2 Kings 4

1 The wife of one of the sons of the prophets appealed to Elisha, “My husband, your servant, is dead, and you know that he honored the Lord. But now to pay his debts his creditor is coming to take my two sons as his slaves!”

And a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets hath cried unto Elisha, saying, 'Thy servant, my husband, is dead, and thou hast known that thy servant was fearing Jehovah, and the lender hath come to take my two children to him for servants.'

2 “What can I do to help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “I, your servant, don't have anything in my house except a jar of olive oil,” she replied.

And Elisha saith unto her, 'What do I do for thee? declare to me, what hast thou in the house?' and she saith, 'Thy maid-servant hath nothing in the house except a pot of oil.'

3 “Go and borrow empty jars from your neighbors—as many as possible, not just a few,” Elisha told her.

And he saith, 'Go, ask for thee vessels from without, from all thy neighbours — empty vessels — let [them] not be few;

4 “Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and start pouring olive oil into all these jars, placing the full jars to one side.”

and thou hast entered, and shut the door upon thee, and upon thy sons, and hast poured out into all these vessels, and the full ones thou dost remove.'

5 She left Elisha, went home, and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept on pouring.

And she goeth from him, and shutteth the door upon her, and upon her sons; they are bringing nigh unto her, and she is pouring out,

6 When all the jars were full, she told her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There aren't any jars left.” Then the olive oil stopped flowing.

and it cometh to pass, at the filling of the vessels, that she saith unto her son, 'Bring nigh unto me a vessel more,' and he saith unto her, 'There is not a vessel more;' and the oil stayeth.

7 She went and told the man of God what had happened, and he said, “Go and sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what's left.”

And she cometh and declareth to the man of God, and he saith, 'Go, sell the oil, and repay thy loan; and thou [and] thy sons do live of the rest.'

8 One day as Elisha was passing through Shunem, a wealthy woman who lived there convinced him to have a meal. After that, whenever he was passing by he would stop there to eat.

And the day cometh that Elisha passeth over unto Shunem, and there [is] a great woman, and she layeth hold on him to eat bread, and it cometh to pass, at the time of his passing over, he turneth aside thither to eat bread,

9 She told her husband, “I'm sure that this man who regularly visits us is a holy man of God.

and she saith unto her husband, 'Lo, I pray thee, I have known that a holy man of God he is, passing over by us continually;

10 Please let's make a small room on the roof, We can put a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp in it for him. Then he can stay there whenever he visits us.”

let us make, I pray thee, a little upper chamber of the wall, and we set for him there a bed, and a table, and a high seat, and a candlestick; and it hath been, in his coming in unto us, he doth turn aside thither.'

11 One day Elisha arrived and went up to his room and lay down.

And the day cometh, that he cometh in thither, and turneth aside unto the upper chamber, and lieth there,

12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Ask the Shunammite woman to come here.” Gehazi called her and she came to see Elisha.

and he saith unto Gehazi his young man, 'Call for this Shunammite;' and he calleth for her, and she standeth before him.

13 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Please tell her, ‘You have gone to a lot of trouble on our behalf. Now what can we do for you? Do you want us to speak for you to the king or the army commander?’” “I live with my own people,” she replied.

And he saith to him, 'Say, I pray thee, unto her, Lo, thou hast troubled thyself concerning us with all this trouble; what — to do for thee? is it to speak for thee unto the king, or unto the head of the host?' and she saith, 'In the midst of my people I am dwelling.'

14 After she had left, Elisha asked, “What can we do for her?” “She doesn't have a son, and her husband is old,” Gehazi replied.

And he saith, 'And what — to do for her?' and Gehazi saith, 'Verily she hath no son, and her husband [is] aged.'

15 Elisha said, “Ask her to come back.” So Gehazi called her, and she came stood by the door.

And he saith, 'Call for her;' and he calleth for her, and she standeth at the opening,

16 Elisha told her, “Around this time next year, you will be holding a son in your arms.” “No, my lord!” she responded. “Man of God, don't tell your servant lies!”

and he saith, 'At this season, according to the time of life, thou art embracing a son;' and she saith, 'Nay, my lord, O man of God, do not lie unto thy maid-servant.'

17 But the woman did indeed become pregnant, and the next year around that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had promised her.

And the woman conceiveth and beareth a son, at this season, according to the time of life, that Elisha spake of unto her.

18 The child grew up, but one day he when went out to see his father who was with the reapers,

And the lad groweth, and the day cometh that he goeth out unto his father, unto the reapers,

19 he complained to his father, “My head hurts! My head hurts!” His father told one of his servants, “Carry him back to his mother.”

and he saith unto his father, 'My head, my head;' and he saith unto the young man, 'Bear him unto his mother;'

20 The servant picked him up and took him back to his mother. The boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.

and he beareth him, and bringeth him in unto his mother, and he sitteth on her knees till the noon, and dieth.

21 She went upstairs and laid him on the bed of the man of God. Then she shut the door behind her and left.

And she goeth up, and layeth him on the bed of the man of God, and shutteth [the door] upon him, and goeth out,

22 She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can run to the man of God and come back.”

and calleth unto her husband, and saith, 'Send, I pray thee, to me, one of the young men, and one of the asses, and I run unto the man of God, and return.'

23 “Why do you need to go and see him today?” he asked. “It's not the New Moon or the Sabbath.” “Don't worry about it,” she replied.

And he saith, 'Wherefore art thou going unto him to-day? — neither new moon nor sabbath!' and she saith, 'Peace [to thee]!'

24 She put the saddle on the donkey and told her servant, “Let's go quickly! Don't slow down for me unless I tell you to!”

And she saddleth the ass, and saith unto her young man, 'Lead, and go, do not restrain riding for me, except I have said [so] to thee.'

25 So she set off, and went to the man of God who was at Mount Carmel. When he saw her way in the distance, the man of God told his servant Gehazi, “Look! There's the Shunammite woman!

And she goeth, and cometh in unto the man of God, unto the hill of Carmel, and it cometh to pass, at the man of God's seeing her from over-against, that he saith unto Gehazi his young man, 'Lo, this Shunammite;

26 Please run to meet her and ask her, ‘Is everything fine with you, your husband, and your boy?’” “Everything's fine,” she replied.

now, run, I pray thee, to meet her, and say to her, Is there peace to thee? is there peace to thy husband? is there peace to the lad?' and she saith, 'Peace.'

27 But when she got to the man of God at the mountain, she grabbed hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for she's in terrible misery, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not explained it to me.”

And she cometh in unto the man of God, unto the hill, and layeth hold on his feet, and Gehazi cometh nigh to thrust her away, and the man of God saith, 'Let her alone, for her soul [is] bitter to her, and Jehovah hath hidden [it] from me, and hath not declared [it] to me.'

28 “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she asked. “Didn't I tell you, ‘Don't tell me lies’?”

And she saith, 'Did I ask a son from my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?'

29 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Put your cloak in your belt, pick up my staff, and go! Don't even say hello to anyone you meet, and if anyone says hello you, don't reply. Place my staff on the boy's face.”

And he saith to Gehazi, 'Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go; when thou dost meet a man, thou dost not salute him; and when a man doth salute thee, thou dost not answer him; and thou hast laid my staff on the face of the youth.'

30 But the boy's mother said, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I'm not leaving without you!” So he got up and went with her.

And the mother of the youth saith, 'Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth — if I leave thee;' and he riseth and goeth after her.

31 Gehazi ran on ahead and placed the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound or sign of life. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy hasn't woken up.”

And Gehazi hath passed on before them, and layeth the staff on the face of the youth, and there is no voice, and there is no attention, and he turneth back to meet him, and declareth to him, saying, 'The youth hath not awaked.'

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

And Elisha cometh in to the house, and lo, the youth is dead, laid on his bed,

33 He went in, shut the door behind them both, and prayed to the Lord.

and he goeth in and shutteth the door upon them both, and prayeth unto Jehovah.

34 Then he got on the bed and lay on top of the boy, and put his mouth on the boy's mouth, his eyes on the boy's eyes, his hands on the boy's hands. As he stretched out on him, the boy's body warmed up.

And he goeth up, and lieth down on the lad, and putteth his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands, and stretcheth himself upon him, and the flesh of the lad becometh warm;

35 Elisha got up, walked back and forth once in the room, and then got back on the bed and stretched out on him again. The boy sneezed seven times and then opened his eyes.

and he turneth back and walketh in the house, once hither and once thither, and goeth up and stretcheth himself upon him, and the youth sneezeth till seven times, and the youth openeth his eyes.

36 Elisha called Gehazi and said, “Ask the Shunammite woman to come.” So he did. When she arrived, Elisha said to her, “Here's your son. You can pick him up.”

And he calleth unto Gehazi, and saith, 'Call unto this Shunammite;' and he calleth her, and she cometh in unto him, and he saith, 'Lift up thy son.'

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

And she goeth in, and falleth at his feet, and boweth herself to the earth, and lifteth up her son, and goeth out.

38 When Elisha went back to Gilgal, there was a famine in that area. The sons of the prophets were sitting at his feet, and he said to his servant, “Use the large pot and boil some stew for the sons of the prophets.”

And Elisha hath turned back to Gilgal, and the famine [is] in the land, and the sons of the prophets are sitting before him, and he saith to his young man, 'Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets.'

39 One of them went out into the countryside to pick herbs. He found a wild vine and picked as many wild gourds as his cloak could hold. Then he came back and chopped them up into the pot of stew. But nobody knew they were dangerous to eat.

And one goeth out unto the field to gather herbs, and findeth a vine of the field, and gathereth of it gourds of the field — the fulness of his garment — and cometh in and splitteth [them] into the pot of pottage, for they knew [them] not;

40 They served it to the men to eat, but when they tasted the stew they shouted, “There's death in the pot, man of God!” They couldn't eat it.

and they pour out for the men to eat, and it cometh to pass at their eating of the pottage, that they have cried out, and say, 'Death [is] in the pot, O man of God!' and they have not been able to eat.

41 Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He threw it into the pot, and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” There was nothing bad to eat in the pot.

And he saith, 'Then bring ye meal;' and he casteth into the pot, and saith, 'Pour out for the people, and they eat;' and there was no evil thing in the pot.

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

And a man hath come from Baal-Shalishah, and bringeth in to the man of God bread of first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in its husk, and he saith, 'Give to the people, and they eat.'

43 “How can I serve just twenty loaves to a hundred men?” his servant asked. “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and there will still be some left over.’”

And his minister saith, 'What — do I give this before a hundred men?' and he saith, 'Give to the people, and they eat, for thus said Jehovah, Eat and leave;'

44 So he served the bread to them. They ate, and had some left over, just as the Lord had said.

and he giveth before them, and they eat and leave, according to the word of Jehovah.