7. Meanwhile, fifty men from the guild of prophets gathered some distance away while the two of them stood at the Jordan.
8. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and hit the water with it. The river divided and the two men walked through on dry land.
9. When they reached the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “What can I do for you before I’m taken from you? Ask anything.”Elisha said, “Your life repeated in my life. I want to be a holy man just like you.”
10. “That’s a hard one!” said Elijah. “But if you’re watching when I’m taken from you, you’ll get what you’ve asked for. But only if you’re watching.”
15. The guild of prophets from Jericho saw the whole thing from where they were standing. They said, “The spirit of Elijah lives in Elisha!” They welcomed and honored him.
16. They then said, “We’re at your service. We have fifty reliable men here; let’s send them out to look for your master. Maybe God’s spirit has swept him off to some mountain or dropped him into a remote ravine.”Elisha said, “No. Don’t send them.”
17. But they pestered him until he caved in: “Go ahead then. Send them.”So they sent the fifty men off. For three days they looked, searching high and low. Nothing.
18. Finally, they returned to Elisha in Jericho. He told them, “So there—didn’t I tell you?”
19. One day the men of the city said to Elisha, “You can see for yourself, master, how well our city is located. But the water is polluted and nothing grows.”
20. He said, “Bring me a brand-new bowl and put some salt in it.” They brought it to him.
23. Another time, Elisha was on his way to Bethel and some little kids came out from the town and taunted him, “What’s up, old baldhead! Out of our way, skinhead!”
24. Elisha turned, took one look at them, and cursed them in the name of God. Two bears charged out of the underbrush and knocked them about, ripping them limb from limb—forty-two children in all!