2 Kings 2

Elijah Taken to Heaven

1 And it came to pass, when the LORD was about to a take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with b Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Then Elijah said to Elisha, c "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and d as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they went down to Bethel. 3 Now e the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master 1 from over you today?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent!"

4 Then Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they came to Jericho. 5 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?" So he answered, "Yes, I know; keep silent!"

6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So the two of them went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and f it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry g ground.

9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." 10 So he said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so." 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly h a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah i went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, j "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the water, k it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

15 Now when the sons of the prophets who were l from 2 Jericho saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him. 16 Then they said to him, "Look now, there are fifty strong men with your servants. Please let them go and search for your master, m lest perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley." And he said, "You shall not send anyone." 17 But when they urged him till he was n ashamed, he said, "Send them!" Therefore they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days but did not find him. 18 And when they came back to him, for he had stayed in Jericho, he said to them, "Did I not say to you, 'Do not go'?"

19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren." 20 And he said, "Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it." So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the source of the water, and o cast in the salt there, and said, "Thus says the LORD: 'I have 3 healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.' " 22 So the water remains p healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

23 Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!" 24 So he turned around and looked at them, and q pronounced a curse on them in the name of the LORD. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. 25 Then he went from there to r Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

  1. Cross References
    Genesis 5:24
    And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
    Hebrews 11:5
    By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
  2. Cross References
    1 Kings 19:16 - 21
    Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.
  3. Cross References
    Ruth 1:15
    And she said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.
    Ruth 1:16
    But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.
  4. Cross References
    1 Samuel 1:26
    And she said, "O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the LORD.
    2 Kings 2:4
    Then Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho." But he said, " As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they came to Jericho.
    2 Kings 2:6
    Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan." But he said, " As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So the two of them went on.
    2 Kings 4:30
    And the mother of the child said, " As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her.
  5. Cross References
    1 Kings 20:35
    Now a certain man of the sons of the prophets s...
    2 Kings 2:5
    Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jerich...
    2 Kings 2:7
    And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went ...
    2 Kings 2:15
    Now when the sons of the prophets who were from...
    2 Kings 4:1
    A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the...
    2 Kings 4:38
    And Elisha returned to Gilgal, and there was a ...
    2 Kings 9:1
    And Elisha the prophet called one of the sons o...
  6. Cross References
    Exodus 14:21
    Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.
    Exodus 14:22
    So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
    Joshua 3:16
    That the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
    2 Kings 2:14
    Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.
  7. Cross References
    Joshua 3:17
    Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.
  8. Cross References
    2 Kings 6:17
    And Elisha prayed, and said, "LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
    Psalms 104:4
    Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.
  9. Cross References
    Genesis 5:24
    And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
    Hebrews 11:5
    By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
  10. Cross References
    2 Kings 13:14
    Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, "O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!
  11. Cross References
    2 Kings 2:8
    Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
  12. Cross References
    2 Kings 2:7
    And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan.
  13. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:12
    And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you to a place I do not know; so when I go and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me. But I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth.
    Ezekiel 8:3
    He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which provokes to jealousy.
    Acts 8:39
    Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.
  14. Cross References
    2 Kings 8:11
    Then he set his countenance in a stare until he was ashamed; and the man of God wept.
  15. Cross References
    Exodus 15:25
    So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them.
    Exodus 15:26
    And said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.
    2 Kings 4:41
    So he said, "Then bring some flour." And he put it into the pot, and said, "Serve it to the people, that they may eat." And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
    2 Kings 6:6
    So the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float.
    John 9:6
    When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.
  16. Cross References
    Ezekiel 47:8
    Then he said to me: "This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed.
    Ezekiel 47:9
    And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.
  17. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 27:13 - 26
    And these shall stand on Mount Ebal to curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
  18. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:19
    "Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."
    1 Kings 18:20
    So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
    2 Kings 4:25
    And so she departed, and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel. So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, "Look, the Shunammite woman!
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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