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.”
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.”
3 Then
he said, “Go,
borrow empty
containers from
all your neighbors.
Don’t borrow just
a few containers.
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.”
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.
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.
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.”
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.
9 She said
to her husband, “See
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.”
11 One
day he came
there, and he
went to the
room and lay
there.
12 He
said to Gehazi
his servant, “Call
this Shunammite.”
When he had called
her, 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 among 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.”
15 He
said, “Call her.”
When he had called
her, 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.”
17 The
woman conceived,
and bore a
son at that
season when the
time came around, as Elisha
had said to
her.
18 When
the child was
grown, one day
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.”
20 When
he had taken
him and brought
him to his mother,
he sat on
her knees until
noon, and then
died.
21 She
went up and
laid him on
the man of God’s
bed, and shut
the door on 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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
28 Then
she said, “Did I
ask you for
a son, my lord?
Didn’t I 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.”
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.
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.”
32 When Elisha
had come into the
house, behold, the
child was dead,
and lying on
his bed.
33 He
went in therefore,
and shut the
door on them
both, and prayed
to 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.
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.
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.”
37 Then
she went in,
fell at his
feet, and bowed
herself to
the ground; then
she picked 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.”
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 recognize
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.
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.
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.”
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.’ ”
44 So
he set it
before them and
they ate and had
some left over,
according to the
LORD’s word.