BUT now the time had come when the Lord was going to take Elijah up to Heaven in a whirlwind.
So Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal, and as they journeyed, he said to him: "Stay here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel."
But Elisha would not allow him to go alone, so they went to Bethel together.
When they reached Bethel, the sons of the prophets who lived there came out to meet Elisha, and they said to him: "Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you to-day?"
And Elisha said: "I know it; but hold your peace."
And so it went on till they reached Jericho, and here again the sons of the prophets came to Elisha with their question: "Do you know that the Lord will take your master from your head to-day?"
And again Elisha sorrowfully answered: "Yes, I know it; hold ye your peace."
Then Elijah said to him: "Stay here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan."
But Elisha gave the same answer to him as he had given before, that he would not on any account leave him. So they went on together.
The sons of the prophets evidently knew that something very wonderful was going to happen, and as they saw the two men going towards Jordan, fifty of them gathered together and stood to view from afar.