19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold now, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land 1is unfruitful.”

20 He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt 1in it.” So they brought it to him.

21 He went out to the spring of water and athrew salt 1in it and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘I have 2purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or 3unfruitfulness any longer.’ ”

22 So the waters have been 1purified to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

23 Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city and amocked him and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!”

24 When he looked behind him and saw them, he acursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of 1their number.

25 He went from there to aMount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.