2 Kings

以利亚被接升天

1耶和华要用旋风接以利亚升天的时候，以利亚与以利沙从吉甲前往。

2以利亚对以利沙说：「耶和华差我往伯特利去，你可以在这里等候。」以利沙说：「我指着永生的耶和华，又敢在你面前起誓，我必不离开你。」于是二人下到伯特利。

3住伯特利的先知门徒出来见以利沙，对他说：「耶和华今日要接你的师傅离开你，你知道不知道？」他说：「我知道，你们不要作声。」

4以利亚对以利沙说：「耶和华差遣我往耶利哥去，你可以在这里等候。」以利沙说：「我指着永生的耶和华，又敢在你面前起誓，我必不离开你。」于是二人到了耶利哥。

5住耶利哥的先知门徒就近以利沙，对他说：「耶和华今日要接你的师傅离开你，你知道不知道？」他说：「我知道，你们不要作声。」

6以利亚对以利沙说：「耶和华差遣我往约旦河去，你可以在这里等候。」以利沙说：「我指着永生的耶和华，又敢在你面前起誓，我必不离开你。」于是二人一同前往。

7有先知门徒去了五十人，远远地站在他们对面；二人在约旦河边站住。

8以利亚将自己的外衣卷起来，用以打水，水就左右分开，二人走干地而过。

9过去之后，以利亚对以利沙说：「我未曾被接去离开你，你要我为你做什么，只管求我。」以利沙说：「愿感动你的灵加倍地感动我。」

10以利亚说：「你所求的难得。虽然如此，我被接去离开你的时候，你若看见我，就必得着；不然，必得不着了。」

以利亚乘旋风升天

11他们正走着说话，忽有火车火马将二人隔开，以利亚就乘旋风升天去了。

12以利沙看见，就呼叫说：「我父啊！我父啊！以色列的战车马兵啊！」以后不再见他了。于是以利沙把自己的衣服撕为两片。

13他拾起以利亚身上掉下来的外衣，回去站在约旦河边。

14他用以利亚身上掉下来的外衣打水，说：「耶和华—以利亚的 神在哪里呢？」打水之后，水也左右分开，以利沙就过来了。

15住耶利哥的先知门徒从对面看见他，就说：「感动以利亚的灵感动以利沙了。」他们就来迎接他，在他面前俯伏于地，

16对他说：「仆人们这里有五十个壮士，求你容他们去寻找你师傅，或者耶和华的灵将他提起来，投在某山某谷。」以利沙说：「你们不必打发人去。」

17他们再三催促他，他难以推辞，就说：「你们打发人去吧！」他们便打发五十人去，寻找了三天，也没有找着。

18以利沙仍然在耶利哥等候他们回到他那里；他对他们说：「我岂没有告诉你们不必去吗？」

以利沙行的神迹

19耶利哥城的人对以利沙说：「这城的地势美好，我主看见了；只是水恶劣，土产不熟而落。」

20以利沙说：「你们拿一个新瓶来，装盐给我」；他们就拿来给他。

21他出到水源，将盐倒在水中，说：「耶和华如此说：『我治好了这水，从此必不再使人死，也不再使地土不生产。』」

22于是那水治好了，直到今日，正如以利沙所说的。

23以利沙从那里上伯特利去，正上去的时候，有些童子从城里出来，戏笑他说：「秃头的上去吧！秃头的上去吧！」

24他回头看见，就奉耶和华的名咒诅他们。于是有两只母熊从林中出来，撕裂他们中间四十二个童子。

25以利沙从伯特利上迦密山，又从迦密山回到撒马利亚。

Elijah Taken Up to Heaven

1Shortly before the LORD took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal,

2and Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

3Then the sons of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied. “Do not speak of it.”

4And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.

5Then the sons of the prophets at Jericho came up to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied. “Do not speak of it.”

6And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.

7Then a company of fifty of the sons of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing Elijah and Elisha as the two of them stood by the Jordan.

8And Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the waters, which parted to the right and to the left, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

9After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken away from you?” “Please, let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

10“You have requested a difficult thing,” said Elijah. “Nevertheless, if you see me as I am taken from you, it will be yours. But if not, then it will not be so.”

11As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind.

12As Elisha watched, he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And he saw Elijah no more. So taking hold of his own clothes, he tore them in two.

13Elisha also picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah, and he went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.

14Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. And when he had struck the waters, they parted to the right and to the left, and Elisha crossed over.

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

15When the sons of the prophets who were watching him from Jericho saw what had happened, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.

16“Look now,” they said to Elisha, “we your servants have fifty valiant men. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and put him on one of the mountains or in one of the valleys.” “Do not send them,” Elisha replied.

17But when they pressed him to the point of embarrassment, he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find Elijah.

18When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

Elisha Heals the Waters of Jericho

19Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please note, our lord, that the city’s location is good, as you can see. But the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.”

20“Bring me a new bowl,” he replied, “and put some salt in it.” So they brought it to him,

21and Elisha went out to the spring, cast the salt into it, and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will it cause death or unfruitfulness.’”

22And the waters there have been healthy to this day, according to the word spoken by Elisha.

Elisha Mocked

23From there, Elisha went up to Bethel, and as he was walking up the road, a group of boyscame out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”

24Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.

25And Elisha went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.