Chapter 4

Now there cried¹ a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying,² Thy servant my husband is dead;¹ and thou knowest¹ that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor⁶ is come¹ to take² unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

And Elisha said⁴ unto her, What shall I do⁴ for thee? tell⁵⁴ me, what hast thou in the house? And she said,⁴ Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

Then he said,⁴ Go,³ borrow³ thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, [even] empty vessels; borrow not a few.⁵⁵

And when thou art come in,¹ thou shalt shut¹ the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour¹ out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside⁵⁵ that which is full.

So she went⁴ from him, and shut⁴ the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought⁵⁶ [the vessels] to her; and she poured out.⁹⁴

And it came to pass, when the vessels were full,² that she said⁴ unto her son, Bring⁵⁴ me yet a vessel. And he said⁴ unto her, [There is] not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.⁴

Then she came⁴ and told⁵⁵ the man of God. And he said,⁴ Go,³ sell³ the oil, and pay¹⁶ thy debt, and live⁴ thou and thy children of the rest.¹²

And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed⁴ to Shunem, where [was] a great woman; and she constrained⁵⁵ him to eat² bread. And [so] it was, [that] as oft as he passed by,² he turned in⁴ thither to eat² bread.

And she said⁴ unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive¹ that this [is] an holy man of God, which passeth by⁶ us continually.

Let us make⁴ a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set⁴ for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh² to us, that he shall turn in⁴ thither.

And it fell on a day, that he came⁴ thither, and he turned⁴ into the chamber, and lay⁴ there.

And he said⁴ to Gehazi his servant, Call³ this Shunammite. And when he had called⁴ her, she stood⁴ before him.

And he said⁴ unto him, Say³ now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful¹ for us with all this care; what [is] to be done² for thee? wouldest thou be spoken¹⁵ for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered,⁴ I dwell⁶ among mine own people.

And he said,⁴ What then [is] to be done² for her? And Gehazi answered,⁴ Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.¹

And he said,⁴ Call³ her. And when he had called⁴ her, she stood⁴ in the door.

And he said,⁴ About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace⁶ a son. And she said,⁴ Nay, my lord, [thou] man of God, do not lie¹⁷ unto thine handmaid.

And the woman conceived,⁴ and bare⁴ a son at that season that Elisha had said¹⁴ unto her, according to the time of life.

And when the child was grown,⁴ it fell on a day, that he went out⁴ to his father to the reapers.⁶

And he said⁴ unto his father, My head, my head. And he said⁴ to a lad, Carry³ him to his mother.

And when he had taken⁴ him, and brought⁵⁵ him to his mother, he sat⁴ on her knees till noon, and [then] died.⁴

And she went up,⁴ and laid⁵⁵ him on the bed of the man of God, and shut⁴ [the door] upon him, and went out.⁴

And she called⁴ unto her husband, and said,⁴ Send³ me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run⁴ to the man of God, and come again.⁴

And he said,⁴ Wherefore wilt thou go⁶ to him to day? [it is] neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said,⁴ [It shall be] well.

Then she saddled⁴ an ass, and said⁴ to her servant, Drive,³ and go³ forward; slack⁴ not [thy] riding² for me, except I bid¹ thee.

So she went⁴ and came⁴ unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw² her afar off, that he said⁴ to Gehazi his servant, Behold, [yonder is] that Shunammite:

Run³ now, I pray thee, to meet² her, and say³ unto her, [Is it] well with thee? [is it] well with thy husband? [is it] well with the child? And she answered,⁴ [It is] well.

And when she came⁴ to the man of God to the hill, she caught⁵⁵ him by the feet: but Gehazi came near⁴ to thrust her away.² And the man of God said,⁴ Let her alone;⁵⁴ for her soul [is] vexed¹ within her: and the LORD hath hid⁵² [it] from me, and hath not told⁵² me.

Then she said,⁴ Did I desire¹ a son of my lord? did I not say,¹ Do not deceive⁵⁵ me?

Then he said⁴ to Gehazi, Gird up³ thy loins, and take³ my staff in thine hand, and go³ thy way: if thou meet⁴ any man, salute¹⁷ him not; and if any salute¹⁷ thee, answer⁴ him not again: and lay¹ my staff upon the face of the child.

And the mother of the child said,⁴ [As] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave⁴ thee. And he arose,⁴ and followed^{4 310} her.

And Gehazi passed on¹ before them, and laid⁴ the staff upon the face of the child; but [there was] neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again⁴ to meet² him, and told⁵⁵ him, saying,² The child is not awaked.⁵²

And when Elisha was come⁴ into the house, behold, the child was dead,⁵ [and] laid⁹⁴ upon his bed.

He went in⁴ therefore, and shut⁴ the door upon them twain, and prayed¹⁰¹ unto the LORD.

And he went up,⁴ and lay⁴ upon the child, and put⁴ his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched⁴ himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.⁴

Then he returned,⁴ and walked⁴ in the house to ²⁰⁰⁸ and fro; ²⁰⁰⁸ and went up,⁴ and stretched⁴ himself upon him: and the child sneezed²⁵ seven times, and the child opened⁴ his eyes.

And he called⁴ Gehazi, and said,⁴ Call³ this Shunammite. So he called⁴ her. And when she was come in⁴ unto him, he said,⁴ Take up³ thy son.

Then she went in,⁴ and fell⁴ at his feet, and bowed¹⁰¹ herself to the ground, and took up⁴ her son, and went out.⁴

And Elisha came again¹ to Gilgal: and [there was] a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets [were] sitting⁶ before him: and he said⁴ unto his servant, Set³ on the great pot, and seethe¹⁶ pottage for the sons of the prophets.

And one went out⁴ into the field to gather¹⁵ herbs, and found⁴ a wild vine, and gathered¹⁷ thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came⁴ and shred¹⁷ [them] into the pot of pottage: for they knew¹ [them] not.

So they poured out⁴ for the men to eat.² And it came to pass, as they were eating² of the pottage, that they cried out,¹ and said,⁴ O [thou] man of God, [there is] death in the pot. And they could¹ not eat² [thereof].

But he said,⁴ Then bring³ meal. And he cast⁵⁵ [it] into the pot; and he said,⁴ Pour³ out for the people, that they may eat.⁴ And there was no harm ⁷⁴⁵¹ in the pot.

And there came⁶ a man from Baalshalisha, and brought⁵⁵ the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said,⁴ Give³ unto the people, that they may eat.⁴

And his servitor¹⁸ said,⁴ What, should I set⁴ this before an hundred men? He said⁴ again, Give³ the people, that they may eat:⁴ for thus saith¹ the LORD, They shall eat,² and shall leave⁵³ [thereof].

So he set⁴ [it] before them, and they did eat,⁴ and left⁵⁵ [thereof], according to the word of the LORD.