1And it came to pass when the LORD was taking Elijah up to heaven in a tempest that Elijah and Elisha set out from Gilgal.2Elijah said to Elisha, "Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.3The sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD is taking your lord from over your head today?" And he said, "I also know; be silent."4Elijah said to him, "Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho.5The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD is taking your lord from over your head today?" And he said, "I also know; be silent."6Elijah said to him, "Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on.7Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance opposite them, while the two of them stood by the Jordan.8Elijah took his cloak and folded it and struck the water; the water divided here and there, and the two of them crossed on dry ground.9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I may do for you before I am taken from you." Elisha answered, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me."10He said, "You have made it hard to ask; if you see me taken from you, let it be so for you; but if not, it will not be."11As they were going along and speaking, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire, and they separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by the tempest into the heaven.12Elisha was seeing, and he was crying, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" And he did not see him still. Then he took hold of his garments and tore them into two rags.13He lifted up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him, and he returned and stood upon the lip of the Jordan.14He took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water and said, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" And he also struck the water, and it divided here and there, and Elisha crossed.15The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him from before, and they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests upon Elisha." And they came to meet him and bowed to him to the ground.16They said to him, "Behold now, there are with your servants fifty men, sons of strength; let them go, please, and seek your lord, lest the spirit of the LORD has lifted him and cast him upon one of the mountains or in one of the valleys." He said, "Do not send."17But they urged him until he was ashamed, so he said, "Send them." They sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him.18When they returned to him while he was staying in Jericho, he said to them, "Did I not say to you, Do not go?"