Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here. The LORD has sent me to the Jordan River.”
Elisha answered, “As the LORD lives, and as you live, I won’t leave you.”
So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the groups of prophets came and stood far from where Elijah and Elisha were by the Jordan. Elijah took off his coat, rolled it up, and hit the water. The water divided to the right and to the left, and Elijah and Elisha crossed over on dry ground.
After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “What can I do for you before I am taken from you?”
Elisha said, “Leave me a double share of your spirit.”
Elijah said, “You have asked a hard thing. But if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours. If you don’t, it won’t happen.”
As they were walking and talking, a chariot and horses of fire appeared and separated Elijah from Elisha. Then Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw it and shouted, “My father! My father! The chariots of Israel and their horsemen!” And Elisha did not see him anymore. Then Elisha grabbed his own clothes and tore them to show how sad he was.
He picked up Elijah’s coat that had fallen from him. Then he returned and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Elisha hit the water with Elijah’s coat and said, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” When he hit the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and Elisha crossed over.
The groups of prophets at Jericho were watching and said, “Elisha now has the spirit Elijah had.” And they came to meet him, bowing down to the ground before him. They said to him, “There are fifty strong men with us. Please let them go and look for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the LORD has taken Elijah up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”
But Elisha answered, “No, don’t send them.”
When the groups of prophets had begged Elisha until he couldn’t refuse them anymore, he said, “Send them.” So they sent fifty men who looked for three days, but they could not find him. Then they came back to Elisha at Jericho where he was staying. He said to them, “I told you not to go, didn’t I?”
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