The Lord Takes Elijah Away
1 Not long before the Lord took Elijah up into heaven in a strong wind, Elijah and Elisha were leaving Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “The Lord wants me to go to Bethel, but you must stay here.”
Elisha replied, “I swear by the living Lord and by your own life that I will stay with you no matter what!” And he went with Elijah to Bethel.
3 A group of prophets who lived there asked Elisha, “Do you know that today the Lord is going to take away your master?”
“Yes, I do,” Elisha answered. “But don't remind me of it.”
4 Elijah then said, “Elisha, now the Lord wants me to go to Jericho, but you must stay here.”
Elisha replied, “I swear by the living Lord and by your own life, that I will stay with you no matter what!” And he went with Elijah to Jericho.
5 A group of prophets who lived there asked Elisha, “Do you know that today the Lord is going to take away your master?”
“Yes, I do,” Elisha answered. “But don't remind me of it.”
6 Elijah then said to Elisha, “Now the Lord wants me to go to the Jordan River, but you must stay here.”
Elisha replied, “I swear by the living Lord and by your own life that I will never leave you!” So the two of them walked on together.
7 Fifty prophets followed Elijah and Elisha from Jericho, then stood at a distance and watched as the two men walked toward the river. 8 When they got there, Elijah took off his coat, then he rolled it up and struck the water with it. At once a path opened up through the river, and the two of them walked across on dry ground.
9 After they had reached the other side, Elijah said, “Elisha, the Lord will soon take me away. What can I do for you before that happens?”
Elisha answered, “Please give me twice as much of your power as you give the other prophets, so I can be the one who takes your place as their leader.”
10 “It won't be easy,” Elijah answered. “It can happen only if you see me as I am being taken away.”
11 Elijah and Elisha were walking along and talking, when suddenly there appeared between them a flaming chariot pulled by fiery horses. At once, a strong wind took Elijah up into heaven. 12 Elisha saw this and shouted, “Israel's cavalry and chariots have taken my master away!” After Elijah had gone, Elisha tore his clothes in sorrow.
13 Elijah's coat had fallen off, so Elisha picked it up and walked back to the Jordan River. 14 He struck the water with the coat and wondered, “Will the Lord perform miracles for me as he did for Elijah?” As soon as Elisha did this, a dry path opened up through the water, and he walked across.
15 When the prophets from Jericho saw what happened, they said to each other, “Elisha now has Elijah's power.”
They walked over to him, bowed down, 16 and said, “There are 50 strong men here with us. Please let them go look for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the Lord carried him off to some mountain or valley.”
“No,” Elisha replied, “they won't find him.”
17 They kept begging until he was embarrassed to say no. He finally agreed, and the prophets sent the men out. They looked three days for Elijah but never found him. 18 They returned to Jericho, and Elisha said, “I told you that you wouldn't find him.”
Elisha Makes the Water Pure at Jericho
19 One day the people of Jericho said, “Elisha, you can see that our city is in a good spot. But the water from our spring is so bad that it even keeps our crops from growing.”
20 He replied, “Put some salt in a new bowl and bring it to me.”
They brought him the bowl of salt, 21 and he carried it to the spring. He threw the salt into the water and said, “The Lord has made this water pure again. From now on you'll be able to grow crops, and no one will starve.”
22 The water has been fine ever since, just as Elisha said.
Some Boys Make Fun of Elisha
23 Elisha left and headed toward Bethel. Along the way some boys started making fun of him by shouting, “Go away, baldy! Get out of here!”
24 Elisha turned around and stared at the boys. Then he cursed them in the name of the Lord. At once two bears ran out of the woods and ripped to pieces 42 of the boys.
25 Elisha went up to Mount Carmel, then returned to Samaria.
1 Kad Tas Kungs Eliju vētrā gribēja uzņemt debesīs, tad Elija ar Elīsu bija ceļā no Gilgalas. 2 Un Elija sacīja Elīsam: "Lūdzu, paliec šeit, jo Tas Kungs mani ir sūtījis uz Bēteli." Bet Elīsa atbildēja: "Tik tiešām, ka Tas Kungs ir dzīvs un tava dvēsele dzīva, es tevi neatstāšu!" Kad tie abi nogāja uz Bēteli, 3 tad tie praviešu dēli, kuri bija Bētelē, iznāca laukā pie Elīsas un viņam sacīja: "Vai tu arī zini, ka šodien Tas Kungs paņems pāri tavai galvai tavu kungu un aizvedīs projām no tevis?" Un viņš atbildēja: "Es zinu gan, tik cietiet klusu!" 4 Tad Elija viņam sacīja: "Elīsa, lūdzams, paliec šeit, jo Tas Kungs mani ir sūtījis uz Jēriku." Bet tas atbildēja: "Tik tiešām, ka Tas Kungs ir dzīvs un tava dvēsele dzīva, es tevi neatstāšu!" Kad viņi abi gāja uz Jēriku, 5 tad tie praviešu dēli, kas bija Jērikā, piegāja pie Elīsas un viņam sacīja: "Vai tu arī zini, ka šodien Tas Kungs paņems tavu kungu pāri tavai galvai un aizvedīs projām no tevis?" Un viņš atbildēja: "Es zinu gan, tik cietiet klusu!" 6 Tad Elija viņam sacīja: "Lūdzams, paliec šeit, jo Tas Kungs mani ir sūtījis uz Jordānu." Bet tas atbildēja: "Tik tiešām, ka Tas Kungs ir dzīvs un tava dvēsele dzīva, es tevi neatstāšu!" Tā tie abi gāja tālāk. 7 Un piecdesmit vīri no praviešu mācekļiem gāja un nostājās iztālēm viņiem pretī; un tie abi stāvēja pie Jordānas. 8 Tad Elija ņēma savu apmetni, satina to un sita ar to ūdeni, un ūdens pašķīrās uz abām pusēm, tā ka viņi abi pa sausu zemi izgāja cauri. 9 Kad viņi bija cauri izgājuši, tad Elija sacīja Elīsam: "Lūdz, ko man būs tev darīt, iekāms es tieku paņemts projām no tevis!" Un Elīsa atbildēja: "Es lūdzu, lai tavs gars man tiktu dots divkārt!" 10 Un Elija atbildēja: "Tu esi lūdzis grūti izpildāmu lietu; ja tu mani redzēsi, kad es no tevis tikšu aizrauts, tad lai tev tā notiek, bet, ja ne, tad tas nenotiks." 11 Un, kamēr viņi iedami tā sarunājās, redzi, piepeši nāca ugunīgi rati un ugunīgi zirgi, kas tos abus vienu no otra atšķīra; tā Elija vētrā aizbrauca uz debesīm. 12 Kad Elīsa to redzēja, tad viņš skaļi kliedza: "Mans tēvs, mans tēvs! Israēla rati un viņa jātnieki!" Kad viņš to vairs neredzēja, tad viņš sagrāba savas drēbes un saplēsa tās divos gabalos. 13 Un viņš pacēla Elijas apmetni, kas tam bija nokritis, griezās atpakaļ un nostājās Jordānas malā. 14 Un viņš ņēma Elijas apmetni, kas tam bija nokritis, un sita ūdeni un sacīja: "Kur ir Tas Kungs, Elijas Dievs?" Un viņš sita ūdeni, un tas pašķīrās uz abām pusēm, un Elīsa pārgāja pāri. 15 Kad praviešu mācekļi, kas bija Jērikā, viņu iztālēm ieraudzīja, tad tie sacīja: "Elijas gars dus uz Elīsas." Un viņi devās tam pretī un noliecās viņa priekšā līdz zemei. 16 Un tie viņam sacīja: "Redzi, tavu kalpu vidū ir piecdesmit varonīgu vīru; lai tie noiet un meklē tavu kungu, varbūt Tā Kunga Gars ir viņu paņēmis un nometis uz kāda kalna vai kādā ielejā." Bet viņš atbildēja: "Nesūtiet vis!" 17 Bet, kad viņi tam ar varu uzmācās, tā ka viņam vai kauns palika, tad viņš sacīja: "Nu tad sūtiet arī!" Un viņi nosūtīja piecdesmit vīrus, un tie viņu meklēja trīs dienas, bet neatrada. 18 Tad tie atgriezās atpakaļ pie viņa uz Jēriku, kur viņš bija apmeties, un viņš tiem sacīja: "Vai es jums neteicu: neejiet?" 19 Bet pilsētas vīri sacīja Elīsam: "Redzi, šī pilsēta ir gan labi apdzīvojama, kā mans kungs pats to redz, bet ūdens te ir nelāgs un zeme neauglīga." 20 Un viņš sacīja: "Atnesiet man jaunu bļodu un ielieciet tanī sāli." Kad tie viņam to atnesa, 21 tad viņš gāja ārā no pilsētas pie ūdens avota un tur iemeta sāli, un sacīja: "Tā saka Tas Kungs: Es šim ūdenim tagad esmu atņēmis tā ļaunumu; no tā vairs necelsies nedz nāve, nedz neauglība!" 22 Un tā ūdens kļuva veselīgs līdz šai dienai, kā Elīsas vārdi, ko viņš runāja, bija sacījuši. 23 Un no turienes viņš devās augšup uz Bēteli; un, kad viņš vēl pa ceļu gāja augšup, tad mazi puikas bija iznākuši ārā no pilsētas, un tie viņu mēdīja un viņam sacīja: "Nāc augšā, plikgalvi! Nāc augšā, plikgalvi!" 24 Un tad viņš apgriezās un, tos ieraudzījis, nolādēja Tā Kunga Vārdā. Tad divi lāči iznāca no meža, un tie saplosīja no tiem četrdesmit divus zēnus. 25 Un viņš no turienes gāja uz Karmela kalnu, bet no turienes viņš atgriezās atpakaļ Samarijā.
