2 Kings 4

1 Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead. You know that your servant feared the LORD. Now the creditor has come to take for himself my two children to be slaves.”

And a certain woman, of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried unto Elisha', saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou well knowest that thy servant was one who feared the Lord: and now the creditor is come to take my two sons unto himself for servants.

2 Elisha said to her, “What should I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She said, “Your servant has nothing in the house, except a pot of oil.”

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

3 Then he said, “Go, borrow empty containers from all your neighbours. Don’t borrow just a few containers.

And he said, Go, borrow for thyself vessels from abroad from all thy neighbors, empty vessels, let them not be a few.

4 Go in and shut the door on you and on your sons, and pour oil into all those containers; and set aside those which are full.”

And then go home, and lock the door behind thee and behind thy sons, and then pour out into all those vessels; and that which is full thou shalt set aside.

5 So she went from him, and shut the door on herself and on her sons. They brought the containers to her, and she poured oil.

So she went from him, and locked the door behind her and behind her sons, who brought the vessels near to her, and she poured out.

6 When the containers were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another container.” He said to her, “There isn’t another container.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

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

7 Then she came and told the man of God. He said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

Then came she and told it to the man of God; and he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and thou with thy children shalt live of the rest.

8 One day Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman; and she persuaded him to eat bread. So it was, that as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread.

And it happened one day, that Elisha' passed over to Shunem, and there was a great woman, and she constrained him to eat bread; and it happened, that as oft as he passed by, he used to turn in thither to eat bread.

9 She said to her husband, “See now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God who passes by us continually.

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

10 Please, let’s make a little room on the roof. Let’s set a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp stand for him there. When he comes to us, he can stay there.”

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

11 One day he came there, and he went to the room and lay there.

And it happened one day, that he came thither, and he turned into the upper chamber, and lay there.

12 He said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” When he had called her, she stood before him.

And he said to Gechazi his servant, Call this Shunammite: and he called her, and she stood before him.

13 He said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Behold, you have cared for us with all this care. What is to be done for you? Would you like to be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the army?’” She answered, “I dwell amongst my own people.”

And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been at pains to take all this trouble for us: what is to be done for thee? wouldst thou be spoken for to the king, or to the chief of the army? And she said, I dwell in the midst of my own people.

14 He said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Most certainly she has no son, and her husband is old.”

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

15 He said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the door.

And he said, Call her: and he called her, and she stood in the door.

16 He said, “At this season next year, you will embrace a son.” She said, “No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your servant.”

And he said, At this season, next year, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, No, my Lord, man of God, do not deceive thy hand-maid.

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

But the woman conceived, and bore a son at that season in the following year, as Elisha' had spoken unto her.

18 When the child was grown, one day he went out to his father to the reapers.

And the child grew up; and it happened one day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.

19 He said to his father, “My head! My head!” He said to his 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 When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees until noon, and then died.

And he took him up, and brought him to his mother, and he sat on her knees till noon, when he died.

21 She went up and laid him on the man of God’s bed, and shut the door on him, and went out.

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

22 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 come again.”

And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the she-asses, that I may hasten as far as the man of God, and return.

23 He said, “Why would you want to go to him today? It is not a new moon or a Sabbath.” She said, “It’s all right.”

And he said, Wherefore art thou going to him today? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It is well.

24 Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, “Drive, and go forward! Don’t slow down for me, unless I ask you to.”

Then she saddled the she-ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; do not restrain me in riding, unless I say it to thee.

25 So she went, and came to the man of God to Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her afar off, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Behold, there is the Shunammite.

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 Gechazi his servant, Behold, yonder that Shunammite.

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 your child?’” She answered, “It is well.”

Now do run to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with thy child? and she answered, It is well.

27 When she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. Gehazi came near to thrust her away; but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is troubled within her; and the LORD has hidden it from me, and has not told me.”

And she came to the man of God to the mount, and caught hold of his feet; and Gechazi came near to thrust her away; but the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is grieved within her; and the Lord hath hidden it from me, and hath not told it me.

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

And she said, Did I request a son from my Lord? did I not say, Do not lead me astray?

29 Then he said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand, and go your way. If you meet any man, don’t greet him; and if anyone greets you, don’t answer him again. Then lay my staff on the child’s face.”

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

30 The child’s mother said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So he arose, and followed her.

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

31 Gehazi went ahead of them, and laid the staff on the child’s face; but there was no voice and no hearing. Therefore he returned to meet him, and told him, “The child has not awakened.”

And Gechazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the lad; but there was neither voice, nor perceptible sound; wherefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, The lad is not awakened.

32 When Elisha had come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and lying on his bed.

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

33 He went in therefore, and shut the door on them both, and prayed to the LORD.

And he went in and locked the door behind both of them, and prayed unto the Lord.

34 He went 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. He stretched himself on him; and the child’s flesh grew warm.

And he went up, and laid himself 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 him: and the flesh of the child became warm.

35 Then he returned, and walked in the house once back and forth, then went up and stretched himself out on him. Then the child sneezed 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 [again] upon him; and the lad sneezed as many as seven times, and the lad opened his eyes.

36 He called Gehazi, and said, “Call this Shunammite!” So he called her. When she had come in to him, he said, “Take up your son.”

And he called Gechazi, and said, Call this Shunammite: so he called her, and she came in unto him; and he said, Take up thy son.

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

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

38 Elisha came again to Gilgal. There was a famine in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, “Get the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”

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

39 One went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered a lap full of wild gourds from it, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew; for they didn’t recognise them.

And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild colocynths his garment full, and came and cut them up into the pot of pottage; for they knew them not.

40 So they poured out for the men to eat. As they were eating some of the stew, they cried out and said, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.

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

41 But he said, “Then bring meal.” He threw it into the pot; and he said, “Serve it to the people, that they may eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

But he said, Then bring some meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour it out for the people, that they may eat. And there was nothing bad in the pot.

42 A man from Baal Shalishah came, and brought the man of God some bread of the first fruits: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, “Give to the people, that they may eat.”

And there came a man from Ba'alshalishah, and brought unto the man of God bread of the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and fresh ears of corn in his scrip: and he said, Give it unto the people, that they may eat.

43 His servant said, “What, should I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for the LORD says, ‘They will eat, and will have some left over.’”

And his servitor said, What, shall I set this before a hundred men? And he said, Give it unto the people, that they may eat; for thus hath said the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave [thereof].

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

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