2 Kings 4

1 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!”

Now, a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets, made outcry unto Elisha, saying—Thy servant, my husband, is dead, and, thou, knowest that, thy servant, was one who revered Yahweh, —now, the creditor, hath come to take my two boys to himself as bondmen.

2 “How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

And Elisha said unto her—What shall I do for thee? tell me what thou, hast, in the house. And she said—Thy maid-servant hath, nothing at all, in the house, save a flask of oil.

3 “Go,” said Elisha, “borrow jars, even empty ones, from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few.

And he said—Go, ask thee vessels, from without, of all thy neighbours, —empty vessels, let them not be few.

4 Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full ones aside.”

And, when thou hast come in, then shalt thou shut the door behind thee and behind thy sons, and shalt pour out into all these vessels, —and, that which is full, shalt thou set aside.

5 So she left him, and after she had shut the door behind her and her sons, they kept bringing jars to her, and she kept pouring.

So she went out from his presence, and shut the door behind her, and behind her sons, —they bringing near to her, and she pouring out.

6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another.” But he replied, “There are no more jars.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son—Bring me a vessel more. And he said unto her—There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt. Then you and your sons can live on the remainder.”

Then came she in, and told the man of God, and he said—Go, sell the oil, and pay thy creditor, —and, thou and thy sons, shall live of the rest.

8 One day Elisha went to Shunem, and a prominent woman who lived there persuaded him to have a meal. So whenever he would pass by, he would stop there to eat.

And so it was, on a day, that Elisha passed over unto Shunem, where was a woman of position, and she constrained him to eat bread, —and so it came about, whensoever he passed that way, that he turned aside thither, to eat bread.

9 Then the woman said to her husband, “Behold, now I know that the one who often comes our way is a holy man of God.

Then said she unto her husband, Lo! I pray thee—I perceive that, a holy man of God, he is, —passing our way continually.

10 Please let us make a small room upstairs and put in it a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp for him. Then when he comes to us, he can stay there.”

I pray thee, let us make a little upper chamber on the wall and set for him there—a bed, and a table, and a seat, and a lampstand, —so shall it be, when he cometh to us, that he can turn in thither.

11 One day Elisha came to visit and went to his upper room to lie down.

And it came to pass, on a day, that he came thither, —so he turned aside into the upper chamber, and slept there.

12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call the Shunammite woman.” And when he had called her, she stood before him,

Then said he unto Gehazi, his young man, Call this Shunammitess. And he called her, and she stood before him.

13 and Elisha said to Gehazi, “Now tell her, ‘Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What can we do for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’” “I have a home among my own people,” she replied.

And he said to him—I pray thee, say unto her—Lo! thou hast cared for us with all this anxious care, what can be done for thee? Is it, that we should speak for thee, unto the king, or unto the general of the army? But she said, In the midst of mine own people, do, I, dwell.

14 So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?” “Well, she has no son,” Gehazi replied, “and her husband is old.”

So he said, What then can be done for thee? And Gehazi said, Verily, she hath no, son, and, her husband, is, old.

15 “Call her,” said Elisha. So Gehazi called her, and she stood in the doorway.

And he said—Call her. So he called her, and she stood in the doorway.

16 And Elisha declared, “At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord,” she said. “Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God.”

Then said he—At this season, about the time of spring, thou, shalt be embracing a son. And she said—Nay! my lord, thou man of God, do not delude thy maid-servant.

17 But the woman did conceive, and at that time the next year she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.

And the woman conceived, and bare a son, at this season, about the time of spring, when Elisha, had spoken unto her.

18 And the child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the harvesters.

And, when the child was grown, it came to pass, on a certain day, that he went out unto his father, unto the reapers;

19 “My head! My head!” he complained to his father. So his father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.”

and he said unto his father—My head! my head! So he said unto the young man, Carry him to his mother.

20 After the servant had picked him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.

And, when he had carried him, and brought him in unto his mother, he sat on her knees until noon, and then died.

21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God. Then she shut the door and went out.

And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, —and shut him in, and then went out.

22 And the woman called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may go quickly to the man of God and return.”

And she called unto her husband, and said—Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, —that I may run unto the man of God, and return!

23 “Why would you go to him today?” he replied. “It is not a New Moon or a Sabbath.” “Everything is all right,” she said.

And he said—Wherefore art thou going unto him, to-day, neither new moon nor sabbath? And she said—Peace!

24 Then she saddled the donkey and told her servant, “Drive onward; do not slow the pace for me unless I tell you.”

Then saddled she the ass, and said unto her young man—Lead on, and go forward, —do not slacken, for my sake, the riding, except I have bidden thee.

25 So she set out and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, there is the Shunammite woman.

So she went her way, and came unto the man of God, unto Mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her, opposite, that he said unto Gehazi young man, Lo! this Shunammitess!

26 Please run out now to meet her and ask, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’” And she answered, “Everything is all right.”

Now, run, I pray thee, to meet her, and say to her—Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she said, Well!

27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.”

But, when she came unto the man of God, on the mount, she caught hold of his feet, —and Gehazi drew near to thrust her away, when the man of God said—Let her alone! for, her life, is embittered to her, howbeit, Yahweh, hath hidden it from me, and hath not told me.

28 Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? Didn’t I say, ‘Do not deceive me?’”

Then said she, Did I ask a son, of my lord? Said I not, Thou must not mislead me?

29 So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment, take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my staff on the boy’s face.”

And he said to Gehazi—Gird thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go thy way, if thou meet with any man, thou must not bless him, and, if any man bless thee, thou must not respond to him, —then shalt thou lay my staff upon the face of the boy.

30 And the mother of the boy said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.

But the mother of the boy said, By the life of Yahweh and by the life of thine own soul, I will not leave thee. So he arose and followed her.

31 Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”

Now, Gehazi, had passed on before them, and laid the staff on the face of the boy, but there was neither voice, nor attention, —so he returned to meet him, and told him, saying—The boy hath not awaked.

32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his bed.

And, when Elisha had come into the house, lo! the boy, was dead, laid upon his bed.

33 So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.

So he went in, and shut the door upon them two, —and prayed unto Yahweh.

34 Then Elisha got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eye to eye, and hand to hand. As he stretched himself out over him, the boy’s body became warm.

Then gat he up, and lay upon the child, and put his own mouth upon his mouth, and his own eyes upon his eyes, and his own hands upon his hands, and bowed himself upon him, —and the flesh of the child, waxed warm.

35 Elisha turned away and paced back and forth across the room. Then he got on the bed and stretched himself out over the boy again, and the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

Then retraced he, and walked in the house—once to and fro, and then went up and bowed himself upon him, —and the boy sneezed as many as seven times, and the boy opened his eyes.

36 Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite woman.” So he called her and she came. Then Elisha said, “Pick up your son.”

Then called he Gehazi, and said—Call this Shunammitess. So he called her, and, when she was come in unto him, he said—Take up thy son.

37 She came in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.

So she came in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, —and took up her son, and went forth.

38 When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting at his feet, he said to his attendant, “Put on the large pot and boil some stew for the sons of the prophets.”

Now, Elisha, returned to Gilgal, and there was, a famine, in the land, and, the sons of the prophets, being seated before him, he said to his young man—Put on the large pot, and boil a mess of food, for the sons of the prophets.

39 One of them went out to the field to gather herbs, and he found a wild vine from which he gathered as many wild gourds as his garment could hold. Then he came back and cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were.

And one went out into the field, to gather herbs, and found a vine in the field, and gathered thereof wild gourds, his lap full, and came in, and sliced them into the pot; for they knew them not.

40 And they poured it out for the men to eat, but when they tasted the stew they cried out, “There is death in the pot, O man of God!” And they could not eat it.

So they poured out for the men to eat, —and it came so pass, as they were eating of the mess, that, they, made outcry and said—Death in the pot, O man of God! And they could not eat.

41 Then Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

And he said—Then fetch meal. And he cast it into the pot, —and then said—Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.

42 Now a man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with a sack of twenty loaves of barley bread from the first ripe grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha.

And, a man, came in from Baal-Shalisha, and brought for the man of God firstfruit bread, twenty barley loaves, and garden grain in the husk thereof. And he said—Give to the people, that they may eat.

43 But his servant asked, “How am I to set twenty loaves before a hundred men?” “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’”

But his attendant said—How can I set this before a hundred men? And he said—Give to the people, that they may eat, for, Thus, saith Yahweh, They are about to eat and to leave remaining.

44 So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.

So he set before them, and they did eat and left remaining, according to the word of Yahweh.