ELIJAH'S CHARIOT OF FIRE
AFTER the death of Ā́ hăb, his son Ā-ha-zī́ ah reigned for only two years as king of Ĭś̝ ra-el. He fell out of a window in his palace, and was injured so that he died; and as he had no son, his brother, Jē̇-hṓ ram, became king in his place.
The work of Ē-Iī́ jah, the prophet, was now ended, and the Lord was about to take him up to heaven. Ē-lī́ jah and Ē-l̄́ shȧ went together to a place called Gĭĺ găl, not the place beside the river Jôŕ dan where the army of Ĭś̝ ra-el was encamped under Jŏsh́ u-ȧ, but another place of the same name among the mountains, not far from Beth́=el. And Ē̇-lī́ jah said to Ē̇́-lī́ shȧ, "Stay here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me to Bĕth́=el.”
Ē̇-lī́ shȧ knew that Ē̇-lī́ jah would be taken from him very soon, and he said, "As surely as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.”
So Ē̇-lī̇́ jah and Ē̇-lī́ shȧ walked together to Beth' el. At Bĕth́=el were living many worshippers of the Lord, who were called "sons of the prophets," because they followed the teaching of the prophets, and some of them became prophets themselves.
These men came to Ē̇-lī́ shȧ, and said to him, "Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from you very soon?”
And Ē̇-lī́ shȧ answered them "Yes, I know it; but hold your peace; do not speak of it.”
And at Bĕth́=el Ē̇-lī́ jah said to Ē̇-lī́ shȧ again, "Ē̇-lī́ shȧ, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jĕŕ ĭ-chō." But Ē̇-lī́ shȧ answered him, "As surely as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.”
So Ē̇-lī́ jah and Ē̇-lī́ shȧ walked together down the steep road from Bĕth́=el to Jĕŕ ĭ-chō. And at Jĕŕ ĭ-chō the followers of the prophets came to Ē̇-lī́ shȧ and said to him, "Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?”
And he answered them, "Yes, I know it; but hold your peace, and say nothing," And Ē̇-lī́ jah said to him again, "Stay here at Jĕŕ ĭ-chō, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me to the river Jôŕ dan.”
But Ē̇-lī́ shȧ said to Ē̇-lí̄ jah once more, "As surely as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.”
So Ē̇-lī́ jah and Ē̇-lī́ shȧ walked from Jĕŕ ĭ-chō to the river Jôŕ dan, about five miles. About fifty men of the sons of the prophets who lived at Jĕŕ ĭ-chō followed them at a distance. When they came to the bank of Jôŕ dan, Ē̇-lí̄ jah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and struck the waters. Then the waters were divided on each side, and a path was made across the river; and the two prophets walked across on dry ground. And as they walked, Ē̇-lī́ jah said, "Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken away from you.”
Ē̇-lī́ shȧ answered him, "All that I ask is that your spirit shall come upon me in greater power than comes upon any other man.”
And Ē̇-lī́ jah said to him, "You have asked a great blessing; and if you see me when I am taken away, it shall cord to you; but if you do not see me, it shall not come.”
And as they still went on, and talked, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire came between them, and parted them; and Ĕ-lī́ jah went up in a whirlwind on the fiery chariot to heaven. Ē̇-lī́ shȧ saw him going up toward heaven Land he cried out, "O my father, my father, the chariot of Ĭś̝ er-al and the horsemen thereof!”
He meant that in losing Ē̇-lī́ jah the kingdom had lost more than an army of chariots and horsemen. After this he saw Ē̇-lī́ jah no more; but he caught up the mantle of Ē̇-lī́ jah which had fallen from him. With the mantle he struck the waters of Jôŕ dan, saying, "Where now is the Lord God of Ē̇-lī́ jah?”
And as he struck the water with Ē̇-lī́ jah's mantle it parted on either side, and Ē̇-lī́ shȧ walked across the Jôŕ dan. The sons of the prophets who were standing near the river had not seen Ē̇-lī́ jah go up; but now they saw Ē̇-lī́ sha walking through the river alone, and they felt that God had taken Ē̇-lī́ jah away. They said, "The spirit of Ē̇-lī̇́ jah now rests upon. Ē̇-lī́ shȧ," and they came to meet him, and bowed down before him as their chief. So Ē̇-lī́ jah was taken away, but Ē̇-lī́ shȧ stood in his place as the Lord's prophet.