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The Story of the Mantle of Elijah and the Chariot

of Fire

(From the 2d Chapter of 2 KINGS.)

AND it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah and Elisha went forth together.

And twice as they went by the way, Elijah said unto Elisha, "Tarry here I pray thee while I go whither the Lord hath sent me." But Elisha would not leave Elijah: and twice the sons of the prophets came forth and said unto Elisha, "Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thee to day?" And he said, "Yea, I know it; hold your peace."

And again a third time, Elijah said, "Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee, for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan." But Elisha said, "As the Lord liveth, and as my soul liveth, I will not leave thee." And they two went on. And fifty of the sons of the prophets went and stood to view afar off.

And they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle and wrapped it together and smote the waters and they were divided hither and thither so that they two went over on dry

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THE MANTLE OF ELIJAH AND CHARIOT OF FIRE.

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ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from thee; " and Elisha said, I pray thee let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me." And Elisha said, "Thou hast asked a hard thing; nevertheless if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not it shall not be so." And it came to pass as they still went on, and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up in a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof!" And he saw him no more; and he took hold of his own clothes and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters and said, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither; and Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets saw it, they said, "The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha." And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

The Story of Elisha and the Widow's Cruse of Oil.

(From the 4th Chapter of 2 KINGs.)

Now there cried unto Elisha a certain woman, saying, "My husband is dead, and his creditor is come to take my two sons to be bondsmen." And Elisha said unto her, "What shall I do for you? What hast thou in the house?" And she said, Nothing but a pot of oil." Then he said unto her, "Go, borrow vessels of thy neighbors, and when thou art come in thine house, shut the door and pour out into all the vessels and set aside those which are full."

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So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and her sons who brought the vessels unto her; and she poured out. And it came to pass when the vessels were full that she said unto her son "Bring me yet a vessel." And he said unto her, "There is not a vessel in the house more." And the oil stayed.

Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy chil dren on the rest."

The Story of Elisha and the Shunammite.

(From the 4th Chapter of 2 KINGS.)

AND it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. And she said unto her husband, "Behold, now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: And it shall be, when he cometh to us that he shall turn in thither." And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber and lay there. And he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite." And when he had called her, she stood before him. And he said unto him, "Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this what is to be done for thee?"

But she asked for nothing: And Gehazi, Elisha's servant, said, "She has no child."

Then Elisha promised her a son from the Lord.

And it came to pass as Elisha had said.

And when the

child was grown, it fell on a day that he went out to his father to the reapers. And he said unto his father, "My head, my head." And he said to a lad, "Carry him to his mother." And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. And she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, "Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee." So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass that when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, "Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, "Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child?" And she answered, "It is well." And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, "Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me." Then she said, "Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?" Then he said to Gehazi, "Gird up thy lions, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child." And the mother of the child said, "As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee." And he arose and followed her. And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was

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