2 Reyes 4

1 La mujer de uno de los hijos de los profetas se dirigió a Eliseo: “Mi marido, tu siervo, ha muerto, y tú sabes que honraba al Señor. Pero ahora, para pagar sus deudas, su acreedor viene a llevarse a mis dos hijos como esclavos”.

One day the widow of one of [Yahweh’s] prophets came to Elisha and cried out to him, “My husband, who worked with you, is dead. You know that he revered Yahweh [very much]. But now a man to whom he owed a lot of money has come to me. [And because I cannot pay back the money, he is threatening] to take away my two sons to be his slaves [as payment for what I owe him]!”

2 “¿Qué puedo hacer para ayudarte?”, preguntó Eliseo. “Dime, ¿qué tienes en tu casa?” “Yo, tu sierva, no tengo nada en mi casa, excepto una jarra de aceite de oliva”, respondió ella.

Elisha replied, “What can I do to help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” She replied, “We have only a container of [olive] oil; we have nothing else.”

3 “Ve y pide prestadas jarras vacías a tus vecinos, todas las que puedas, no sólo unas pocas”, le dijo Eliseo.

Elisha said, “Go to your neighbors and borrow from them as many empty jars as you can.

4 “Luego entra, cierra la puerta detrás de ti y de tus hijos, y comienza a verter aceite de oliva en todas estas tinajas, colocando las tinajas llenas a un lado”.

Then take the jars into your house with your sons. Shut the door. Then pour olive oil from your container into the other jars. When each jar is full, set it aside [and fill another jar. Keep doing that until all the jars are full].”

5 Ella dejó a Eliseo, se fue a su casa y cerró la puerta detrás de ella y de sus hijos. Le trajeron las tinajas y ella siguió vertiendo.

[So she did what Elisha told her to do]. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she kept filling them.

6 Cuando todas las tinajas estaban llenas, le dijo a su hijo: “Tráeme otra”. Pero él le contestó: “No queda ninguna tinaja”. Entonces el aceite de oliva dejó de fluir.

Soon all the jars were full. So she said to one of her sons, “Bring me another jar!” But he replied, “There are no more jars!” And then the olive oil stopped flowing.

7 Ella fue a contarle al hombre de Dios lo que había sucedido, y él le dijo: “Ve y vende el aceite de oliva y paga tus deudas, y tú y tus hijos podrán vivir con lo que quede”.

When she told Elijah [what had happened], he said to her, “Now sell the jars of oil. And [with the money you get, ] pay what you owe, and there will be enough extra money to keep buying food for yourself and your sons.” [So she did that].

8 Un día, mientras Eliseo iba de paso por Sunem, una mujer rica que vivía allí lo convenció para que comiera. Después de esa ocasión, cada vez que pasaba por allí, llegaba allí a comer.

One day Elisha went to Shunem [town]. There was a wealthy woman who lived there [with her husband]. One day she invited Elisha to her house for a meal. [Elisha went there and] from then on, every time Elisha was in Shunem, he went to their house to eat a meal.

9 Un día, ella le dijo a su marido: “Estoy segura de que este hombre que nos visita regularmente es un santo varón de Dios.

One day the woman said to her husband, “I am sure that this man who often comes here is a prophet [who brings messages] from God.

10 Por favor, hagamos una pequeña habitación en el tejado. Podemos ponerle una cama, una mesa, una silla y una lámpara. Así podrá quedarse allí cada vez que nos visite”.

I think we should make a small room for him on our [flat] roof, and put a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp in it. If we do that, whenever he comes here, he will have a place to stay.” [So they did that].

11 Un día llegó Eliseo, subió a su habitación y se acostó.

One day Elisha returned to Shunem, and he went up to that room to rest.

12 Y le dijo a su criado Giezi: “Pídele a la sunamita que venga aquí”. Entonces Giezi la llamó y ella vino a ver a Eliseo.

He said to his servant Gehazi, “Tell the woman that I want to speak to her.” [So the servant went and told her]. When she came [to the doorway of Elisha’s room],

13 Entonces Eliseo le dijo a Giezi: “Por favor, dile: ‘te has tomado muchas molestias por nosotros. ¿Qué podemos hacer ahora por ti? ¿Quieres que hablemos por ti al rey o al comandante del ejército?’” “Vivo con mi propia gente”, respondió ella.

Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tell her that we both appreciate all the kind things that she has done for us. Then ask her what we can do for her. Ask, ‘Do you want [me to go to] the king or the army commander, to request something for you?’” [Gehazi told her, ] and she replied, “No, [he does not need to do that, because] my family/relatives are able to give me what I need.”

14 Después de que ella se fue, Eliseo preguntó: “¿Qué podemos hacer por ella?”. “No tiene hijo, y su marido es viejo”, respondió Giezi.

[Later, ] Elisha asked Gehazi, “What do you think that we can do for that woman?” He replied, “She does not have a son, and her husband is an old man. [So maybe we should ask Yahweh to enable her to have a son].”

15 Eliseo dijo: “Pídele que vuelva”. Así que Giezi la llamó, y ella vino de pie junto a la puerta.

Elisha told Gehazi, “Call her back again.” [So Gehazi went and called her]. And when the woman returned, as she stood in the doorway,

16 Entonces Eliseo le dijo: “El año que viene, por estas fechas, tendrás un hijo en brazos”. “¡No, mi señor!”, respondió ella. “¡Hombre de Dios, no le mientas a tu sierva!”

Elisha said to her, “About this time next year you will be holding your [infant] son in your arms.” But she protested, “O, sir, you are a prophet [who brings messages] from God, so please do not deceive/lie to me by saying things like that!”

17 Pero la mujer quedó efectivamente embarazada, y al año siguiente, por esas mismas fechas, dio a luz a un hijo, tal como Eliseo se lo había prometido.

But a few months later, the woman became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son at that time the following year, just like Elisha had predicted.

18 El niño creció, pero un día, cuando salió a ver a su padre, que estaba con los segadores,

When the child was older, one day he went out to the fields to see his father, who was [working] with the men who were harvesting [grain].

19 se quejó a su padre: “¡Me duele la cabeza! ¡Me duele la cabeza!” Su padre dijo a uno de sus criados: “Llévenlo de vuelta con su madre”.

[Suddenly] the boy exclaimed, “My head [hurts]! My head [hurts a lot]!” His father said to one of the servants, “Carry him home to his mother!”

20 El criado lo levantó y lo llevó donde su madre. El niño se sentó en su regazo hasta el mediodía, y entonces murió.

So the servant carried him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But at noontime the boy died.

21 Entonces ella subió y lo puso en la cama del hombre de Dios. Luego cerró la puerta y se fue.

She carried him up [the steps] to the prophet’s room and laid him on the bed. She left him there and went out and shut the door.

22 Llamó a su marido y le dijo: “Por favor, envíame uno de los criados y un asno para que pueda ir corriendo a ver al hombre de Dios y volver”.

She then called out to her husband, saying, “Send to me one of the servants and a donkey, so that I can ride [on it] quickly to the prophet, and then come back!” [But she did not tell her husband that their son had died].

23 “¿Por qué necesitas ir a verlo hoy?”, le preguntó él. “No es luna nueva ni sábado”. “No te preocupes por eso”, respondió ella.

Her husband [called out to her and] said, “Why [do you want to go] today? This is not the day when we celebrate the Festival of the New Moon, and it is not a Sabbath day!” But she only replied, “[Just do what I requested and] everything will be all right.”

24 Puso la silla de montar en el asno y le dijo a su criado: “¡Vamos rápido! No te detengas por mí si no te lo digo yo”.

So she [told the servant to] put saddles on [two] donkeys, and as they left, she said, “Hurry! Do not slow down unless t tell you to do that!”

25 Así que se puso en marcha y se dirigió al hombre de Dios que estaba en el monte Carmelo. Cuando vio su camino a lo lejos, el hombre de Dios le dijo a su siervo Giezi: “¡Mira! ¡Ahí está la sunamita!

As they approached Carmel Mountain, where Elisha was, Elisha saw her in the distance. He said to Gehazi, “Look, the woman from Shunem is coming!

26 Por favor, corre a su encuentro y pregúntale: ‘¿Va todo bien contigo, con tu marido y con tu hijo?’”. “Todo está bien”, respondió ella.

Run to her, and ask her if everything is all right with her and her husband and with her child!” [So Gehazi ran to her and asked her, but she did not tell Gehazi anything.] She only said, “Yes, everything is fine.”

27 Pero cuando llegó hasta el hombre de Dios en la montaña, se agarró a sus pies. Giezi se acercó para apartarla, pero el hombre de Dios le dijo: “Déjala en paz, porque tiene una miseria terrible, pero el Señor me lo ha ocultado y no me lo ha explicado”.

But when she came to where Elisha was, she [prostrated herself on the ground in front of Elisha and] took hold of his feet. Gehazi started to push her away, but Elisha said, “(Do not push her away/Leave her alone)! Something is troubling her very much, but Yahweh has not told me what it is.”

28 “¿Te pedí un hijo, mi señor?”, preguntó ella. “¿No te dije: ‘No me digas mentiras’?”

Then she said to Elisha, “O, sir, I did not ask you to enable me to give birth to a son [RHQ]. And I told you not to lie to me about that!” [RHQ]

29 Eliseo le dijo a Giezi: “¡Guarda tu capa en tu cinturón, toma mi bastón y vete! No saludes a nadie que te encuentres, y si alguien te saluda, no respondas. Coloca mi bastón en la cara del muchacho”.

Then Elisha [realized that something must have happened to her son. So he] said to Gehazi, “Get ready [to leave immediately]. Take my staff/walking stick and go [to her home]. Do not [stop to] talk to anyone on the way. Go quickly [to where her son is] and lay the staff on the child’s face. [If you do that, perhaps Yahweh will enable him to be well].”

30 Pero la madre del muchacho le dijo: “¡Vive el Señor y vives tú, no me iré sin ti!”. Así que él se levantó y se fue con ella.

But the boy’s mother said, “Just [as certain] as Yahweh lives and you live, I will not go home if you do not go with me.” So Elisha returned with her [to her home].

31 Giezi siguió corriendo y puso el bastón en la cara del muchacho, pero no hubo sonido ni señal de vida. Entonces Giezi volvió a reunirse con Eliseo y le dijo: “El muchacho no ha despertado”.

Gehazi hurried quickly, and [when he got to the woman’s home, ] he laid the staff/walking stick on the child’s face, but the child did not move or say anything. So Gehazi returned to meet Elisha [along the road], and told him, “The child is still dead.”

32 Cuando Eliseo llegó a la casa, allí estaba el muchacho, muerto en su cama.

When Elisha reached the house, he saw that the boy was lying dead on his bed.

33 Eliseo entró, cerró la puerta detrás de ambos y oró al Señor.

Elisha went into the room by himself and shut the door and prayed to Yahweh.

34 Luego se subió a la cama y se puso encima del muchacho, y puso su boca sobre la boca del muchacho, sus ojos sobre los ojos del muchacho, sus manos sobre las manos del muchacho. Mientras se extendía sobre él, el cuerpo del muchacho se calentaba.

Then he lay down on the boy’s body, and put his mouth on the boy’s mouth, and put his eyes on the boy’s eyes, and put his hands on the boy’s hands. Then the boy’s body started to become warm!

35 Eliseo se levantó, caminó de un lado a otro de la habitación y luego volvió a la cama y se tendió sobre él de nuevo. El muchacho estornudó siete veces y luego abrió los ojos.

Elisha got up and walked back and forth in the room [several times]. Then he stretched his body on the boy’s body again. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes!

36 Eliseo llamó a Giezi y le dijo: “Pide a la sunamita que venga”. Así lo hizo. Cuando llegó, Eliseo le dijo: “Aquí está tu hijo. Puedes recogerlo”.

Then Elisha summoned Gehazi. He said, “Call the boy’s mother!” [So Gehazi went and called her, ] and when she came in, Elisha said, “Here, take your son!”

37 Ella entró, se postró a sus pies y se inclinó hasta el suelo. Luego recogió a su hijo y se fue.

She [gratefully] prostrated herself at Elisha’s feet. Then she picked up her son and carried him downstairs.

38 Cuando Eliseo regresó a Gilgal, había hambre en esa zona. Los hijos de los profetas estaban sentados a sus pies, y él dijo a su criado: “Usa la olla grande y hierve un poco de guiso para los hijos de los profetas”.

Then Elisha returned to Gilgal. But at that time there was (a famine/very little food) in that area. One day as the group of prophets was sitting in front of Elisha [listening to what he was teaching], he said to his servant, “Put a large pot on [the stove] and make some stew for these men.”

39 Uno de ellos salió al campo a recoger hierbas. Encontró una viña silvestre y recogió tantas calabazas silvestres como le cabía en su manto. Luego regresó y las picó en la olla del guiso. Pero nadie sabía que era peligroso comerlas.

One of the prophets went out to the fields to gather some vegetables. But he gathered [only] some wild gourds and put them in his cloak and brought them back. He shredded them and put them in the pot, but he did not know that the gourds were poisonous.

40 Se lo sirvieron a los hombres para que comieran, pero cuando probaron el guiso gritaron: “¡Hay muerte en la olla, hombre de Dios!”. No pudieron comerlo.

He served the stew to the prophets, but after the men had eaten only a couple bites, they cried out, “Elisha, there is something in the pot that will kill us!” So they would not eat it.

41 Eliseo dijo: “Trae harina”. La echó en la olla y dijo: “Sírvesela a la gente para que coma”. No había nada malo para comer en la olla.

Elisha said, “Bring me some flour.” [They brought him some, and] he threw it in the pot and he said, “It is all right now. You can eat it.” And they ate it, and it did not harm them.

42 Un hombre de Baal-Salisa se acercó al hombre de Dios con un saco de primicias, el primer grano del año, junto con veinte panes de cebada. “Dáselo a la gente para que coma”, dijo Eliseo.

One day a man from Baal-Shalishah [town] brought to Elisha a sack of freshly cut grain and 20 loaves of barley bread, made from the first grain that they harvested [that year]. Elisha said [to his servant], “Give it to the group of prophets, so that they can eat it.”

43 “¿Cómo voy a servir sólo veinte panes a cien hombres?”, preguntó su criado. “Dáselo a la gente para que coma”, dijo Eliseo, “porque esto es lo que dice el Señor: ‘Comerán y aún sobrará’”.

But his servant exclaimed, “Do you think that we can feed 100 of us prophets with only that much?” [RHQ] But Elisha replied, “Give it to the prophets so that they can eat it, because Yahweh says that there will be plenty for all of them, and there will be some left over!”

44 Así que les sirvió el pan. Comieron y les sobró, tal como había dicho el Señor.

After his servant gave it to the prophets, they ate [all that they wanted], and there was food left over, just as Yahweh had promised.