The Lord Takes Elijah Away
1 Not long before the Lord took Elijah up into heaven in a strong wind, Elijah and Elisha were leaving Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “The Lord wants me to go to Bethel, but you must stay here.”
Elisha replied, “I swear by the living Lord and by your own life that I will stay with you no matter what!” And he went with Elijah to Bethel.
3 A group of prophets who lived there asked Elisha, “Do you know that today the Lord is going to take away your master?”
“Yes, I do,” Elisha answered. “But don't remind me of it.”
4 Elijah then said, “Elisha, now the Lord wants me to go to Jericho, but you must stay here.”
Elisha replied, “I swear by the living Lord and by your own life, that I will stay with you no matter what!” And he went with Elijah to Jericho.
5 A group of prophets who lived there asked Elisha, “Do you know that today the Lord is going to take away your master?”
“Yes, I do,” Elisha answered. “But don't remind me of it.”
6 Elijah then said to Elisha, “Now the Lord wants me to go to the Jordan River, but you must stay here.”
Elisha replied, “I swear by the living Lord and by your own life that I will never leave you!” So the two of them walked on together.
7 Fifty prophets followed Elijah and Elisha from Jericho, then stood at a distance and watched as the two men walked toward the river. 8 When they got there, Elijah took off his coat, then he rolled it up and struck the water with it. At once a path opened up through the river, and the two of them walked across on dry ground.
9 After they had reached the other side, Elijah said, “Elisha, the Lord will soon take me away. What can I do for you before that happens?”
Elisha answered, “Please give me twice as much of your power as you give the other prophets, so I can be the one who takes your place as their leader.”
10 “It won't be easy,” Elijah answered. “It can happen only if you see me as I am being taken away.”
11 Elijah and Elisha were walking along and talking, when suddenly there appeared between them a flaming chariot pulled by fiery horses. At once, a strong wind took Elijah up into heaven. 12 Elisha saw this and shouted, “Israel's cavalry and chariots have taken my master away!” After Elijah had gone, Elisha tore his clothes in sorrow.
13 Elijah's coat had fallen off, so Elisha picked it up and walked back to the Jordan River. 14 He struck the water with the coat and wondered, “Will the Lord perform miracles for me as he did for Elijah?” As soon as Elisha did this, a dry path opened up through the water, and he walked across.
15 When the prophets from Jericho saw what happened, they said to each other, “Elisha now has Elijah's power.”
They walked over to him, bowed down, 16 and said, “There are 50 strong men here with us. Please let them go look for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the Lord carried him off to some mountain or valley.”
“No,” Elisha replied, “they won't find him.”
17 They kept begging until he was embarrassed to say no. He finally agreed, and the prophets sent the men out. They looked three days for Elijah but never found him. 18 They returned to Jericho, and Elisha said, “I told you that you wouldn't find him.”
Elisha Makes the Water Pure at Jericho
19 One day the people of Jericho said, “Elisha, you can see that our city is in a good spot. But the water from our spring is so bad that it even keeps our crops from growing.”
20 He replied, “Put some salt in a new bowl and bring it to me.”
They brought him the bowl of salt, 21 and he carried it to the spring. He threw the salt into the water and said, “The Lord has made this water pure again. From now on you'll be able to grow crops, and no one will starve.”
22 The water has been fine ever since, just as Elisha said.
Some Boys Make Fun of Elisha
23 Elisha left and headed toward Bethel. Along the way some boys started making fun of him by shouting, “Go away, baldy! Get out of here!”
24 Elisha turned around and stared at the boys. Then he cursed them in the name of the Lord. At once two bears ran out of the woods and ripped to pieces 42 of the boys.
25 Elisha went up to Mount Carmel, then returned to Samaria.
Elija unotolegwa pezhugwi kudzimu
1 Kwakati Yahwe batjibe pejo ngotolela Elija pezhugwi kudzimu nge tjampupudze, Elija na Elisha bakabe bali muzila bedwa ku Giligala. 2 Ngono Elija kati kuna Elisha, “Gala ipapa, ndokukumbila, ngobe Yahwe bandituma ku Bhetele.” Ngono Elisha kati, “Ndotuna na Yahwe banotjila kose nawe nditi, andingakusiye.” Bakadelukila ku Bhetele. 3 Badiyiwana be balebesambeli bakabe bali mu Bhetele bakazha kuna Elisha ngono bakati kunli, “Apa moziba kuti nasi Yahwe banowomutolela tetshi wenyu kene?” Elisha kashandula eti, “Ee ndoziba, koga nyalalani.”
4 Elija kandwa kati, “Elisha gala ipapa, ndokukumbila, ngobe Yahwe bandituma ku Jerikho.” Ngono kashandula eti, “Ndotuna na Yahwe banotjila kose nawe nditi, Andingakusiye.” Ndizo bakayenda ku Jerikho. 5 Badiyiwana be balebesambeli bakabe bali ku Jerikho bakasedzela kuna Elisha bakandwa bakati, “Apa moziba kuti nasi Yahwe banowomutolela tetshi wenyu kene?” Ngono kashandula eti, “Ee ndoziba koga nyalalani.” 6 Ipapo Elija kati kunli, “Gala ipapa, ndokukumbila, ngobe Yahwe bandituma ku Jorodani.” Koga kashandula eti, “Ndotuna na Yahwe banotjila kose nawe nditi, andingakusiye.” Ndizo bubili gwabo bakayenda. 7 Balume bali makumi mashanu (50), bali badiyiwana be balebesambeli bakayenda bakama tjakulenyana nabo, ibo bubili gwabo balimile pa Jorodani. 8 Ipapo Elija katola hazu iye kaipomba ngono kaloba vula nayo, vula ikathubukana, imwe ikabe ku ndzibo mmwe, imwe ikabe ku mmwe, ngono bubili gwabo bakatjuluka na pasi pakawoma.
9 Kwakati batjitjuluka, Elija kadwa Elisha kati, “Kumbila tjaunoshaka ndikuthamila ndisathu atogwa pakuli.” Elisha kashandula eti, “Ndokukumbila, meya iyo ngaipaphiwe kabili mundili.” 10 Ngono kati, “Wakumbila tjithu tjakasima seni, ngono nenguba kwakajalo ha ungandibona pandinowobe nditogwa pakuli, kowoshingikala kujalo mukuli, koga ha usingandibone akutowoshingikala kuijalo.” 11 Koga kwakati batjayenda belebeleka, bona, kukazha koloyi ye moto ne mbizi dze moto ngono dzikabathubukanya bubili gwabo, ngono Elija kayenda pezhugwi kudzimu nge tjampupudze. 12 Elisha kabona ngono kalila kati, “Tate bangu, tate bangu, koloyi dze Iziraela ne bataswi badzo.” Ngono kasitjambone kakale. Ipapo kabhata zwiambalo zwizwe kazwipalula kabili. 13 Ngono katola hazu ya Elija yakabe yawa munli, kashanduka kama pa phili ye Jorodani. 14 Ipapo katola hazu yakabe yawa muna Elija, kaloba vula nayo eti, “Bangayi Yahwe, Ndzimu wa Elija?” Ngono kati asinoloba vula, vula ikathubukana imwe ku ndzibo mmwe imwe ku ndzibo mmwe, ndizo Elisha katjuluka. 15 Badiyiwana be balebesambeli be Jerikho bakabe bakalingilila bakati, “Meya ya Elija igele muna Elisha.” Ngono bakayenda kunonshanganidza, ngono bakathigama pasi mbeli kukwe. 16 Ngono bakandwa bakati, “Bona, iswi balanda babo ti balume bakasima bali makumi mashanu (50), tokumbila tiyende tinoshaka tetshi uwo, pamwe meya ya Yahwe yantola ikanonlashila ku limwe le matombo kene ku mmwe nkuku.” Ngono kati, “Musiyende.” 17 Koga bakankwekweredza kudzina e bhakhwa nge shoni, ngono kati, “Yendani.” Ndizo bakatuma balume bali makumi mashanu, ngono bakanshaka kwe mazhuba matatu koga bakasimbone. 18 Ngono bakabgwilila kunli atjigele mu Jerikho, kati kubali, “Apa andizomubudza kuti musiyende kene?”
Matjenamiso a Elisha
19 Ipapo balume be nzi nkulu bakati kuna Elisha, “Bonani, tetshi wedu, nzi nkulu iwoyu ugele zwakanaka sekwa munobona, koga vula ayitozipa kose ne shango ayitodusa zojiwa.” 20 Kabe eti, “Mundizhisile ndilo tshwa, mulonge mwenyu muili.” Ndizo bakaizhisa kunli. 21 Ipapo kayenda ku nsenya we vula kalashila mwenyu muuli, kati, “Tjinoleba Yahwe etji, ‘Ndalapa vula iyeyi, akutjowobe ne lufu kene kusawana zwizwalo kunowobhuda muili.’ ” 22 Ndizo vula ikapola kuswikila zhuba la nasi, kuyendidzana nge dama lakalebgwa ndi Elisha. 23 Kudwa ipapo Elisha katathila ku Bhetele. Wakati atja yenda ali muzila, kukabhuda balisana mu nzi nkulu benkuwelela beti, “Yenda woko ne bhalo! Yenda woko ne bhalo!” 24 Ngono katjebuka, kati ebabona kabalonga bhiso mu zina la Yahwe. Ndizo kukabhuda bhira hadzi mbili mu ishaka dzikapalulanya balisana bali makumi manna ana babili (42). 25 Kudwa ipapo kayenda ku Dombo le Karimeli, kwakati shule kabgwilila ku Samariya.