1. Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.
2. And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber
that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers,
and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of
Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.
3. But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite,
Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria,
and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in
Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?
4. Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down
from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely
die. And Elijah departed.
5. And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto
them, Why are ye now turned back?
6. And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and
said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you,
and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because
there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire
of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come
down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt
surely die.
7. And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came
up to meet you, and told you these words?
8. And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a
girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah
the Tishbite.
9. Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his
fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top
of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king
hath said, Come down.
10. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I
be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and
consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from
heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
11. Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with
his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God,
thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
12. And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of
God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and
thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and
consumed him and his fifty.
13. And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his
fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and
fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said
unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the
life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.
14. Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the
two captains of the former fifties with their fifties:
therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.
15. And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with
him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with
him unto the king.
16. And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou
hast sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of
Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to
enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off
that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
17. So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah
had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second
year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah;
because he had no son.
18. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they
not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of
Israel?
Chapter 2
1. And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into
heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from
Gilgal.
2. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for
the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him,
As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave
thee. So they went down to Bethel.
3. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth
to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD
will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said,
Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
4. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee;
for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the
LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.
So they came to Jericho.
5. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to
Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will
take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered,
Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
6. And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the
LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD
liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And
they two went on.
7. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to
view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
8. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and
smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither,
so that they two went over on dry ground.
9. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah
said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be
taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a
double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
10. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if
thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto
thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
11. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked,
that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses
of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by
a whirlwind into heaven.
12. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the
chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him
no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them
in two pieces.
13. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and
went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
14. And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and
smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah?
and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither
and thither: and Elisha went over.
15. And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at
Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest
on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves
to the ground before him.
16. And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy
servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and
seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD
hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into
some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.
17. And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send.
They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days,
but found him not.
18. And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at
Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?
19. And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray
thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord
seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.
20. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And
they brought it to him.
21. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast
the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have
healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more
death or barren land.
22. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the
saying of Elisha which he spake.
23. And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going
up by the way, there came forth little children out of the
city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald
head; go up, thou bald head.
24. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in
the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out
of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
25. And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he
returned to Samaria.
