¹⁶ “Look,” they told him, “there are fifty strong men among us, your servants. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Lord’s spirit has picked him up and put him down on some mountain or in some valley.”

Elisha said, “Don’t send them.” ¹⁷ They insisted until he became embarrassed and said, “Okay, send them.” So they sent fifty men who searched for three days. But they couldn’t find Elijah. ¹⁸ When these men returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”