2 Kings 4
The Scriptures (ISR 1998)

1And a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared יהוה. And the lender has come to take my two sons to be his slaves.”

2And Elisha said to her, “What should I do for you? Inform me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your female servant has none at all in the house except a pot of oil.”

3And he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbours, empty vessels, do not get a few.

4“And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons. Then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the filled ones.”

5So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her, and she poured it out.

6And it came to be, when the vessels were filled, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” But he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” And the oil ceased.

7So she went and informed the man of Elohim, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt. And you and your sons live on the rest.”

8And it came to be on a day that Elisha went to Shunĕm, where there was a prominent woman, and she urged him to eat some food. And it came to be, as often as he passed by, that he turned in there to eat some food.

9And she said to her husband, “Look, I know that this is a set-apart man of Elohim, who passes by us continually.

10“Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall, and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand. And it shall be, whenever he comes to us, let him turn in there.”

11And it came to be on a day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there.

12And he said to Gĕḥazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite woman.” So he called her, and she stood before him.

13And he said to him, “Please say to her, ‘Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What is there to be done for you? Should I speak on your behalf to the sovereign or to the commander of the army?’ ” And she answered, “I am dwelling among my own people.”

14And he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gĕḥazi answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.”

15And he said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway.

16And he said, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my master, man of Elohim, do not lie to your female servant!”

17And the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had spoken to her.

18And the child grew. And it came to be on a day that he went out to his father, to the reapers,

19and he said to his father, “My head, my head!” And he said to a servant, “Take him to his mother.”

20So he took him and brought him to his mother, and he sat on her knees till noon, and died.

21And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of Elohim, and shut the door on him, and went out.

22And she called to her husband, and said, “Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, so that I hurry to the man of Elohim and return.”

23And he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath.” And she said, “It is well!”

24And she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Drive and go, do not slow down, except I speak to you.”

25And she went, and came to the man of Elohim at Mount Karmel. And it came to be, when the man of Elohim saw her at a distance, that he said to his servant Gĕḥazi, “See, the Shunammite woman.

26“Please run now to meet her, and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’ ” And she answered, “It is well.”

27And she came to the man of Elohim at the hill, and she caught him by the feet, but Gĕḥazi came near to push her away. But the man of Elohim said, “Leave her alone, for her being is bitter in her, and יהוה has hidden it from me, and has not revealed it to me.”

28And she said, “Did I ask a son of my master? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me’?”

29And he said to Gĕḥazi, “Gird up your loins, and take my staff in your hand, and go. When you meet anyone, do not greet him, and when anyone greets you, do not answer him. And you shall lay my staff on the face of the child.”

30And the mother of the child said, “As יהוה lives, and as your being lives, I do not leave you.” And he rose and followed her.

31And Gĕḥazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child. But there was no voice and there was no hearing, so he went back to meet him, and reported to him, saying, “The child has not awakened.”

32And Elisha came into the house and saw the child was dead, lying on his bed,

33and he went in, and shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to יהוה.

34And 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, and stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm.

35And he returned and walked back and forth in the house, then went up and stretched himself out on him. And the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

36And he called Gĕḥazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And she came in to him, and he said, “Pick up your son.”

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

38And Elisha returned to Gilgal. And the scarcity of food was in the land, and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him. And he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot, and cook stew for the sons of the prophets.”

39And one went out to the field to gather plants, and found a wild vine, and gathered wild cucumbers from it, filling the skirt of his garment, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, though they did not know what they were.

40They then served it to the men to eat. And it came to be, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, “O man of Elohim, there is death in the pot!” And they were unable to eat it.

41And he said, “Then bring some flour.” And he put it into the pot, and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was no evil matter in the pot.

42Now a man came from Ba‛al Shalishah, and brought the man of Elohim bread of the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, “Give it to the people to eat.”

43And his servant said, “What? Do I set this before one hundred men?” And he said, “Give it to the people to eat. For thus said יהוה, ‘Eat and have some left over.’ ”

44And he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of יהוה.

2 Kings 3
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