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 woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha saying, Thy servant my husband is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant feared Jehovah; and the creditor is come to take my two children to be bondmen.

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 to her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid has not anything at all in the house but 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 abroad from all thy neighbours, empty vessels; let it not be 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 go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels, and set aside what is full.

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.

And she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons: they brought [the vessels] 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 to her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said to 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.”

And she came and told the man of God; and he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou [and] thy sons on 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 came to pass on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a wealthy 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 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 to her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, who passes 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 make, I pray thee, a small upper chamber with walls, and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a seat, and a lampstand; and it shall be when he cometh to us, he shall turn in thither.

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

And it came to pass on a 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 Gehazi 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 to him, Say now to 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 said, I dwell among mine 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 Gehazi said, Verily, she has 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 doorway.

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 appointed time, when thy term is come, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, man of God, do not lie to thy handmaid.

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

And the woman conceived, and bore a son at that appointed time in the next year as Elisha had said to her.

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

And the child grew, and it came to pass 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 to his father, My head, my head! And he said to the servant, 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 carried him, and brought him to his mother; and he sat on her knees till noon, and 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 shut [the door] upon 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 to her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, and I will run to the man of God, and come again.

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, Why wilt thou go to him to-day? 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 ass, and said to her servant, Drive and go forward; slack not the riding for me, except I bid 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.

And she went and came to 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, there is the 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.”

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 said, 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 mountain, and caught him by the feet; and Gehazi drew near to thrust her away; but the man of God said, Let her alone, for her soul is troubled within her, and Jehovah has hidden it from me, and has not told 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 desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?

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.”

And he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy 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 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 Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee! And he rose up 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 Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the lad; but there was neither voice, nor sign of attention. And he returned to meet him, and told him saying, The lad is not awaked.

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

And when Elisha came into the house, behold, the child was dead, [and] 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 shut the door upon them both, and prayed to Jehovah.

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 lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and bent over him; and the flesh of the child grew 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.

And he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and bent over him. And the lad sneezed 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 Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. And he called her; and she came to 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.

And she came and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground; and she 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 came again to Gilgal. And there was a famine in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him. And he said to his servant, Set on the great pot, and boil 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.

Then one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered from it his lap full of wild colocynths, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage; for they did not know them.

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 out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out and said, Man of God, there is death in the pot! And they could not eat [it].

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.

And he said, Then bring meal. And he cast [it] into the pot, and said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm 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 Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of corn in his sack. And he said, Give to 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 attendant said, How shall I set this before a hundred men? And he said, Give the people that they may eat; for thus saith Jehovah: They shall eat, and shall have to spare.

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

And he set [it] before them, and they ate and left [thereof], according to the word of Jehovah.