Elisha Demonstrates His Authority

2:19 The men of the city said to Elisha, “Look, the city has a good location, as our23 master can see. But the water is bad and the land doesn’t produce crops.”24 2:20 Elisha25 said, “Get me a new jar and put some salt in it.” So they got it. 2:21 He went out to the spring and threw the salt in. Then he said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘I have purified26 this water. It will no longer cause death or fail to produce crops.”27 2:22 The water has been pure to this very day, just as Elisha prophesied.28

2:23 He went up from there to Bethel.29 As he was traveling up the road, some young boys30 came out of the city and made fun of him, saying, “Go on up, baldy! Go on up, baldy!” 2:24 When he turned around and saw them, he called God’s judgment down on them.31 Two female bears came out of the woods and ripped forty-two of the boys to pieces. 2:25 From there he traveled to Mount Carmel and then back to Samaria.32