¹⁹ So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat while he was plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah came over to him and threw ^(A)his cloak on him. ²⁰ Then he left the oxen behind and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please ^(B)let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back, for ^[a]what have I done to you?” ²¹ So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them, and ^(C)cooked their meat with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he got up and followed Elijah and served him.

² And Elijah said to Elisha, “^(A)Stay here please, for the Lord has sent me as far as ^(B)Bethel.” But Elisha said, “^(C)As surely as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. ³ Then ^(D)the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel went out to Elisha and said to him, “Are you aware that the Lord will take away your master from over ^[a]you today?” And he said, “Yes, I am aware; say nothing about it.”

⁴ And Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please ^(E)stay here, for the Lord has sent me to ^(F)Jericho.” But he said, “^(G)As surely as the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. ⁵ Then ^(H)the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “^(I)Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over ^[b]you today?” And he ^[c]answered, “Yes, I know; say nothing about it.” ⁶ And Elijah said to him, “Please ^(J)stay here, for the Lord has sent me to ^(K)the Jordan.” But he said, “As surely as the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.