.” 17 But when they urged ^H6484 him until ^H5704 he was ^H954 ashamed ^H954, he said ^H559, “Send ^H7971.” They sent ^H7971 therefore fifty ^H2572 men ^H376; and they searched ^H1245 three ^H7969 days ^H3117 but did not find ^H4672 him. 18 So they returned ^H7725 to him while he was staying ^H3427 at Jericho ^H3405; and he said ^H559 to them, “Did I not say ^H559 to you, ‘Do not go ^H1980’?”

19 Then the men ^H376 of the city ^H5892 said ^H559 to Elisha ^H477, “Behold ^H2009 now, the habitat ^H4186 of this city ^H5892 is pleasant ^H2896, as my lord ^H113 sees ^H7200; but the water ^H4325 is bad ^H7451 and the land ^H776 [fn]is ^H7921 unfruitful ^H7921.” 20 And he said ^H559, “Bring ^H3947 me a new ^H2319 jar ^H6746, and put ^H7760 salt ^H4417 [fn]in it.” So they brought ^H3947 it to him. 21 And he went ^H3318 out ^H3318 to the spring ^H4161 of water ^H4325 and threw ^H7993 salt ^H4417 [fn]in it and said ^H559, “Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, ‘I have [fn]purified ^H7495 these ^H428 waters ^H4325; there shall not be from there ^H8033 death ^H4194 or barrenness ^H7921 any ^H5750 longer ^H5750.’” 22 So the waters ^H4325 have been [fn]purified ^H7495 to this ^H2088 day ^H3117, according to the word ^H1697 of Elisha ^H477 which ^H834 he spoke ^H1696.

23 Then he went ^H5927 up ^H5927 from there ^H8033 to Bethel ^H1008; and as he was going ^H5927 up ^H5927 by the way ^H1870, young ^H6996 boys ^H5288 came ^H3318 out ^H3318 from the city ^H5892 and mocked ^H7046 him and said ^H559 to him, “Go ^H5927 up ^H5927, you baldhead ^H7142; go ^H5927 up ^H5927, you baldhead ^H7142!” 24 Then he looked ^H6437 behind ^H310 him and saw ^H7200 them. And he cursed ^H7043 them in the name ^H8034 of Yahweh ^H3068. Then two ^H8147 female bears ^H1677 came ^H3318 out ^H3318 of the woods ^H3293 and tore ^H1234 up ^H1234 forty-two ^H705 H8147 lads ^H3206 of [fn]their number. 25 And he went ^H1980 from there ^H8033 to Mount ^H2022 Carmel ^H3760, and from there ^H8033 he returned ^H7725 to Samaria ^H8111.