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 sons to be bondmen.
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.
3 Then
he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty
vessels; borrow not a few.
4 And
when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons,
and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which
is full.
5 So
she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to
her; and she poured out.
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.
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 children of the rest.
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.
9 And
she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an
holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
10 Let
us make a little chamber, I pray thee, 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.
11 And
it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay
there.
12 And
he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called
her, she stood before him.
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.
14 And
he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi
answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
15 And
he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.
16 And
he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a
son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine
handmaid.
17 And
the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto
her, according to the time of life.
18 And
when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to
the reapers.
19 And
he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to
his mother.
20 And
when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till
noon, and then died.
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.
22 And
she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young
men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.
23 And
he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither
new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.
24 Then
she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding
for me, except I bid 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 that
Shunammite:
26 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 answered, It is well.
27 And
when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but
Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And 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.
28 Then
she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive 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.
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.
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 went again to meet him, and told him, saying,
The child is not awaked.
32 And
when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid
upon his bed.
33 He
went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto 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
the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.
35 Then
he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched
himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his
eyes.
36 And
he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when
she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.
37 Then
she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up
her son, and went 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.
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.
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 thou man of God, there is death
in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.
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.
42 And
there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the
firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk
thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.
43 And
his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said
again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall
eat, and shall leave thereof.
44 So
he set it before
them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of
the LORD.
