וַיְהִי בְּהַעֲלוֹת ה' אֶת־אֵלִיָּהוּ בַּסֳעָרָה הַשָּׁמָיִם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֵלִיָּהוּ וֶאֱלִישָׁע מִן־הַגִּלְגָּל

It was when the Lord would take Elijah up in a storm to the heavens, as will be described below, that Elijah set out with Elisha, his successor, who was now accompanying him wherever he went, from Gilgal.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלִיָּהוּ אֶל־אֱלִישָׁע שֵׁב־נָא פֹה כִּי ה' שְׁלָחַנִי עַד־בֵּית־אֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלִישָׁע חַי־ה' וְחֵי־נַפְשְׁךָ אִם אֶעֶזְבֶךָּ וַיֵּרְדוּ בֵּית־אֵל

Elijah said to Elisha: Please stay here, as the Lord has sent me to Beit El. Elijah wished to depart from the world alone. Elisha said to him, when he realized what was happening: As the Lord lives and by your life, I take an oath that I will not leave you. They went down to Beit El.

וַיֵּצְאוּ בְנֵי־הַנְּבִיאִים אֲשֶׁר־בֵּית־אֵל אֶל־אֱלִישָׁע וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו הֲיָדַעְתָּ כִּי הַיּוֹם ה' לֹקֵחַ אֶת־אֲדֹנֶיךָ מֵעַל רֹאשֶׁךָ וַיֹּאמֶר גַּם־אֲנִי יָדַעְתִּי הֶחֱשׁוּ

The disciples of the prophets, apprentice prophets, who were in Beit El, came out to Elisha and said to him: Do you know that today the Lord is taking your master from upon your head? They compared Elijah’s passing to the removal of a crown from his disciple’s head. He said: Indeed, I too know it; but be silent.

וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אֵלִיָּהוּ אֱלִישָׁע שֵׁב־נָא פֹה כִּי ה' שְׁלָחַנִי יְרִיחוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר חַי־ה' וְחֵי־נַפְשְׁךָ אִם־אֶעֶזְבֶךָּ וַיָּבֹאוּ יְרִיחוֹ

Elijah said to him: Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho. He said: As the Lord lives, and by your life, I will not leave you. They came to Jericho.

וַיִּגְּשׁוּ בְנֵי־הַנְּבִיאִים אֲשֶׁר־בִּירִיחוֹ אֶל־אֱלִישָׁע וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו הֲיָדַעְתָּ כִּי הַיּוֹם ה' לֹקֵחַ אֶת־אֲדֹנֶיךָ מֵעַל רֹאשֶׁךָ וַיֹּאמֶר גַּם־אֲנִי יָדַעְתִּי הֶחֱשׁוּ

The disciples of the prophets who were in Jericho approached Elisha and said to him: Do you know that today the Lord is taking your master from upon your head? He said: Indeed, I know; be silent.

וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אֵלִיָּהוּ שֵׁב־נָא פֹה כִּי ה' שְׁלָחַנִי הַיַּרְדֵּנָה וַיֹּאמֶר חַי־ה' וְחֵי־נַפְשְׁךָ אִם־אֶעֶזְבֶךָּ וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם

Elijah said to him: Please stay here, as the Lord has sent me to the Jordan River. He said: As the Lord lives and by your life, I will not leave you. The two of them went.

וַחֲמִשִּׁים אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים הָלְכוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מִנֶּגֶד מֵרָחוֹק וּשְׁנֵיהֶם עָמְדוּ עַל־הַיַּרְדֵּן

Fifty men of the disciples of the prophets went, and stood opposite from a distance, from where they could watch Elijah and Elisha; and the two of them walked until they stood by the Jordan, where they stopped.

וַיִּקַּח אֵלִיָּהוּ אֶת־אַדַּרְתּוֹ וַיִּגְלֹם וַיַּכֶּה אֶת־הַמַּיִם וַיֵּחָצוּ הֵנָּה וָהֵנָּה וַיַּעַבְרוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם בֶּחָרָבָה

Elijah took his mantle, and he rolled it up so that it would be more firm, and he struck the water with his mantle; it split here and there, and the two of them crossed the Jordan on dry land.

וַיְהִי כְעָבְרָם וְאֵלִיָּהוּ אָמַר אֶל־אֱלִישָׁע שְׁאַל מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה־לָּךְ בְּטֶרֶם אֶלָּקַח מֵעִמָּךְ וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלִישָׁע וִיהִי־נָא פִּי־שְׁנַיִם בְּרוּחֲךָ אֵלָי

It was as they were crossing, and Elijah said to Elisha: Ask what I may do for you, before I am taken from you. What do you want me to give you upon my departure? Elisha said: Please, may twice your spirit be upon me. I wish for double your prophetic power.

וַיֹּאמֶר הִקְשִׁיתָ לִשְׁאוֹל אִם־תִּרְאֶה אֹתִי לֻקָּח מֵאִתָּךְ יְהִי־לְךָ כֵן וְאִם־אַיִן לֹא יִהְיֶה

He, Elijah, said: You have made a difficult request. If you see me taken from you; if you merit to see the moment of my departure, it will be so for you, it will be a sign that your request has been granted; if not, it is a sign that your request will not be granted.

וַיְהִי הֵמָּה הֹלְכִים הָלוֹךְ וְדַבֵּר וְהִנֵּה רֶכֶב־אֵשׁ וְסוּסֵי אֵשׁ וַיַּפְרִדוּ בֵּין שְׁנֵיהֶם וַיַּעַל אֵלִיָּהוּ בַּסֳעָרָה הַשָּׁמָיִם

It was as they were walking, walking and talking, they continued walking on the other side of the Jordan, and behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and descended, and they separated between the two of them, and Elijah went up in a storm to the heavens, as though he were riding on the chariot drawn by horses of fire.

וֶאֱלִישָׁע רֹאֶה וְהוּא מְצַעֵק אָבִי אָבִי רֶכֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל וּפָרָשָׁיו וְלֹא רָאָהוּ עוֹד וַיַּחֲזֵק בִּבְגָדָיו וַיִּקְרָעֵם לִשְׁנַיִם קְרָעִים

Elisha saw this wondrous sight, and he was shouting: My father, my father, a title of respect and affection, you have been the chariot of Israel and its horsemen, the shield of Israel and its strength, but now you have left us! And he did not see him anymore, as Elijah had gone from him. He, Elisha, grasped his garments, and rent them into two pieces to express his immense grief at this loss that would never be filled, like a tear that will never be mended.

וַיָּרֶם אֶת־אַדֶּרֶת אֵלִיָּהוּ אֲשֶׁר נָפְלָה מֵעָלָיו וַיָּשָׁב וַיַּעֲמֹד עַל־שְׂפַת הַיַּרְדֵּן

He lifted Elijah’s mantle that had fallen from upon him when he mounted the fiery chariot, and returned and stood on the bank of the Jordan.

וַיִּקַּח אֶת־אַדֶּרֶת אֵלִיָּהוּ אֲשֶׁר־נָפְלָה מֵעָלָיו וַיַּכֶּה אֶת־הַמַּיִם וַיֹּאמַר אַיֵּה ה' אֱלֹהֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ אַף־הוּא וַיַּכֶּה אֶת־הַמַּיִם וַיֵּחָצוּ הֵנָּה וָהֵנָּה וַיַּעֲבֹר אֱלִישָׁע

He took Elijah’s mantle that had fallen from upon him and struck the water; he said: Where is the Lord, God of Elijah? Although Elijah is no longer here, God is certainly present. Even he, Elisha, was capable of performing this miracle, and as he struck the water, it split here and there and Elisha crossed the Jordan.

וַיִּרְאֻהוּ בְנֵי־הַנְּבִיאִים אֲשֶׁר־בִּירִיחוֹ מִנֶּגֶד וַיֹּאמְרוּ נָחָה רוּחַ אֵלִיָּהוּ עַל־אֱלִישָׁע וַיָּבֹאוּ לִקְרָאתוֹ וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ־לוֹ אָרְצָה

The disciples of the prophets who were in Jericho opposite the Jordan saw him crossing the river, and they said: The spirit of Elijah has rested upon Elisha. Elisha has received Elijah’s power, and therefore he is performing miracles like his master. They came to meet him, and they prostrated themselves to him on the ground.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו הִנֵּה־נָא יֵשׁ־אֶת־עֲבָדֶיךָ חֲמִשִּׁים אֲנָשִׁים בְּנֵי־חַיִל יֵלְכוּ־נָא וִיבַקְשׁוּ אֶת־אֲדֹנֶיךָ פֶּן־נְשָׂאוֹ רוּחַ ה' וַיַּשְׁלִכֵהוּ בְּאַחַד הֶהָרִים אוֹ בְּאַחַת הַגֵּאָיוֹת וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא תִשְׁלָחוּ

They said to him: Behold now, among your servants are fifty competent men. Let them go now and seek your master, lest the spirit of the Lord has carried him, and cast him on one of the mountains, or in one of the valleys. Perhaps he has been carried by a wind, but is still in this world. He said: Do not send.

וַיִּפְצְרוּ־בוֹ עַד־בֹּשׁ וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁלָחוּ וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ חֲמִשִּׁים אִישׁ וַיְבַקְשׁוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה־יָמִים וְלֹא מְצָאֻהוּ

They implored him until it was awkward for Elisha to deny their request, as though his command not to look for Elijah indicated that he wished to be rid of his master, and so he said: Send. They sent fifty men, and they sought for three days, but they did not find him.

וַיָּשֻׁבוּ אֵלָיו וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב בִּירִיחוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם הֲלוֹא־אָמַרְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם אַל־תֵּלֵכוּ

They returned to him, and he, Elisha, was staying in Jericho; he said to them: Did I not say to you: Do not go? Clearly I was correct.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר אֶל־אֱלִישָׁע הִנֵּה־נָא מוֹשַׁב הָעִיר טוֹב כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲדֹנִי רֹאֶה וְהַמַּיִם רָעִים וְהָאָרֶץ מְשַׁכָּלֶת

The people of the city of Jericho said to Elisha: Please behold, living in this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; it is comfortable to live here, as it is not too hot and the soil is fertile, but the water is bad and undrinkable, and the land causes bereavement, as its water causes people to die.

וַיֹּאמֶר קְחוּ־לִי צְלֹחִית חֲדָשָׁה וְשִׂימוּ שָׁם מֶלַח וַיִּקְחוּ אֵלָיו

He said: Bring me a new bottle and put salt there. They brought it to him.

וַיֵּצֵא אֶל־מוֹצָא הַמַּיִם וַיַּשְׁלֶךְ־שָׁם מֶלַח וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה־אָמַר ה' רִפִּאתִי לַמַּיִם הָאֵלֶּה לֹא־יִהְיֶה מִשָּׁם עוֹד מָוֶת וּמְשַׁכָּלֶת

He went to the water source, and he cast salt there, and said: So said the Lord: I have cured this water; there will not be death and bereavement from there any longer. The fact that by nature the salt should have worsened the quality of the water served to emphasize the miracle.

וַיֵּרָפוּ הַמַּיִם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה כִּדְבַר אֱלִישָׁע אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר

The water was cured, and the waters of Jericho remain pure to this day, in accordance with the word of Elisha that he spoke.

וַיַּעַל מִשָּׁם בֵּית־אֵל וְהוּא עֹלֶה בַדֶּרֶךְ וּנְעָרִים קְטַנִּים יָצְאוּ מִן־הָעִיר וַיִּתְקַלְּסוּ־בוֹ וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ עֲלֵה קֵרֵחַ עֲלֵה קֵרֵחַ

He went up from there to the direction of Beit El. He was going up on the way, and small lads, or adults who behaved like children by seeking to provoke Elisha or take revenge against him, emerged from the city, and they mocked him; they said to him: Go up, bald one, go up, bald one. It is unknown whether Elisha was indeed bald. Apparently, these children wished to accentuate the difference between him and his master. Elijah was known as a hairy man (1:8), whereas Elisha had sparse hair or none at all.

וַיִּפֶן אַחֲרָיו וַיִּרְאֵם וַיְקַלְלֵם בְּשֵׁם ה'וַתֵּצֶאנָה שְׁתַּיִם דֻּבִּים מִן־הַיַּעַר וַתְּבַקַּעְנָה מֵהֶם אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁנֵי יְלָדִים

The lads pursued Elisha, continuing to mock him. He turned behind him and saw them; the prophet understood their true nature, and he, Elisha, cursed them in the name of the Lord, stating that calamity should befall them. Two bears emerged from the forest, who had perhaps lost their cubs, and they mauled forty-two children from them.

וַיֵּלֶךְ מִשָּׁם אֶל־הַר הַכַּרְמֶל וּמִשָּׁם שָׁב שֹׁמְרוֹן

He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.