2 Kings 2:15-25 - Elisha Begins His Ministry

¹⁵ And when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

¹⁶ And they said to him, Behold now, there are fifty strong men with thy servants. Let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master, lest the Spirit of LORD has taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he

¹⁷ And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. Therefore they sent fifty men. And they sought three days, but did not find him. ¹⁸ And they came back to him while he remained at Jericho. And he said to them, Did I not say to you, Do not go?

¹⁹ And the men of the city said to Elisha, Behold, we pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the ground barren.

²⁰ And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. ²¹ And he went forth to the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and said, Thus says LORD, I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more death or barren land. ²² So the waters were healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

²³ And he went up from there to Bethel. And as he was going up by the way, there came forth young lads out of the city, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, thou baldhead; go up, thou baldhead. ²⁴ And he looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of LORD. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tore forty-two lads of them. ²⁵ And he went from there to mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.