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

¹⁵ When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho over against him saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

¹⁶ They said to him, "See now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. Perhaps the Spirit of Yahweh has taken him up, and put him on some mountain, or into some valley. He said, "You shall not send them."

¹⁷ When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, "Send them." They sent therefore fifty men; and they searched for three days, but didn't find him. ¹⁸ They came back to him, while he stayed at Jericho; and he said to them, "Didn't I tell you, 'Don't go?'"

¹⁹ The men of the city said to Elisha, "Behold, please, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land miscarries."

²⁰ He said, "Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it." They brought it to him. ²¹ He went out to the spring of the waters, and threw salt into it, and said, "Thus says Yahweh, 'I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more death or miscarrying.'" ²² So the waters were healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

²³ He went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up by the way, some youths came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him, "Go up, you baldy! Go up, you baldhead!" ²⁴ He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of Yahweh. Two female bears came out of the woods, and mauled forty-two of those youths. ²⁵ He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.