18 So they returned to Elisha. He was staying in Jericho. Elisha said to them, "Didn't I tell you not to go?"
19 The men of Jericho spoke to Elisha. "Look," they said. "This town has a good location. You can see that for yourself. But the spring of water here is bad. So the land doesn't produce anything."
20 "Bring me a new bowl," Elisha said. "Put some salt in it." So they brought it to him.
21 Then he went out to the spring. He threw the salt into it. He told them, "The Lord says, 'I have made this water pure. It will never cause death again. It will never keep the land from producing crops again.' "
22 The water has stayed pure to this very day. That's what Elisha had said would happen.
23 Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. He was walking along the road. Some young fellows came out of the town. They made fun of him. "Go on up! You don't even have any hair on your head!" they said. "Go on up! You don't even have any hair on your head!"
24 He turned around and looked at them. And he called down a curse on them. He did it in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods. They attacked 42 of the young fellows.