2 Kings 4

1 Now a wife from among the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared YHWH, but the creditor has come to take for himself my two children to be his slaves."

Now a certain woman, from the wives of the prophets, cried out to Elisha, saying: “My husband, your servant, is dead. And you know that your servant was one who fears the Lord. And behold, a creditor has arrived, so that he may take away my two sons to serve him.”

2 Then Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your servant has nothing in the house, except a small jar of oil."

And Elisha said to her: “What do you want me to do for you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” And she responded, “I, your handmaid, do not have anything in my house, except a little oil, with which I may be anointed.”

3 Then he said, "Go, ask for containers from outside, from all your neighbors, empty containers.

And he said to her: “Go, ask to borrow from all your neighbors empty vessels, more than a few.

4 Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these containers, and you are to set each one aside when it is full."

And enter and close your door. And when you are inside with your sons, pour from the oil into all those vessels. And when they are full, take them away.”

5 So she left him and shut the door behind herself and her sons; they kept bringing her containers, and she kept pouring.

And so, the woman went and closed the door upon herself and her sons. They were bringing her the vessels, and she was pouring into them.

6 Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, "Bring me another container." But he said to her, "There aren't any more." Then the oil stopped flowing.

And when the vessels had been filled, she said to her son, “Bring me another a vessel.” And he responded, “I have none.” And there was oil remaining.

7 Then she came and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest."

Then she went and told the man of God. And he said: “Go, sell the oil, and repay your creditor. Then you and your sons may live on what remains.”

8 Now it happened one day that Elisha traveled to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, who urged him to eat some food. so whenever he passed by, he would stop in there to eat some food.

Now it happened that, on a certain day, Elisha passed by Shunem. And there was a great woman there, who took him to eat bread. And since he frequently passed by there, he turned aside to her house, so that he might eat bread.

9 And she said to her husband, "Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God who often passes by us.

And she said to her husband: “I have noticed that he is a holy man of God, who passes by us frequently.

10 Please, let's make a little room on the wall, and let's set up a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp for him there, so that whenever he comes to us, he can stay there."

Therefore, let us prepare a small upper room for him, and place a bed in it for him, and a table, and a chair, and a lampstand, so that when he comes to us, he may stay there.”

11 Now it happened one day he came there, and he turned into the upper room and rested.

Then it happened that, on a certain day, arriving, he turned aside into the upper room, and he rested there.

12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite." So he called for her and she stood before him.

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

13 And he said to him, "Say now to her, 'Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What can I do for you? Can I put in a good word for you to the king, or to the commander of the army?'" She answered, "I have a home among my own people."

he said to his servant: “Say to her: Behold, you have ministered to us attentively in all things. What do you want, that I might do for you? Do you have any business, or do you want me to speak to the king, or to the leader of the military?” And she responded, “I live in the midst of my own people.”

14 So he said, "What then can I do for her?" And Gehazi replied, "Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old."

And he said, “Then what does she want, that I might do for her?” And Gehazi said: “You need not ask. For she has no son, and her husband is elderly.”

15 Then he said, "Call her." And when he had called her, she stood in the doorway.

And so, he instructed him to call her. And when she had been called, and was standing before the door,

16 And he said, "At this season, when the time comes around, you will be holding a son." And she said, "No, my lord, man of God, do not lie to your servant."

he said to her, “At this time, and at this same hour, with life as a companion, you will have a son in your womb.” But she responded, “Do not, I ask you, my lord, a man of God, do not be willing to lie to your handmaid.”

17 But the woman conceived, and bore a son at that season, when the time came around, just as Elisha had said to her.

And the woman conceived. And she bore a son, in the time and at the same hour as Elisha had said.

18 And the child grew and it happened one day that he went out to his father to the harvest workers.

And the boy grew. And on a certain day, when he had gone out to his father, to the harvesters,

19 And he said to his father, "My head, my head." And he said to his servant, "Carry him to his mother."

he said to his father: “I have a pain in my head. I have a pain in my head.” But he said to his servant, “Take him, and lead him to his mother.”

20 And when he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her lap until noon, and died.

But when he had taken him, and he had led him to his mother, she placed him upon her knees, until midday, and then he died.

21 Then she went up and put him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door behind him and left.

Then she went up and laid him out on the bed of the man of God, and she closed the door. And departing,

22 Then she called to her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and then return."

she called her husband, and she said: “Send with me, I beg you, one of your servants, and a donkey, so that I may hurry to the man of God, and then return.”

23 But he said, "Why would you want to see him today? It is not the new moon or Sabbath." And she said, "It's alright."

And he said to her: “What is the reason that you would go to him? Today is not the new moon, and it is not the Sabbath.” She responded, “I will go.”

24 Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, "Lead on; do not slow down for me unless I tell you."

And she saddled a donkey, and she instructed her servant: “Drive, and hurry on. You shall cause no delay for me in departing. And do whatever I instruct you to do.”

25 So she went and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. So it happened when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, "Look, there is the Shunammite.

And so she set out. And she came to the man of God, on mount Carmel. And when the man of God had seen her at a distance, he said to his servant Gehazi: “Behold, it is that Shunammite woman.

26 Please run now to meet her and ask her, 'Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?'" And she answered, "It is well."

So then, go to meet her, and say to her, ‘Does all go well concerning you, and your husband, and your son?’” And she answered, “It is well.”

27 But when she came to the man of God to the mountain, she grabbed hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone, for she is in severe anguish, and YHWH has hidden it from me and has not told me."

And when she had arrived at the man of God, on the mount, she took hold of his feet. And Gehazi drew near, so that he might remove her. But the man of God said: “Permit her. For her soul is in bitterness. And the Lord has concealed it from me, and has not revealed it to me.”

28 Then she said, "Did I ask a son from my lord? Did I not say, 'Do not mislead me?'"

And she said to him: “Did I ask a son from my lord? Did I not say to you, ‘You should not deceive me?’”

29 Then he said to Gehazi, "Tuck your cloak into your belt, and take my staff in your hand, and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child."

And so he said to Gehazi: “Gird your waist, and take my staff in your hand, and go. If any man will meet you, you shall not greet him. And if anyone greets you, you shall not respond to him. And place my staff upon the face of the boy.”

30 But the mother of the child said, "As YHWH lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her.

But the mother of the boy said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not release you.” Therefore, he rose up, and he followed her.

31 Now Gehazi went on ahead of them and placed the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or response. Therefore he came back to meet him and told him, saying, "The child did not wake up."

But Gehazi had gone before them, and he had placed the staff upon the face of the boy. And there was no voice, nor any response. And so he returned to meet him. And he reported to him, saying, “The boy did not rise up.”

32 When Elisha arrived at the house, look, the child was dead, lying on his bed.

Therefore, Elisha entered the house. And behold, the boy was lying dead upon his bed.

33 So he went in and shut the door on the two of them and prayed to YHWH.

And entering, he closed the door upon himself and the boy. And he prayed to the Lord.

34 Then he got up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands, and he stretched himself upon him, and the body of the child grew warm.

And he climbed up, and lay across the boy. And he put his mouth over his mouth, and his eyes over his eyes, and his hands over his hands. And he leaned himself over him, and the body of the boy grew warm.

35 Then he returned and walked in the house once back and forth, and went up and stretched himself upon him, and the child sneezed seven times and the child opened his eyes.

And returning, he walked around the house, first here and then there. And he went up, and lay across him. And the boy gasped seven times, and he opened his eyes.

36 Then he called to Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite." So he called her. When she had come in to him, he said, "Pick up your son."

And he called Gehazi, and said to him, “Call this Shunammite woman.” And having been called, she entered to him. And he said, “Take up your son.”

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

She went and fell at his feet, and she reverenced upon the ground. And she took up her son, and departed.

38 Now Elisha came again to Gilgal, while there was a famine in the land. And the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, and he said to his servant, "Put on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets."

And Elisha returned to Gilgal. Now there was a famine in the land, and the sons of the prophets were living in his sight. And he said to one of his servants, “Set out a large cooking pot, and boil a soup for the sons of the prophets.”

39 Then one of them went out into the field to gather herbs and found a wild vine, and gathered as many of its gourds as his garment would hold, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew, for he was unaware what it was.

And one went out into the field, so that he might collect wild herbs. And he found something like a wild vine, and he gathered from it bitter fruits of the field, and he filled his cloak. And returning, he cut these up for the pot of soup. But he did not know what it was.

40 So they poured out for the men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating of the stew, that they cried out, and said, "Man of God, there is death in the pot." And they could not eat it.

Then they poured it out for their companions to eat. And when they had tasted the mixture, they cried out, saying, “Death is in the cooking pot, O man of God!” And they were unable to eat.

41 But he said, "Bring some flour." And he threw it into the pot and said, "Pour it out for the people, that they may eat." And there was no harm in the pot.

But he said, “Bring some flour.” And when they had brought it, he cast it into the cooking pot, and he said, “Pour it out for the group, so that they may eat.” And there was no longer any bitterness in the cooking pot.

42 Now a man from Baal Shalishah came and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And he said, "Give to the people, that they may eat."

Now a certain man arrived from Baal-Shalishah, carrying, for the man of God, bread from the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and new grain in his satchel. But he said, “Give it to the people, so that they may eat.”

43 But his servant said, "What, should I set this before a hundred men?" So he said, "Give them to the people so that they may eat, for thus says YHWH, 'They will eat, and will have some left over.'"

And his servant responded to him, “What amount is this, that I should set it before a hundred men?” But he said again: “Give it to the people, so that they may eat. For thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat, and there shall be still more.’”

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

And so, he set it before them. And they ate, and there was still more, in accord with the word of the Lord.