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2 Kings 2
The Voice
2 Kings 2
The Voice
2 Elijah and Elisha were leaving Gilgal when the Eternal One planned to snatch Elijah up into the heavens by the power of a fierce dancing wind.
Elijah (to Elisha): 2 I ask you to remain here. The Eternal has commanded me to go all the way to Bethel.
Elisha: As certain as your own life and the life of the Eternal, I refuse to abandon you.
So the two men traveled down to Bethel together, 3 where Elisha was approached by the prophets’ disciples who lived there.
Prophets’ Disciples: Are you aware that the Eternal One is going to snatch Elijah, your mentor, away from you today?
Elisha: Yes, I am aware of this. I want you to keep quiet about it.
Elijah (to Elisha): 4 I beg you to remain here. The Eternal has commanded me to travel to Jericho.
Elisha: As certain as your own life and the life of the Eternal, I refuse to abandon you.
The two men then traveled to Jericho together, 5 where the prophets’ disciples living in Jericho approached Elisha.
Prophets’ Disciples: Are you aware that the Eternal One is going to snatch your mentor away from you today?
Elisha: Yes, I am aware of this. I want you to keep quiet about it.
Elijah (to Elisha): 6 I beg you to remain here. The Eternal One has commanded me to travel to the Jordan River.
Elisha: As certain as your own life and the life of the Eternal, I refuse to abandon you.
So the two men then traveled to the Jordan River together.
7 While Elijah and Elisha were standing near the Jordan River, 50 of the prophets’ disciples from that area stood at a distance from them on the other side. 8 Elijah removed his cloak and rolled it up; then he struck the water with it, and the water divided. Elijah and Elisha then walked across on dry land. 9 After the two had made it to the other side of the Jordan, Elijah spoke to Elisha.
Elijah: Tell me what it is you would like me to do for you before I am taken away from you.
Elisha: Please, I wish to receive a double portion of your spirit. As your successor, I want to have twice the portion of your power.
Elijah: 10 What you have requested of me is challenging, but it will be done if you witness my departure. But if you do not watch, then you will not have your double portion.
11 Now as the two continued walking along and talking as they normally did, something incredible happened. A blazing chariot pulled by blazing horses stormed down from the heavens and came between Elijah and Elisha. Then Elijah was swept up into heaven by the fiery storm. 12 Elisha witnessed this amazing spectacle.
Elisha: My father, O my father! The chariots and riders of Israel!
Elijah and Enoch (Genesis 5:24) are the only two men in the Bible to leave earth while they are still alive. Although they are separated by centuries of time, both men are inseparable from God, and both leave quite a legacy: Elijah’s successor, Elisha, continues his mentor’s work, even calling out Elijah’s name for help. Enoch’s son, Methuselah, lives longer than anyone else ever has, which is proof that he, too, lives properly.
Elisha never saw Elijah again. Elisha grabbed the clothes he was wearing, and he ripped them in half. 13-14 He picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had dropped to the ground when he was taken up into heaven, and then he went back to the Jordan riverbank and stood. He struck the water with the cloak.
Elisha: Where is the Eternal One? Where is Elijah’s True God?
After Elisha struck the water, the Jordan River divided, just as when Elijah had struck the waters. Elisha then walked across on dry land.
15 The prophets’ disciples at Jericho standing on the opposite shore were watching this.
Prophets’ Disciples: Elijah’s powerful spirit now rests upon Elisha. Elijah’s cloak now clothes Elisha.
Then the prophets’ disciples at Jericho approached Elisha and humbled themselves before him.
Prophets’ Disciples: 16 There are 50 strong men along with us, your servants, who could go looking for your mentor. Perhaps the Spirit of the Eternal inside the whirlwind swept Elijah up into heaven and left him on some mountaintop or in some valley of the lowlands.
Elisha: That won’t be necessary.
17 But they kept asking his permission for a search, and he felt ashamed, so he finally agreed. They sent out a search party of 50 men who spent three days looking for Elijah, but they found no trace of him. 18 The search party came back to Elisha while he was still in Jericho.
Elisha: I told you not to go. He’s gone from the earth.
Men of Jericho: 19 Life is pleasant in this city; and as you can see, the city is in an advantageous location, except for the water. It’s contaminated, so the land is barren.
Elisha: 20 Fetch me a new bowl, and pour some salt into it.
So they brought him the bowl with the salt he had requested. 21 He then walked outside to the water spring and tossed some salt into it.
Elisha: This is the Eternal’s message: “This water is now entirely pure. It will no longer bring death or cause the earth to be barren.”
22 This water has been potable ever since, just as Elisha said.
23 Elisha then traveled north to Bethel retracing his last steps with Elijah. On his way there, a large group of young boys came out of the city and began making fun of him: “Keep going, baldy! Keep going, baldy!” 24 When Elisha looked back at them, he spoke against them by the authority of the Eternal. Almost immediately, 2 female bears walked out of the forest and ripped up 42 of the young boys. 25 Elisha then returned to Mount Carmel, and he went back to Samaria.
2 Kings 2
New International Version
2 Kings 2
New International Version
Elijah Taken Up to Heaven
2 When the Lord was about to take(A) Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind,(B) Elijah and Elisha(C) were on their way from Gilgal.(D) 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here;(E) the Lord has sent me to Bethel.”
But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.”(F) So they went down to Bethel.
3 The company(G) of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”
4 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.(H)”
And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
5 The company(I) of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here;(J) the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.”(K)
And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.”(L) So the two of them walked on.
7 Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak,(M) rolled it up and struck(N) the water with it. The water divided(O) to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry(P) ground.
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”
“Let me inherit a double(Q) portion of your spirit,”(R) Elisha replied.
10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”
11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire(S) and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven(T) in a whirlwind.(U) 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots(V) and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore(W) it in two.
13 Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak(X) that had fallen from Elijah and struck(Y) the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.
15 The company(Z) of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit(AA) of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 16 “Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit(AB) of the Lord has picked him up(AC) and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”
“No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”
17 But they persisted until he was too embarrassed(AD) to refuse. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. 18 When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
Healing of the Water
19 The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”
20 “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.
21 Then he went out to the spring and threw(AE) the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” 22 And the water has remained pure(AF) to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.
Elisha Is Jeered
23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered(AG) at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse(AH) on them in the name(AI) of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. 25 And he went on to Mount Carmel(AJ) and from there returned to Samaria.
The Voice (VOICE)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.