The Divided Kingdom

And it cometh to pass, at Jehovah's taking up Elijah in a whirlwind to the heavens, that Elijah goeth, and Elisha, from Gilgal,

and Elijah saith unto Elisha, `Abide, I pray thee, here, for Jehovah hath sent me unto Beth-El;' and Elisha saith, `Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth, if I leave thee;' and they go down to Beth-El.

And sons of the prophets who are in Beth-El come out unto Elisha, and say unto him, `Hast thou known that to-day Jehovah is taking thy lord from thy head?' and he saith, `I also have known--keep silent.'

And Elijah saith to him, `Elisha, abide, I pray thee, here, for Jehovah hath sent me to Jericho;' and he saith, `Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth, if I leave thee;' and they come in to Jericho.

And sons of the prophets who are in Jericho come nigh unto Elisha, and say unto him, `Hast thou known that to-day Jehovah is taking thy lord from thy head?' and he saith, `I also have known--keep silent.'

And Elijah saith to him, `Abide, I pray thee, here, for Jehovah hath sent me to the Jordan;' and he saith, `Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth, if I leave thee;' and they go on both of them,

--and fifty men of the sons of the prophets have gone on, and stand over-against afar off--and both of them have stood by the Jordan.

And Elijah taketh his robe, and wrappeth it together, and smiteth the waters, and they are halved, hither and thither, and they pass over both of them on dry land.

And it cometh to pass, at their passing over, that Elijah hath said unto Elisha, `Ask, what do I do for thee before I am taken from thee?' and Elisha saith, `Then let there be, I pray thee, a double portion of thy spirit unto me;'

and he saith, `Thou hast asked a hard thing; if thou dost see me taken from thee, it is to thee so; and if not, it is not.'

And it cometh to pass, they are going, going on and speaking, and lo, a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and they separate between them both, and Elijah goeth up in a whirlwind, to the heavens.

And Elisha is seeing, and he is crying, `My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and its horsemen;' and he hath not seen him again; and he taketh hold on his garments, and rendeth them into two pieces.

And he taketh up the robe of Elijah, that fell from off him, and turneth back and standeth on the edge of the Jordan,

and he taketh the robe of Elijah that fell from off him, and smiteth the waters, and saith, `Where is Jehovah, God of Elijah--even He?' and he smiteth the waters, and they are halved, hither and thither, and Elisha passeth over.

And they see him--the sons of the prophets who are in Jericho--over-against, and they say, `Rested hath the spirit of Elijah on Elisha;' and they come to meet him, and bow themselves to him to the earth,

and say unto him, `Lo, we pray thee, there are with thy servants fifty men, sons of valour: let them go, we pray thee, and they seek thy lord, lest the Spirit of Jehovah hath taken him up, and doth cast him on one of the hills, or into one of the valleys;' and he saith, `Ye do not send.'

And they press upon him, till he is ashamed, and he saith, `Send ye;' and they send fifty men, and they seek three days, and have not found him;

and they turn back unto him--and he is abiding in Jericho--and he saith unto them, `Did I not say unto you, Do not go?'

And the men of the city say unto Elisha, `Lo, we pray thee, the site of the city is good, as my lord seeth, and the waters are bad, and the earth sterile.'

And he saith, `Bring to me a new dish, and place there salt;' and they bring it unto him,

and he goeth out unto the source of the waters, and casteth there salt, and saith, `Thus said Jehovah, I have given healing to these waters; there is not thence any more death and sterility.'

And the waters are healed unto this day, according to the word of Elisha, that he spake.

And he goeth up thence to Beth-El, and he is going up in the way, and little youths have come out from the city, and scoff at him, and say to him, `Go up, bald-head! go up, bald-head!'

And he looketh behind him, and seeth them, and declareth them vile in the name of Jehovah, and two bears come out of the forest, and rend of them forty and two lads.

And he goeth thence unto the hill of Carmel, and thence he hath turned back to Samaria.