Elijah Taken Up to Heaven
1When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; 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.” So they went down to Bethel.
3The company 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.”
4Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.”
And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
5The company 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.”
6Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.”
And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.
7Fifty 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. 8Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9When 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 portion of your spirit,” 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.”
11As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.
13Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck 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.
15The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit 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 of the Lord has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”
“No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”
17But they persisted until he was too embarrassed to refuse. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. 18When 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
19The 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.
21Then he went out to the spring and threw 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.’ ” 22And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.
Elisha Is Jeered
23From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” 24He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. 25And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.
Eliya Achukuliwa Mbinguni
12:1 Mwa 5:24; 1Fal 19:16Wakati Bwana alipokuwa karibu kumchukua Eliya mbinguni kwa upepo wa kisulisuli, Eliya na Elisha walikuwa njiani wakitoka Gilgali. 22:2 Rut 1:16Eliya akamwambia Elisha, “Kaa hapa. Bwana amenituma Betheli.”
Lakini Elisha akasema, “Kwa hakika, kama Bwana aishivyo na wewe uishivyo, sitakuacha.” Kwa hiyo wakaenda Betheli pamoja.
32:3 1Sam 10:5Wana wa manabii waliokuwako huko Betheli wakamjia Elisha na kumuuliza, “Je, unajua ya kwamba Bwana atakuondolea bwana wako leo?”
Elisha akawajibu, “Ndiyo, najua, lakini msizungumze juu ya jambo hilo.”
42:4 Yos 3:16Kisha Eliya akamwambia, “Baki hapa, Elisha. Bwana amenituma Yeriko.”
Naye akajibu, “Kwa hakika kama Bwana aishivyo na wewe uishivyo, sitakuacha.” Hivyo wakaenda Yeriko.
52:5 2Fal 2:3Wana wa manabii waliokuwako huko Yeriko wakamwendea Elisha na kumuuliza, “Je, unajua ya kwamba Bwana atakuondolea bwana wako leo?”
Akawajibu, “Ndiyo, najua, lakini msizungumze juu ya jambo hilo.”
62:6 Yos 3:15Kisha Eliya akamwambia, “Kaa hapa. Bwana amenituma kwenda Yordani.”
Naye akamjibu, “Kwa hakika kama Bwana aishivyo na wewe uishivyo, sitakuacha.” Hivyo wote wawili wakaendelea pamoja.
7Wana hamsini wa manabii wakaenda na kusimama kwa mbali, kuelekea mahali ambapo Eliya na Elisha walikuwa wamesimama kando ya Mto Yordani. 82:8 Kut 14:21Eliya akachukua vazi lake, akalisokota na kupiga nalo maji. Maji yakagawanyika upande wa kuume na upande wa kushoto, nao wawili wakavuka pakavu.
92:9 Kum 21:17; Hes 11:17Walipokwisha kuvuka, Eliya akamwambia Elisha, “Niambie, nikufanyie nini kabla sijaondolewa kutoka kwako?”
Elisha akajibu, “Naomba nirithi sehemu maradufu ya roho yako.”
10Eliya akasema, “Umeomba jambo gumu. Lakini kama utaniona wakati ninapoondolewa kutoka kwako litakuwa lako. La sivyo, hautalipata.”
112:11 2Fal 6:17; Za 104:3, 4Walipokuwa wakitembea pamoja na kuzungumza, ghafula gari la moto na farasi wa moto vilitokea na kuwatenganisha wao wawili, naye Eliya akapanda mbinguni katika upepo wa kisulisuli. 122:12 2Fal 13:14; Mwa 37:29Elisha aliona hili, naye akapaza sauti, “Baba yangu! Baba yangu! Magari ya Israeli na wapanda farasi wake!” Naye Elisha hakumwona tena. Kisha akazishika nguo zake mwenyewe na kuzirarua.
13Akaliokota lile vazi lililoanguka kutoka kwa Eliya, kisha akarudi na kusimama ukingoni mwa Yordani. 142:14 1Fal 19:19Ndipo akalichukua lile vazi ambalo lilikuwa limeanguka kutoka kwa Eliya, naye akayapiga yale maji nalo. Akauliza, “Yuko wapi sasa Bwana, Mungu wa Eliya?” Elisha alipoyapiga maji, yakagawanyika kulia na kushoto, naye akavuka.
152:15 1Sam 10:5; Hes 11:17Wale wana wa manabii kutoka Yeriko waliokuwa wakitazama wakasema, “Roho wa Eliya inamkalia Elisha.” Nao wakaenda kumlaki na kusujudu hadi nchi mbele yake. 162:16 1Fal 18:12; Mdo 8:39Wakasema, “Tazama, sisi watumishi wako tunao watu hamsini wenye uwezo. Waruhusu waende kumtafuta bwana wako. Labda Roho wa Bwana amemtwaa na kumweka katika mlima fulani au bonde fulani.”
Elisha akajibu, “Hapana, msiwatume.”
172:17 Amu 3:25Lakini wakasisitiza, mpaka akaona aibu kuwakatalia. Hivyo akasema, “Watumeni.” Nao wakawatuma watu hamsini, wakamtafuta kwa siku tatu, lakini hawakumpata. 18Walipomrudia Elisha, ambaye alikuwa akingojea huko Yeriko, akawaambia, “Je, sikuwaambia msiende?”
Kuponywa Kwa Maji
19Watu wa mji wakamwambia Elisha, “Tazama, bwana wetu, mahali mji huu ulipojengwa ni pazuri, kama bwana wangu aonavyo, lakini maji yake ni mabaya, na nchi haizai.”
20Akasema, “Nileteeni bakuli mpya, mweke chumvi ndani yake.” Kwa hiyo wakamletea.
212:21 Kut 15:25; 2Fal 4:41; 6:6Kisha akaenda kwenye chemchemi na kuitupa ile chumvi ndani yake, akisema, “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: ‘Nimeyaponya maji haya. Kamwe hayatasababisha mauti tena wala kutozaa.’ ” 222:22 Kut 15:22Nayo yale maji yakaponywa mpaka leo, sawasawa na neno la Elisha alilokuwa amesema.
Elisha Anafanyiwa Mzaha
232:23 2Nya 30:10; Za 31:18Kutoka huko Elisha akakwea kwenda Betheli. Ikawa alipokuwa akitembea barabarani, baadhi ya vijana wakatoka mjini na kumfanyia mzaha. Wakasema, “Paa, wewe mwenye upaa! Paa, wewe mwenye upaa!” 242:24 Mwa 4:11; Kum 18:19Akageuka, akawatazama na kuwalaani kwa Jina la Bwana. Kisha dubu wawili wa kike wakatokea mwituni na kuwararua vijana arobaini na wawili miongoni mwao. 25Naye akaondoka huko, akaenda Mlima Karmeli, na kutoka huko akarudi Samaria.
