2 Kings 2:1-3

Elijah Makes a Swift Departure

2:1 Just before ¹  the Lord took Elijah up to heaven in a windstorm, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal. 2:2 Elijah told Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” ²  But Elisha said, “As certainly as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 2:3 Some members of the prophetic guild ³  in Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that today the Lord is going to take your master from you?” ⁴  He answered, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”

2 Kings 2:11

2:11 As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a fiery chariot ⁵  pulled by fiery horses appeared. ⁶  They went between Elijah and Elisha, ⁷  and Elijah went up to heaven in a windstorm.

[2:1]  ¹ tn Or “when.”

[2:2]  ² map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[2:3]  ³ tn Heb “the sons of the prophets.”

[2:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “from your head.” The same expression occurs in v. 5.

[2:11]  ⁵ tn Though the noun is singular here, it may be collective, in which case it could be translated “chariots.”

[2:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “look, a chariot of fire and horses of fire.”

[2:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “and they made a division between the two of them.”