2 Kings 4

1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead: and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two children to be bondmen.

Forsothe sum womman of the wyues of prophetys criede to Elisee, and seide, Thi seruaunt, myn hosebonde, is deed, and thou knowist that thi seruaunt dredde God; and lo! the creaunser, `that is, he to whom the dette is owid, cometh to take my two sones to serue hym.

2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me; what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

To whom Elisee seide, What wolt thou that Y do to thee? seie thou to me, what hast thou in thin hows? And she answeride, Y thin handmayde haue not ony thing in myn hows, no but a litil of oile, bi which Y schal be anoyntid.

3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

To whom he seide, Go thou, and axe bi borewyng of alle thi neiyboris voide vessels not fewe.

4 And thou shalt go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels; and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

And entre, and close thi dore, whanne thou art with ynne, thou and thi sones; and putte ye therof in to alle these vessels; and whanne tho schulen be ful, thou schalt take awei.

5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons; they brought [the vessels] to her, and she poured out.

Therfor the womman yede, and closide the dore on hir silf and on hir sones, thei brouyten vessels, and sche `heldide in.

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

And whanne the vessels weren fulle, sche seide to hir sone, Brynge thou yit a vessel to me. And he answeride, Y haue not. And the oyle stood.

7 Then 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 of the rest.

Forsothe sche cam, and schewide to the man of God; and he seide, Go thou, sil thou the oile, and yelde to thi creauncer; forsothe thou and thi children lyue of the residue.

8 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great 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.

Forsothe sum day was maad, and Elisee passide bi a citee, Sunam; sotheli a greet womman was there, which helde hym, that he schulde ete breed. And whanne he passide ofte therbi, `he turnede to hir, that he schulde ete breed.

9 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.

`Which womman seide to hir hosebonde, Y perseyue that this is an hooli man of God, that passith ofte bi vs;

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

therfor make we a litil soler to hym, and putte we therynne a litil bed to hym, and a boord, and a chaier, and a candilstike; that whanne he cometh to vs, he dwelle there.

11 And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber and lay there.

Therfor sum dai was maad, and he cam, and turnede in to the soler, and restide there.

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

And he seide to Giezi, his child, Clepe thou this Sunamyte. And whanne he hadde clepid hir, and sche hadde stonde

13 And he said unto him, Say now unto 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 answered, I dwell among mine own people.

bifor hym, he seide to his child, Speke thou to hir, Lo! thou hast mynystride to vs bisili in alle thingis; what wolt thou that Y do to thee? Whether thou hast a cause, and wolt that Y speke to the kyng, ether to the prince of the chyualrye? And sche answeride, I dwelle in the myddis of my puple.

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

And he seide, What therfor wole sche that Y do to hir? Giezi seide to hym, Axe thou not, for she hath no sone, and hir hosebonde is eeld.

15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.

Therfor Elisee comaundide, that he schulde clepe hir. And whanne sche was clepid, and stood bifor the dore,

16 And he said, At this season, when the time cometh round, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.

he seide to hir, In this tyme and in this same our, if lijf schal be felow, thou schalt haue a sone in the wombe. And sche answeride, Nyle thou, my lord, the man of God, Y biseche, nyle thou lye to thin hondmaide.

17 And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season, when the time came round, as Elisha had said unto her.

And the womman conseyuede, and childide a sone in the tyme, and in the same our, in which Elisee hadde seid.

18 And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.

Sotheli the child encreeside; and whanne sum day was, and the child was goon out, and yede to his fadir,

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

and to the repers, he seide to his fadir, Myn heed akith, myn heed akith. And he seide to a child, Take, and lede hym to his modir.

20 And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

And whanne he hadde take, and hadde brouyt hym to his modir, sche settide hym on hir knees `til to myddai, and he was deed.

21 And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut [the door] upon him, and went out.

Sotheli she stiede, and leide hym on the litil bed of the man of God, and closide the dore.

22 And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the servants, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.

And sche yede out, and clepide hir hosebonde, and seide, Y biseche, sende thou with me oon of the children, and an asse, and Y schal renne out `til to the man of God, and Y schal turne ayen.

23 And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him today? it is neither new moon nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.

And he seide to hir, For what cause goist thou to hym? to dai ben not calendis, nether sabat. And she answeride, Y schal go.

24 Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slacken me not the riding, except I bid thee.

And sche sadlide the asse, and comaundide to the child, Dryue thou, and haaste; make thou not tariyng to me in goyng, and do thou this thing which Y comaunde to thee.

25 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 Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is the Shunammite:

Therfor sche yede forth, and cam to the man of God, in to the hil of Carmele. And whanne the man of God hadde seyn hir euene ayen, he seide to Giezi, his child, Lo! thilke Sunamyte; go thou therfor in to the metyng of hir,

26 run, I pray thee, now 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 answered, It is well.

and seie thou to hir, Whether it is doon riytfuli aboute thee, and aboute thin hosebonde, and aboute thi sone? And sche answeride, Riytfuli.

27 And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to thrust her away; but the man of God said, Let her alone: for her soul is vexed within her; and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.

And whanne sche hadde come to the man of God, in to the hil, sche took his feet; and Giezi neiyede, that he schulde remoue hir. And the man of God seide, Suffre thou hir; for hir soule is in bitternesse, and the Lord helde priuy fro me, and schewide not to me.

28 Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?

And sche seide to hym, Whether I axide my sone of my lord? Whether Y seide not to thee, Scorne thou not me?

29 Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine 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 child.

And he seide to Giezi, Girde thi leendis, and take my staf in thin hond, and go; if a man metith thee, grete thou not hym; and if ony man gretith thee, answere thou not hym; and putte thou my staf on the face of the child.

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

Forsothe the `modir of the child seide, The Lord lyueth and thi soule lyueth, Y schal not leeue, `ether forsake, thee. Therfor he roos, and suede hir.

31 And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he returned to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.

Sotheli Giezi yede bifor hem, and puttide the staaf on the face of the child; and `vois was not, nether wit. And Giezi turnede ayen to the meetyng of hym; and telde to him, and seyde, The child `roos not.

32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.

Therfor Elisee entride in to the hows, and, lo! the deed child lai in his bed.

33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.

And he entride, and closide the dore on hym silf, and on the child; and preiede to the Lord.

34 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 he stretched himself upon him; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.

And he stiede, and lay on the child; and he puttide his mouth on the mouth of the child, and hise iyen on the iyen of the child, and hise hondis on the hondis of the child. And he bouwide hym silf on the child; and the fleisch of the child was maad hoot.

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

And he turnede ayen, and walkide in the hows onys hidur and thidur; and Elisee stiede, and lai on the child, and the child yoxide seuene sithis, and openyde the iyen.

36 And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in onto him, he said, Take up thy son.

And he clepide Giezi, and seide to hym, Clepe thou this Sunamyte. And sche was clepid, and entride to hym. And he seide, Take thi sone.

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

She cam, and felde doun to his feet, and worschipide on erthe; and sche took hir sone, and yede out.

38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.

And Elisee turnede ayen in to Galgala. Forsothe hungur was in the lond, and the sones of prophetis dwelliden bifor hym. And Elisee seide to oon of his children, Set thou a greet pot, and sethe thou potage to the sones of prophetis.

39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.

And oon yede out in to the feeld to gadere eerbis of the feeld; and he foond as a wilde vyne, and he gaderide therof gourdis of the feeld. And he fillide his mentil, and he turnede ayen, and schredde in to the pot of potage; for he wiste not what it was.

40 So 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, O man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.

Therfor thei helden yn to felowis to ete; and whanne thei hadden taastid of the sething, thei crieden out, and seiden, Deth in the pot! deeth in the pot! thou man of God. And thei miyten not ete. And he seide, Brynge ye meele.

41 But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.

And whanne thei hadden brouyt, he puttide in to the pot, and seide, Helde ye to the cumpany, that thei ete; and ony thing of bitternesse was nomore in the pot.

42 And there came a man from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of corn in his sack. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.

Forsothe sum man cam fro the pleyn of Salisa, and bar to the man of God looues of the firste fruytis, ten looues of barli, and newe wheete, in his scrippe. And the man of God seide, Yyue thou to the puple, that it ete.

43 And his servant said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? But he said, Give the people, that they may eat; for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.

And his mynystre answeride to hym, `Hou myche is this, that Y sette bifor an hundrid men? Eft Elisee seide, Yyue thou to the puple, that it ete; for the Lord seith these thingis, Thei schulen ete, and it shal leeue.

44 So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

Therfor he puttide bifor hem, whiche eeten; and it lefte, bi the word of the Lord.