II Kings 4

¹Now a certain woman, from the wives of the prophets, cried out to Elisha, saying: “My husband, your servant, is dead. And you know that your servant was one who fears the Lord. And behold, a creditor has arrived, so that he may take away my two sons to serve him.”

²And Elisha said to her: “What do you want me to do for you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” And she responded, “I, your handmaid, do not have anything in my house, except a little oil, with which I may be anointed.”

³And he said to her: “Go, ask to borrow from all your neighbors empty vessels, more than a few.

⁴And enter and close your door. And when you are inside with your sons, pour from the oil into all those vessels. And when they are full, take them away.”

⁵And so, the woman went and closed the door upon herself and her sons. They were bringing her the vessels, and she was pouring into them.

⁶And when the vessels had been filled, she said to her son, “Bring me another a vessel.” And he responded, “I have none.” And there was oil remaining.

⁷Then she went and told the man of God. And he said: “Go, sell the oil, and repay your creditor. Then you and your sons may live on what remains.”

⁸Now it happened that, on a certain day, Elisha passed by Shunem. And there was a great woman there, who took him to eat bread. And since he frequently passed by there, he turned aside to her house, so that he might eat bread.

⁹And she said to her husband: “I have noticed that he is a holy man of God, who passes by us frequently.

¹⁰Therefore, let us prepare a small upper room for him, and place a bed in it for him, and a table, and a chair, and a lampstand, so that when he comes to us, he may stay there.”

¹¹Then it happened that, on a certain day, arriving, he turned aside into the upper room, and he rested there.

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

¹³he said to his servant: “Say to her: Behold, you have ministered to us attentively in all things. What do you want, that I might do for you? Do you have any business, or do you want me to speak to the king, or to the leader of the military?” And she responded, “I live in the midst of my own people.”

¹⁴And he said, “Then what does she want, that I might do for her?” And Gehazi said: “You need not ask. For she has no son, and her husband is elderly.”

¹⁵And so, he instructed him to call her. And when she had been called, and was standing before the door,

¹⁶he said to her, “At this time, and at this same hour, with life as a companion, you will have a son in your womb.” But she responded, “Do not, I ask you, my lord, a man of God, do not be willing to lie to your handmaid.”

¹⁷And the woman conceived. And she bore a son, in the time and at the same hour as Elisha had said.

¹⁸And the boy grew. And on a certain day, when he had gone out to his father, to the harvesters,

¹⁹he said to his father: “I have a pain in my head. I have a pain in my head.” But he said to his servant, “Take him, and lead him to his mother.”

²⁰But when he had taken him, and he had led him to his mother, she placed him upon her knees, until midday, and then he died.

²¹Then she went up and laid him out on the bed of the man of God, and she closed the door. And departing,

²²she called her husband, and she said: “Send with me, I beg you, one of your servants, and a donkey, so that I may hurry to the man of God, and then return.”

²³And he said to her: “What is the reason that you would go to him? Today is not the new moon, and it is not the Sabbath.” She responded, “I will go.”

²⁴And she saddled a donkey, and she instructed her servant: “Drive, and hurry on. You shall cause no delay for me in departing. And do whatever I instruct you to do.”

²⁵And so she set out. And she came to the man of God, on mount Carmel. And when the man of God had seen her at a distance, he said to his servant Gehazi: “Behold, it is that Shunammite woman.

²⁶So then, go to meet her, and say to her, ‘Does all go well concerning you, and your husband, and your son?’ ” And she answered, “It is well.”

²⁷And when she had arrived at the man of God, on the mount, she took hold of his feet. And Gehazi drew near, so that he might remove her. But the man of God said: “Permit her. For her soul is in bitterness. And the Lord has concealed it from me, and has not revealed it to me.”

²⁸And she said to him: “Did I ask a son from my lord? Did I not say to you, ‘You should not deceive me?’ ”

²⁹And so he said to Gehazi: “Gird your waist, and take my staff in your hand, and go. If any man will meet you, you shall not greet him. And if anyone greets you, you shall not respond to him. And place my staff upon the face of the boy.”

³⁰But the mother of the boy said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not release you.” Therefore, he rose up, and he followed her.

³¹But Gehazi had gone before them, and he had placed the staff upon the face of the boy. And there was no voice, nor any response. And so he returned to meet him. And he reported to him, saying, “The boy did not rise up.”

³²Therefore, Elisha entered the house. And behold, the boy was lying dead upon his bed.

³³And entering, he closed the door upon himself and the boy. And he prayed to the Lord.

³⁴And he climbed up, and lay across the boy. And he put his mouth over his mouth, and his eyes over his eyes, and his hands over his hands. And he leaned himself over him, and the body of the boy grew warm.

³⁵And returning, he walked around the house, first here and then there. And he went up, and lay across him. And the boy gasped seven times, and he opened his eyes.

³⁶And he called Gehazi, and said to him, “Call this Shunammite woman.” And having been called, she entered to him. And he said, “Take up your son.”

³⁷She went and fell at his feet, and she reverenced upon the ground. And she took up her son, and departed.

³⁸And Elisha returned to Gilgal. Now there was a famine in the land, and the sons of the prophets were living in his sight. And he said to one of his servants, “Set out a large cooking pot, and boil a soup for the sons of the prophets.”

³⁹And one went out into the field, so that he might collect wild herbs. And he found something like a wild vine, and he gathered from it bitter fruits of the field, and he filled his cloak. And returning, he cut these up for the pot of soup. But he did not know what it was.

⁴⁰Then they poured it out for their companions to eat. And when they had tasted the mixture, they cried out, saying, “Death is in the cooking pot, O man of God!” And they were unable to eat.

⁴¹But he said, “Bring some flour.” And when they had brought it, he cast it into the cooking pot, and he said, “Pour it out for the group, so that they may eat.” And there was no longer any bitterness in the cooking pot.

⁴²Now a certain man arrived from Baal-Shalishah, carrying, for the man of God, bread from the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and new grain in his satchel. But he said, “Give it to the people, so that they may eat.”

⁴³And his servant responded to him, “What amount is this, that I should set it before a hundred men?” But he said again: “Give it to the people, so that they may eat. For thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat, and there shall be still more.’ ”

⁴⁴And so, he set it before them. And they ate, and there was still more, in accord with the word of the Lord.

II Kings 4

¹Now a certain woman of the wives of the prophets, cried to Eliseus, saying: Thy servant, my husband, is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant was one that feared God, and behold the creditor is come to take away my two sons to serve him.

²And Eliseus said to her: What wilt thou have me do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in thy house? And she answered: I, thy handmaid, have nothing in my house but a little oil, to anoint me.

³And he said to her: Go, borrow of all thy neighbours empty vessels, not a few.

⁴And go in, and shut thy door, when thou art within, and thy sons: and pour out thereof into all those vessels: and when they are full, take them away.

⁵So the woman went, and shut the door upon her, and upon her sons: they brought her the vessels, and she poured in.

⁶And when the vessels were full, she said to her son: Bring me yet a vessel. And he answered: I have no more. And the oil stood.

⁷And she came, and told the man of God. And he said: Go, sell the oil, and pay thy creditor: and thou and thy sons live of the rest.

⁸And there was a day when Eliseus passed by Sunam: now there was a great woman there, who detained him to eat bread: and as he passed often that way, he turned into her house to eat bread.

⁹And she said to her husband: I perceive that this is a holy man of God, who often passeth by us.

¹⁰Let us, therefore, make him a little chamber, and put a little bed in it for him, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick, that when he cometh to us he may abide there.

¹¹Now, there was a certain day, when he came, and turned into the chamber, and rested there.

¹²And he said to Giezi, his servant: Call this Sunamitess. And when he had called her, and she stood before him,

¹³He said to his servant: Say to her: Behold, thou hast diligently served us in all things; what wilt thou have me to do for thee? Hast thou any business, and wilt thou, that I speak to the king, or to the general of the army? And she answered: I dwell in the midst of my own people.

¹⁴And he said: What will she then that I do for her? And Giezi said: Do not ask, for she hath no son, and her husband is old.

¹⁵Then he bid him call her. And when she was called, and stood before the door,

¹⁶He said to her: At this time, and this same hour, if life be in company, thou shalt have a son in thy womb. But she answered: Do not, I beseech thee, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie to thy handmaid.

¹⁷And the woman conceived, and brought forth a son in the time, and at the same hour that Eliseus had said.

¹⁸And the child grew. And on a certain day, when he went out to his father to the reapers,

¹⁹He said to his father: My head acheth, my head acheth. But he said to his servant. Take him, and carry him to his mother.

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

²¹And she went up, and laid him upon the bed of the man of God, and shut the door: and going out,

²²She called her husband, and said: Send with me, I beseech thee, one of thy servants, and an ass, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.

²³And he said to her: Why dost thou go to him? to day is neither new moon nor sabbath. She answered: I will go.

²⁴And she saddled an ass, and commanded her servant: Drive, and make haste, make no stay in going: And do that which I bid thee.

²⁵So she went forward, and came to the man of God, to mount Carmel: and when the man of God saw her coming towards, he said to Giezi, his servant: Behold that Sunamitess.

²⁶Go, therefore, to meet her, and say to her: Is all well with thee, and with thy husband, and with thy son? And she answered: Well.

²⁷And when she came to the man of God, to the mount, she caught hold on his feet: and Giezi came to remove her. And the man of God said: Let her alone for her soul is in anguish, and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.

²⁸And she said to him: Did I ask a son of my lord? did I not say to thee: Do not deceive me?

²⁹Then he said to Giezi: Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go. If any man meet thee, salute him not: and if any man salute thee, answer him not: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.

³⁰But the mother of the child said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. He arose, therefore, and followed her.

³¹But Giezi was gone before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child, and there was no voice nor sense: and he returned to meet him, and told him, saying: The child is not risen.

³²Eliseus, therefore, went into the house, and behold the child lay dead on his bed:

³³And going in, he shut the door upon him, and upon the child, and prayed to the Lord.

³⁴And 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 bowed himself upon him, and the child's flesh grew warm.

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

³⁶And he called Giezi, and said to him: Call this Sunamitess. And she being called, went in to him: and he said: Take up thy son.

³⁷She came and fell at his feet, and worshipped upon the ground: and took up her son, and went out.

³⁸And Eliseus returned to Galgal, and there was a famine in the land, and the sons of the prophets dwelt before him: And he said to one of his servants: Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets.

³⁹And one went out into the field to gather wild herbs: and he found something like a wild vine, and gathered of it wild gourds of the field, and filled his mantle, and coming back, he shred them into the pot of pottage; for he knew not what it was.

⁴⁰And they poured it out for their companions to eat: and when they had tasted of the pottage, they cried out, saying: Death is in the pot, O man of God. And they could not eat thereof.

⁴¹But he said: Bring some meal. And when they had brought it, he cast it into the pot, and said: Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was now no bitterness in the pot.

⁴²And a certain man came from Baalsalisa, bringing to the man of God, bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and new corn in his scrip. And he said: Give to the people, that they may eat.

⁴³And his servant answered him: How much is this, that I should set it before a hundred men? He said again: Give to the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the Lord: They shall eat, and there shall be left.

⁴⁴So he set it before them: and they ate, and there was left, according to the word of the Lord.