2 Kings 2

1 Shortly before the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] took Elijah [my God is Jehovah, a famous prophet] up to heaven [the visible universe and the abode of God] in a whirlwind [a strong storm or hurricane], Elijah and Elisha [God is salvation, a fellow prophet] were on their way from Gilgal [a region in Palestine, meaning ‘a wheel, rolling’], word study 2 and Elijah [my God is Jehovah] said to Elisha [God is salvation], “Please [I pray] stay here [in this place], for the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has sent me [as a prophet] on to Bethel [house of God].” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD [the living God] lives [is alive] and as you yourself live [have life], I will not leave [forsake, abandon] you.” So they went down [descended, traveled] to Bethel [the house of God]. word study 3 Then the sons [descendants, prophets in training] of the prophets [those who speak for God] at Bethel [house of God] came out [emerged, departed] to Elisha [God is salvation] and said, “Do you know [are you aware, have you understood] that the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] will take [remove, receive] your master [lord, leader] away from you today [on this day, now]?” “Yes, I know [I am aware, I understand],” he replied. “Do not speak [hold your peace, be silent] of it [this matter, the situation].” word study 4 And Elijah [the prophet, my God is Jehovah] said to Elisha [God is salvation], “Please [I pray thee, if you will] stay here [in this place, tarry], for the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has sent me [to depart, to go] on to Jericho [the city, its moon].” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD [Yehovah, the living God] lives [is alive, has life] and as you yourself live [have life, are alive], I will not leave [forsake, abandon] you.” So they went [came, approached] to Jericho [the city, its moon]. word study 5 Then the sons [descendants, spiritual offspring] of the prophets [those who speak for God] at Jericho [the city of the moon, a place of conquest] came up to Elisha [God is salvation, a prophet of the Lord] and said, “Do you know [are you aware, have you understood] that the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord of Israel] will take [remove, receive] your master [lord, leader] away from you today [on this day, in this present time]?” “Yes, I know [I am aware, I have understood],” he replied. “Do not speak [hold your peace, be silent] of it [this matter, this event].” word study 6 And Elijah [the prophet of God] said to Elisha, “Please [I pray thee] stay here [tarry, remain], for the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has sent [dispatched, commanded] me on to the Jordan [the river, a key location].” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD [the living God] lives [is alive, has life] and as you yourself live [have life, are alive], I will not leave [forsake, abandon] you.” So the two [a pair, both] of them went on [walked, proceeded]. word study 7 Then a company [group, assembly] of fifty [a specific quantity, exactly 50] of the sons [descendants, disciples] of the prophets [those who speak for God, spokespersons] went [to walk, to proceed] and stood [to stand firm, to remain] at a distance [far away, at a remove], facing [before, in front of] Elijah [the prophet, God’s messenger] and Elisha [his disciple, successor] as the two [a pair, a duo] of them stood [to stand firm, to remain] by [upon, near] the Jordan [the river, a boundary]. word study 8 And Elijah [the prophet, my God is Jehovah] took his cloak [mantle, prophet’s garment], rolled it up [wrapping it together, folding], and struck [smote, hit] the waters [source of refreshment, liquid], which parted [divided, split] to the right [hither] and to the left [thither], so that the two [a pair, dual] of them crossed over [passed over, transitioned] on dry ground [barren land, desert]. word study 9 After they had crossed over [to the other side, passed over], Elijah [my God is Jehovah, the prophet] said to Elisha [God is salvation, the prophet], “Tell me [ask what I shall do for thee], what can I do for you [what I shall do for thee] before I am taken away [removed, taken from thee] from you?” “Please [I pray thee, I beseech thee], let me inherit [let there be, have] a double portion [twice as much, a special measure] of your spirit [breath of life, divine influence],” Elisha replied. word study 10 “You have requested [asked for, inquired about] a difficult [hard, severe] thing,” said Elijah [the prophet, God’s messenger]. “Nevertheless [yet, still], if you see [perceive, behold] me as I am taken [removed, lifted up] from you, it will be [shall come to pass, will happen] yours. But if not [it is not so, nothing], then it will not [shall not, is not] be so [thus, in this manner].” word study 11 As they were walking [going on their way, proceeding] along and talking [speaking, conversing] together, suddenly [behold, look] a chariot [vehicle, carriage] of fire [divine, refining flame] with horses [swift, powerful steeds] of fire [fiery, spiritual] appeared [came into view, was seen] and separated [divided, parted] the two of them, and Elijah [my God is Jehovah, the prophet] went up [ascended, was taken] into heaven [the spiritual realm, the sky] in a whirlwind [a tempest, a strong storm]. word study 12 As Elisha [the prophet, God’s messenger] watched, he cried out, “My father [spiritual leader, mentor], my father, the chariots [vehicles of war] and horsemen [cavalry, representatives of Israel’s strength] of Israel [God’s chosen people]!” And he saw Elijah [his master, the prophet] no more [disappeared from sight, gone]. So taking hold of his own clothes [garments, robes], he tore them in two [into rags, as a sign of mourning]. word study 13 Elisha also picked up [the prophet’s] the cloak [mantle] that had fallen [come down, been dropped] from Elijah [my God is Jehovah], and he went back [returned, turned back] and stood [took his position, was established] on the bank [edge, border] of the Jordan [the river, a key location]. word study 14 Then he took the cloak [mantle, prophet’s garment] of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters [with authority, in faith]. “Where now is the LORD [Yehovah, the God of covenant], the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of Elijah?” he asked. And when he had struck the waters, they parted [divided, were separated] to the right and to the left, and Elisha crossed over [passed through, transitioned]. word study 15 When the sons [descendants, spiritual offspring] of the prophets [those who speak for God] who were facing him from Jericho [the city of the moon, a place of spiritual significance] saw what had happened, they said, “The spirit [breath of life, divine presence] of Elijah [my God is Jehovah, a powerful prophet] rests [settles, abides] on Elisha [God is salvation, a faithful servant].” And they went [came, approached] to meet him and bowed down [prostrated themselves, worshipped] to the ground [the earth] before him. word study 16 “Look now [behold, see],” they said to Elisha, “we your servants [bondservants, attendants] have fifty valiant men [strong, mighty warriors]. Please [we pray, if you will] let them go and search for your master [lord, leader]. Perhaps [it may be, lest] the Spirit [breath of God] of the LORD [Yehovah] has taken him up [lifted, carried away] and put him on one of the mountains [hills, high places] or in one of the valleys [lowlands, gorges].” “Do not send [refrain from sending, do not let them go] them,” Elisha replied. word study 17 But when they pressed [urged, insisted] him to the point of embarrassment [ashamed, feeling guilt], he said, “Send [dispatch, let them go] them.” And they sent [dispatched, sent away] fifty [a group of fifty] men, who searched [sought, looked for] for three [a period of three] days but did not find [discover, locate] Elijah. word study 18 When they returned [came back, turned back] to Elisha, who was staying [dwelling, abiding] in Jericho [the city of the moon], he said [spoke, commanded] to them, “Didn’t I [did I not] tell [say, command] you [to you, towards you] not [no, none] to go [walk, proceed]?” word study 19 Then the men [inhabitants, citizens] of the city said to Elisha, “Please note [behold, see], our lord [master, leader], that the city’s location [situation, site] is good [pleasant, favorable], as you can see [as my lord sees]. But the water [source of refreshment] is bad [evil, unwholesome] and the land [earth, territory] is unfruitful [barren, sterile, causing the young of the cattle to come to birth dead].” word study 20 “Bring me a new [fresh, recently created] bowl [jar, cruse],” he replied, “and put [place, set] some salt [pulverized and dissolved, for seasoning] in it [there, in that location].” So they brought [took, got] it to him [toward, towards him], word study 21 and Elisha went out [to come out, depart] to the spring [source of the waters], cast the salt [pulverized salt, seasoning] into it, and said, “This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: ‘I have healed [mended, cured] this water [liquid, source of refreshment]. No longer [not, none] will it cause death [natural or violent end] or unfruitfulness [barrenness, inability to produce]. ’” word study 22 And the waters [healed, made pure] there have been healthy [restored to wholeness, sweet] to this day [until now, as far as], according to the word spoken [spoken message, declaration] by Elisha [God is salvation, the prophet]. word study 23 From there [thence, at that point in time], Elisha went up [to ascend, rise] to Bethel [house of God, a sacred place], and as he was walking up [ascending, going up] the road [way, path], a group of boys [youths, young ones] came out [emerged, went forth] of the city [town, urban area] and jeered at him [mocked, ridiculed], chanting, “Go up [ascend, rise], you baldhead [bald, having no hair on the back of the head]! Go up [ascend, rise], you baldhead [bald, having no hair on the back of the head]!” word study 24 Then he turned around [facing them, looking back], looked at them, and called down a curse [to bring judgment, pronounce a divine sentence] on them in the name [character, reputation, authority] of the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God]. Suddenly two [a pair, a dual number] female bears [wild, fierce animals] came out [emerged, departed] of the woods [forest, wilderness] and mauled [tore, attacked violently] forty-two [a numerous, large group] of the boys [youths, young people]. word study 25 And Elisha went on [to walk, to proceed] to [toward, in the direction of] Mount [a hill] Carmel [a fruitful and plentiful field], and from there [thence, at that point] he returned [to turn back, to come back] to [toward, in the direction of] Samaria [watch mountain, the capital city of Israel]. word study