16. They said, “Look, we have 50 good men. Please let them go and look for your master. Maybe the Lord’S Spirit has taken Elijah up and dropped him on some mountain or in some valley.” But Elisha answered, “No, don’t send men to look for Elijah!”
17. The group of prophets begged Elisha until he was embarrassed. Then Elisha said, “Send the men to look for Elijah.” The group of prophets sent the 50 men to look for Elijah. They looked three days, but they could not find him.
18. So the men went to Jericho where Elisha was staying and told him. Elisha said to them, “I told you not to go.”
19. The men of the city said to Elisha, “Sir, you can see this city is in a nice place, but the water is bad. That is why the land cannot grow crops.”
20. Elisha said, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.” They brought the bowl to Elisha.
21. Then he went out to the place where the water began flowing from the ground. Elisha threw the salt into the water and said, “The Lord said, ‘I am making this water pure! From now on this water will not cause any more death or keep the land from growing crops.’”
22. The water became pure and is still good today. It happened just as Elisha had said.
23. Elisha went from that city to Bethel. He was walking up the hill to the city, and some boys were coming down out of the city. They began making fun of him. They said, “Go away, you bald-headed man! Go away, you bald-headed man!”