1And it came to pass when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.2And Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel." And Elisha said, "As the LORD lives and as your life lasts, I will not leave you." And they went down to Bethel.3And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel went out to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD is taking your lord from over your head?" And he said, "I also know. Be silent."4Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here now, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho." He said, "As the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho.5And the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho came near to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take your lord from over your head?" And he said, "Yes, I know; be silent."6And he said to him, "Elijah, please sit here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." And he said, "As the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." And the two of them went on.7And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood at a distance opposite them, while the two of them stood by the Jordan.8Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the waters, and they divided here and there, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.9And when they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I will do for you before I am taken from you." And Elisha said, "May a double portion of your spirit be upon me."10And he said to Elisha, "This is the hard one: If you see me taken from you, it will be so for you; and if not, it will not be."11And it happened, as they were walking along and talking, that suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah went up in a whirlwind to the heavens.12And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father! My father! Chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" And he did not see him again. Then he grasped his garments and tore them in two.13He picked up Elijah's mantle that had fallen from him, and he went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.14Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters. He said, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah? Even he!" And he struck the waters and they divided here and there, so Elisha crossed over.15And the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho saw him from opposite, and they said, "The spirit of Elijah has rested upon Elisha." And they came to meet him and prostrated themselves to him earthward.16And they said to him, "Look, now there are with your servants fifty strong men. Let them go now and seek your lord, lest the Spirit of the LORD has lifted him and cast him on one of the mountains or into one of the ravines." And he said, "You shall not send."17They urged him until he was ashamed, and he said, "Send them." They sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him.18They returned to him while he was sitting in Jericho, and he said to them, "Did I not say to you, 'Do not go'?"