II Kings 4

¹And one of the wiues of the sonnes of the Prophets cryed vnto Elisha, saying, Thy seruant mine husband is dead, and thou knowest, that thy seruant did feare the Lord: and the creditour is come to take my two sonnes to bee his bondmen.

²Then Elisha saide vnto her, What shall I do for thee? tell mee, what hast thou at home? And she sayd, Thine handmayd hath nothing at home, saue a pitcher of oyle.

³And he sayde, Goe, and borowe thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, emptie vessels, and spare not.

⁴And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the doore vpon thee and vpon thy sonnes, and powre out into all those vessels, and set aside those that are full.

⁵So shee departed from him, and shut the doore vpon her, and vpon her sonnes. And they brought to her, and she powred out.

⁶And when the vessels were full, shee sayde vnto her sonne, Bring mee yet a vessel. And hee said vnto her, There is no moe vessels. And the oyle ceased.

⁷Then shee came and tolde the man of God. And he saide, Goe, and sell the oyle, and pay them that thou art in debt vnto, and liue thou and thy children of the rest.

⁸And on a time Elisha came to Shunem, and there a woman of great estimation constrained him to eate bread: and as he passed by, he turned in thither to eate bread.

⁹And she sayde vnto her husband, Beholde, I know now, that this is an holy man of God that passeth by vs continually.

¹⁰Let vs make him a litle chamber, I pray thee, with walles, and let vs set him there a bed, and a table, and a stoole, and a candlesticke, that hee may turne in thither when hee commeth to vs.

¹¹And on a day, hee came thither and turned into the chamber, and lay therein,

¹²And sayd to Gehazi his seruant, Call this Shunammite: and when hee called her, she stood before him.

¹³Then he sayd vnto him, Say vnto her now, Beholde, thou hast had all this great care for vs, what shall we doe for thee? Is there any thing to bee spoken for thee to the King or to the captaine of the hoste? And shee answered, I dwell among mine owne people.

¹⁴Againe he sayde, What is then to be done for her? Then Gehazi answered, In deede she hath no sonne, and her husband is olde.

¹⁵Then said he, Cal her. And hee called her, and shee stoode in the doore.

¹⁶And he said, At this time appointed, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a sonne. And she sayd, Oh my Lord, thou man of God, doe not lye vnto thine handmayd.

¹⁷So the woman conceiued, and bare a sonne at that same season, according to the time of life, that Elisha had sayd vnto her.

¹⁸And when the childe was growen, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father, and to the reapers.

¹⁹And he sayde to his father, Mine head, mine head. Who sayd to his seruant, Beare him to his mother.

²⁰And hee tooke him and brought him to his mother, and hee sate on her knees till noone, and dyed.

²¹Then shee went vp, and layed him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the doore vpon him, and went out.

²²Then she called to her husband, and sayd, Send with me, I pray thee, one of the yong men and one of the asses: for I will haste to the man of God, and come againe.

²³And he sayd, Wherefore wilt thou goe to him to day? it is neither newe moone nor Sabbath day. And she answered, All shalbe well.

²⁴Then she sadled an asse, and sayde to her seruant, Driue, and goe forward: staye not for me to get vp, except I bid thee.

²⁵So she went, and came vnto the man of God to mount Carmel. And when the man of God sawe her ouer against him, he sayd to Gehazi his seruant, Beholde, the Shunammite.

²⁶Runne nowe, I say, to meete her, and say vnto her, Art thou in health? is thine husband in health? and is the child in health? And she answered, We are in health.

²⁷And when shee came to the man of God vnto the moutaine, she caught him by his feete: and Gehazi went to her, to thrust her away: but the man of God said, Let her alone: for her soule is vexed within her, and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told it mee.

²⁸Then she said, Did I desire a sonne of my lord? did I not say, Deceiue me not?

²⁹Then he sayd to Gehazi, Gird thy loynes, and take my staffe in thine hand, and goe thy way: if thou meete any, salute him not: and if any salute thee, answere him not: and laye my staffe vpon the face of the childe.

³⁰And the mother of the childe sayde, As the Lord liueth, and as thy soule liueth, I will not leaue thee. Therefore he arose, and followed her.

³¹But Gehazi was gone before them, and had layed the staffe vpon the face of the childe, but he neither spake nor heard: wherefore hee returned to meete him, and told him, saying, The childe is not waken.

³²Then came Elisha into the house, and beholde, the childe was dead, and layed vpon his bedde.

³³He went in therefore, and shut the doore vpon them twayne, and prayed vnto the Lord.

³⁴After he went vp, and lay vpon the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes vpon his eies, and his hands vpon his handes, and stretched himselfe vpon him, and the flesh of the child waxed warme.

³⁵And hee went from him, and walked vp and downe in the house, and went vp and spred himselfe vpon him: then the childe neesed seuen times, and opened his eyes.

³⁶Then he called Gehazi, and sayd, Call this Shunammite. So he called her, which came in vnto him. And he said vnto her, Take thy sonne.

³⁷And she came, and fell at his feete, and bowed her selfe to the ground, and tooke vp her sonne, and went out.

³⁸Afterward Elisha returned to Gilgal, and a famine was in the land, and the children of the Prophets dwelt with him. And hee sayd vnto his seruant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the children of the Prophets.

³⁹And one went out into the fielde, to gather herbes, and founde, as it were, a wilde vine, and gathered thereof wilde gourdes his garment ful, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew it not.

⁴⁰So they powred out for the men to eate: and when they did eate of the pottage, they cryed out, and sayde, O thou man of God, death is in the pot: and they could not eate thereof.

⁴¹Then he said, Bring meale. And hee cast it into the potte, and sayd, Powre out for the people, that they may eate: and there was none euill in the pot.

⁴²Then came a man from Baal-shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, euen twenty loaues of barley, and full eares of corne in the huske. And hee saide, Giue vnto the people, that they may eate.

⁴³And his seruant answered, How shoulde I set this before an hundreth men? He sayd againe, Giue it vnto the people, that they may eate: for thus sayth the Lord, They shall eate, and there shall remaine.

⁴⁴So he set it before them, and they did eate, and left ouer, according to the word of the Lord.

II Kings 4

¹Now 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.

²And 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.

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

⁴And 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.

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

⁶And 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.

⁷Then 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.

⁸And 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.

⁹And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.

¹⁰Let 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.

¹¹And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.

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

¹³And 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.

¹⁴And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.

¹⁵And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.

¹⁶And 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.

¹⁷And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.

¹⁸And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.

¹⁹And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.

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

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

²²And 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.

²³And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.

²⁴Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.

²⁵So 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:

²⁶Run 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.

²⁷And 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.

²⁸Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?

²⁹Then 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.

³⁰And 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.

³¹And 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.

³²And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.

³³He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto 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 stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.

³⁵Then 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.

³⁶And 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.

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

³⁸And 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.

³⁹And 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.

⁴⁰So 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.

⁴¹But 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.

⁴²And there came a man from Baal–shalisha, 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.

⁴³And 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.

⁴⁴So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord.