Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a group of boys from the town began mocking and making fun of him.“ Go away, baldy!” they chanted.“ Go away, baldy!”

以利沙从那里上伯特利去，正上去的时候，有些童子从城里出来，戏笑他说：“秃头的上去吧！秃头的上去吧！”

以利沙从那里上伯特利去。正上路的时候，有些孩童从城里出来，讥笑他，对他说：“秃头的，上去吧！秃头的，上去吧！”

以利沙从那里上伯特利去。正上路的时候，有些孩童从城里出来，讥笑他，对他说：“秃头的，上去吧！秃头的，上去吧！”

以利沙从那里去伯特利，正在赶路的时候，从城里出来一群少年讥笑他说：“秃头，上去吧！秃头，上去吧！”

以利沙从那里上伯特利去，正沿路上去的时候，从城里有一班年轻人走出来，讥笑他，说：“秃头的上去吧！秃头的上去吧！”

以利沙從那裏上伯特利去，正上去的時候，有些童子從城裏出來，戲笑他說：「禿頭的上去吧！禿頭的上去吧！」

以利沙從那裏上伯特利去。正上路的時候，有些孩童從城裏出來，譏笑他，對他說：「禿頭的，上去吧！禿頭的，上去吧！」

以利沙從那裏上伯特利去。正上路的時候，有些孩童從城裏出來，譏笑他，對他說：「禿頭的，上去吧！禿頭的，上去吧！」

以利沙從那裡去伯特利，正在趕路的時候，從城裡出來一群少年譏笑他說：「禿頭，上去吧！禿頭，上去吧！」

以利沙從那裡上伯特利去，正沿路上去的時候，從城裡有一班年輕人走出來，譏笑他，說：“禿頭的上去吧！禿頭的上去吧！”

以利沙從那裏上伯特利去；正在路上上去的時候、有些小孩子從城裏出來，譏誚他，對他說：『禿頭的上去吧！禿頭的上去吧！』

以利沙由此上伯特利、行於途間、有童子自邑出、戲之曰、頭童者其上歟、頭童者其上歟、

以利沙離耶利歌往伯特利、行於途間、有孺子自城而出、戲之曰、頭童者、爾亦能上昇歟。如此者再。

以利沙離耶利歌往伯特利、行於途間、有幼童自邑出、戲之曰、禿者上、禿者上、

From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him.“ Get out of here, baldy!” they said.“ Get out of here, baldy!”

Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. He was walking along the road. Some boys came out of the town. They made fun of him.“ Get out of here, baldy!” they said.“ Get out of here! You don’t even have any hair on your head!”

He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying,“ Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”

From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking up the path, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting,“ Go up, baldy! Go up, baldy!”

Now he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the road, some young boys came out from the city and ridiculed him and said to him,“ Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!”

Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him,“ Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”

And he went up from thence unto Beth- el; and as he was going up by the way, there came forth young lads out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou baldhead; go up, thou baldhead.

From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking up the path, some small boys came out of the city and harassed him, chanting,“ Go up, baldy! Go up, baldy!”

And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.

He went up from there to Bethel. As he was traveling up the road, some young boys came out of the city and made fun of him, saying,“ Go on up, baldy! Go on up, baldy!”

He went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up by the way, some youths came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him,“ Go up, you baldy! Go up, you baldy!”

But the people mocked these messengers of God and despised their words. They scoffed at the prophets until the Lord’s anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done.

Even young children despise me. When I stand to speak, they turn their backs on me.

“ But now I am mocked by people younger than I, by young men whose fathers are not worthy to run with my sheepdogs.

Silence their lying lips— those proud and arrogant lips that accuse the godly.

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.

So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people,“ It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!”He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan— at either end of his kingdom.But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there.Jeroboam also erected buildings at the pagan shrines and ordained priests from the common people— those who were not from the priestly tribe of Levi.And Jeroboam instituted a religious festival in Bethel, held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in imitation of the annual Festival of Shelters in Judah. There at Bethel he himself offered sacrifices to the calves he had made, and he appointed priests for the pagan shrines he had made.

Don’t bother us with your prophecies here in Bethel. This is the king’s sanctuary and the national place of worship!”

They are nameless fools, outcasts from society.“ And now they mock me with vulgar songs! They taunt me!They despise me and won’t come near me, except to spit in my face.For God has cut my bowstring. He has humbled me, so they have thrown off all restraint.These outcasts oppose me to my face. They send me sprawling and lay traps in my path.They block my road and do everything they can to destroy me. They know I have no one to help me.They come at me from all directions. They jump on me when I am down.I live in terror now. My honor has blown away in the wind, and my prosperity has vanished like a cloud.“ And now my life seeps away. Depression haunts my days.At night my bones are filled with pain, which gnaws at me relentlessly.With a strong hand, God grabs my shirt. He grips me by the collar of my coat.He has thrown me into the mud. I’m nothing more than dust and ashes.“ I cry to you, O God, but you don’t answer. I stand before you, but you don’t even look.You have become cruel toward me. You use your power to persecute me.You throw me into the whirlwind and destroy me in the storm.And I know you are sending me to my death— the destination of all who live.“ Surely no one would turn against the needy when they cry for help in their trouble.Did I not weep for those in trouble? Was I not deeply grieved for the needy?So I looked for good, but evil came instead. I waited for the light, but darkness fell.My heart is troubled and restless. Days of suffering torment me.I walk in gloom, without sunlight. I stand in the public square and cry for help.Instead, I am considered a brother to jackals and a companion to owls.My skin has turned dark, and my bones burn with fever.My harp plays sad music, and my flute accompanies those who weep.

“ Go ahead and offer sacrifices to the idols at Bethel. Keep on disobeying at Gilgal. Offer sacrifices each morning, and bring your tithes every three days.

“ But you— come here, you witches’ children, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!Whom do you mock, making faces and sticking out your tongues? You children of sinners and liars!

“ On the very day I punish Israel for its sins, I will destroy the pagan altars at Bethel. The horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground.

So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless.

But they are glad now that I am in trouble; they gleefully join together against me. I am attacked by people I don’t even know; they slander me constantly.

Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons.

Oh, what a sinful nation they are— loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the Lord. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.

Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.

You will share that fate, Bethel, because of your great wickedness. When the day of judgment dawns, the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.

People will oppress each other— man against man, neighbor against neighbor. Young people will insult their elders, and vulgar people will sneer at the honorable.

“ Look at you now!” they yelled at him.“ You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus.“ He saved others,” they scoffed,“ but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him!He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said,‘ I am the Son of God.’”

“ Though you, Israel, are a prostitute, may Judah not be guilty of such things. Do not join the false worship at Gilgal or Beth aven, and do not take oaths there in the Lord’s name.

Don’t worship at the pagan altars at Bethel; don’t go to the shrines at Gilgal or Beersheba. For the people of Gilgal will be dragged off into exile, and the people of Bethel will be reduced to nothing.”

But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.

No wonder I am so angry! Watch how the children gather wood and the fathers build sacrificial fires. See how the women knead dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. And they pour out liquid offerings to their other idol gods!

But Sarah saw Ishmael— the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar— making fun of her son, Isaac.

A youngster’s heart is filled with foolishness, but physical discipline will drive it far away.

The people of Samaria tremble in fear for their calf idol at Beth aven, and they mourn for it. Though its priests rejoice over it, its glory will be stripped away.

They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted,“ Hail! King of the Jews!”And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it.When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.

As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.