Kings IV 4

1 And one of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisaie, saying, Your servant my husband is dead; and you know that your servant feared the Lord: and the creditor is come to take my two sons to be his servants.

NOW there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

2 And Elisaie said, What shall I do for you? tell me what you have in the house. And she said, Your servant has nothing in the house, except oil wherewith I anoint myself.

And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

3 And he said to her, Go, borrow for yourself vessels without of all your neighbours, [even] empty vessels; borrow not a few.

Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

4 And you shall go in and shut the door upon you and upon your sons, and you shall pour forth into these vessels, and remove that which is filled.

And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

5 And she departed from him, and shut the door upon herself and upon her sons: they brought the vessels near to her, and she poured in until the vessels were filled.

So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.

6 And she said to her sons, Bring me yet a vessel. And they said to her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

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

7 And she came and told the man of God: and Elisaie said, Go, and sell the oil, and you shall pay your debts, and you and your sons shall live of the remaining oil.

Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

8 And a day came, when Elisaie passed over to Soman, and [there was] a great lady there, and she constrained him to eat bread: and it came to pass as often as he went into [the city, that] he turned aside to eat there.

And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.

9 And the woman said to her husband, See now, I know that this [is] a holy man of God who comes over continually to us.

And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.

10 Let us now make for him an upper chamber, a small place; and let us put there for him a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall come to pass that when he comes in to us, he shall turn in there.

Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

11 And a day came, and he went in there, and turned aside into the upper chamber, and lay there.

And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.

12 And he said to Giezi his servant, Call me this Somanite. and he called her, and she stood before him.

And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.

13 And he said to him, Say now to her, Behold, you have taken all this trouble for us; what should I do for you? Hast you any request [to make] to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she said, I dwell in the midst of my people.

And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.

14 And he said to Giezi, What must we do for her? and Giezi his servant said, Indeed she has no son, and her husband [is] old.

And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.

15 And he called her, and she stood by the door.

And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.

16 And Elisaie said to her, At this time [next year], as the season [is], you [shall be] alive, and embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, do not lie to your servant.

And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.

17 And the woman conceived, and bore a son at the very time, as the season was, being alive, as Elisaie said to her.

And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.

18 And the child grew: and it came to pass when he went out to his father to the reapers,

And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.

19 that he said to his father, My head, my head. and [his father] said to a servant, carry him to his mother.

And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.

20 And he carried him to his mother, and he lay upon her knees till noon, and died.

And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

21 And she carried him up and laid him on the bed of the man of god; and she shut the door upon him, and went out.

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

22 And she called her husband, and said, Send now for me one of the young men, and one of the asses, and I will ride 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 to the man of God, and come again.

23 And he said, Why are you going to him today? It is neither new moon, nor the Sabbath. And she said, [It is] well.

And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.

24 And she saddled the ass, and said to her servant, Be quick, proceed: spare not on my account to ride, unless I shall tell you. Go, and you shall proceed, and come to the man of God to mount Carmel.

Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.

25 And she rode and came to the man of God to the mountain: and it came to pass when Elisaie saw her coming, that he said to Giezi his servant, See now, that Somanite comes.

So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:

26 Now run to meet her, and you shall say, [Is it] well with you? [is it] well with your husband? [is it] well with the child? and she said, [It is] well.

Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well.

27 And she came to Elisaie to the mountain, and laid hold of his feet; and Giezi drew near to thrust her away. And Elisaie said, Let her alone, for her soul [is] much grieved in her, and the Lord has hidden [it] from me, and has not told [it] me.

And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.

28 And she said, Did I ask a son of my lord? For did I not say, Do not deal deceitfully with me?

Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?

29 And Elisaie said to Giezi, Gird up your loins, and take my staff in your hand, and go: if you meet any man, you shall not salute him, and if a man salute you you shall not answer him: and you shall lay my staff on the child's face.

Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.

30 And the mother of the child said, [As] the Lord lives and [as] your soul lives, I will not leave you. And Elisaie arose, and went after her.

And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.

31 And Giezi went on before her, and laid his staff on the child's face: but there was neither voice nor any hearing. So he returned to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.

And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.

32 And Elisaie went into the house, and, behold, the dead child was laid upon his bed.

And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.

33 And Elisaie went into the house, and shut the door upon themselves, the two, and prayed to the Lord.

He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord.

34 And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands; and bowed himself upon him, and the flesh of the child grew warm.

And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.

35 And he returned, and walked up and down in the house: and he went up, and bowed himself on the child seven times; and the child opened his eyes.

Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

36 And Elisaie cried out to Giezi, and said, Call this Somanite. So he called her, and she came in to him: and Elisaie said, Take your son.

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

37 And the woman went in, and fell at his feet, and did obeisance [bowing] to the ground; and she took her son, and went out.

Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.

38 And Elisaie returned to Galgala: and a famine [was] in the land; and the sons of the prophets sat before him: and Elisaie said to his servant, Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets.

And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.

39 And he went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a vine in the field, and gathered of it wild gourds, his garment full; and he cast it into the cauldron of pottage, for they knew [them] not.

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

40 And he poured it out for the men to eat: and it came to pass, when they were eating of the pottage, that behold! they cried out, and said, [There is] death in the pot, O man of God. And they could not eat.

So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.

41 And he said, Take meal, and cast it into the pot. And Elisaie said to his servant Giezi, Pour out for the people, and let them eat. And there was no longer there any hurtful thing in the pot.

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

42 And there came a man over from Baetharisa, and brought to the man of God twenty barley loaves and cakes of figs, of the first fruits. And he said, Give to the people, and let them eat.

And there came a man from Baal-shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.

43 And his servant said, Why should I set this before a hundred men? and he said, Give to the people, and let them eat; for thus says the Lord, They shall eat and leave.

And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.

44 And they ate and left, according to the word of the Lord.

So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord.