Elijah Is Taken Up to Heaven
1 The time came for the Lord to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah and Elisha set out from Gilgal, 2 and on the way Elijah said to Elisha, “Now stay here; the Lord has ordered me to go to Bethel.”
But Elisha answered, “I swear by my loyalty to the living Lord and to you that I will not leave you.” So they went on to Bethel.
3 A group of prophets who lived there went to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” Elisha answered. “But let's not talk about it.”
4 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Now stay here; the Lord has ordered me to go to Jericho.”
But Elisha answered, “I swear by my loyalty to the living Lord and to you that I will not leave you.” So they went on to Jericho.
5 A group of prophets who lived there went to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” Elisha answered. “But let's not talk about it.”
6 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Now stay here; the Lord has ordered me to go to the Jordan River.”
But Elisha answered, “I swear by my loyalty to the living Lord and to you that I will not leave you.” So they went on, 7 and fifty of the prophets followed them to the Jordan. Elijah and Elisha stopped by the river, and the fifty prophets stood a short distance away. 8 Then Elijah took off his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the water with it; the water divided, and he and Elisha crossed to the other side on dry ground. 9 There, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what you want me to do for you before I am taken away.”
“Let me receive the share of your power that will make me your successor,” Elisha answered.
10 “That is a difficult request to grant,” Elijah replied. “But you will receive it if you see me as I am being taken away from you; if you don't see me, you won't receive it.”
11 They kept talking as they walked on; then suddenly a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire came between them, and Elijah was taken up to heaven by a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out to Elijah, “My father, my father! Mighty defender of Israel! You are gone!” And he never saw Elijah again.
In grief Elisha tore his cloak in two. 13 Then he picked up Elijah's cloak that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He struck the water with Elijah's cloak and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” Then he struck the water again, and it divided, and he walked over to the other side. 15 The fifty prophets from Jericho saw him and said, “The power of Elijah is on Elisha!” They went to meet him, bowed down before him, 16 and said, “There are fifty of us here, all strong men. Let us go and look for your master. Maybe the spirit of the Lord has carried him away and left him on some mountain or in some valley.”
“No, you must not go,” Elisha answered.
17 But they insisted until he gave in and let them go. The fifty of them went and looked high and low for Elijah for three days, but didn't find him. 18 Then they returned to Elisha, who had waited at Jericho, and he said to them, “Didn't I tell you not to go?”
Miracles of Elisha
19 Some men from Jericho went to Elisha and said, “As you know, sir, this is a fine city, but the water is bad and causes miscarriages.”
20 “Put some salt in a new bowl and bring it to me,” he ordered. They brought it to him, 21 and he went to the spring, threw the salt in the water, and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I make this water pure, and it will not cause any more deaths or miscarriages.’” 22 And that water has been pure ever since, just as Elisha said it would be.
23 Elisha left Jericho to go to Bethel, and on the way some boys came out of a town and made fun of him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they shouted.
24 Elisha turned around, glared at them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys to pieces.
25 Elisha went on to Mount Carmel and later 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.
