2 Kings 4

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.

A distraught woman, wife of a prophet's son, pleaded with Elisha, "My husband, your loyal servant, is dead. He was a God-fearing man. Now, the debt collector threatens to take my two sons as slaves."

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.

Elisha asked her gently, "How can I help you? What do you have at home?" She replied with a sigh, "I have nothing left, except a jar of oil."

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

He instructed, "Go, ask your neighbors for their empty jars, and don't be shy to ask for many."

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.

Once you're inside, close the door, just you and your sons. Fill each vessel to the brim, then set aside the ones that are full.

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.

She left him and closed the door behind her and her sons, who carried the vessels. Then, she began to pour out.

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.

Once all the containers were filled, she asked her son for another. He replied, "Mother, there are no more." And just like that, the flow of oil ceased.

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.

She approached the holy man and told him what had happened. He gently advised, "Sell the oil, clear your debts. Let you and your children live peacefully with what remains."

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.

One day, Elisha journeyed to Shunem, home to a remarkable woman. She warmly invited him to share a meal. From then on, every time he passed through, he would stop to enjoy her hospitality and break bread with her.

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

She turned to her husband, her eyes wide with realization, "Do you see? I feel it in my heart, this man who always walks by us, he's a sacred messenger of God."

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.

Let's create a cozy room on the wall for him, complete with a bed, a table, a chair, and a candlestick. When he visits us, he'll find comfort and rest there.

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

One day, he arrived there, went into the room, and lay down to rest.

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

He instructed his aide, Gehazi, "Summon the Shunammite woman." As she was called, she respectfully stood in his presence.

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.

He gently asked him, "Please tell her, 'You've been so attentive and caring towards us. What can we do in return? Do you want us to speak to the king or the army commander on your behalf?" She humbly replied, "I am content living among my own people."

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

He asked, "What can we do for her?" Gehazi replied, "She has no child and her husband is aged."

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

He gently instructed, "Summon her." As his words echoed, she appeared, standing at the threshold, a silhouette framed by the doorway.

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.

He said, "By next year, you'll hold a son in your arms." She replied, "Please, don't give me false hope, man of God."

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

The woman, filled with joy and anticipation, became pregnant and gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had prophesied, right on schedule.

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

As the child matured, there came a day when he eagerly joined his father among the harvesters.

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

He cried out to his father, "My head, it hurts!" His father, filled with concern, quickly instructed a young boy, "Take him to his mother, now!"

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

After he was gently carried to his mother, he rested on her lap until midday, then quietly, he breathed his last.

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

With a heavy heart, she carried him to the prophet's bed, gently laid him down, and quietly closed the door behind her as she left.

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.

She turned to her husband, pleading, "Please, let me borrow one of our young helpers and a donkey. I need to rush to the holy man and return quickly."

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.

He asked, "Why are you going to him today? It's not a special day or a holy day." She replied with a calm assurance, "Everything will be alright."

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

She quickly prepared the donkey, turning to her servant she urged, "Ride, move swiftly; don't slow down unless I ask you to."

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:

So she journeyed to meet the holy man at Mount Carmel. When he spotted her from a distance, he turned to his servant Gehazi and said, "Look, there's the woman from Shunem."

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:

Please, hurry now and meet her. Ask her gently, "Are you okay? Is your husband well? And your child?" And she replied, "All is well."

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.

When she reached the holy man on the hill, she clung to his feet. Gehazi tried to push her away, but the holy man stopped him. "Leave her be," he said, "She's deeply troubled. Even I, who usually hear from the Lord, have not been told what's troubling her."

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

She cried out, "Did I ask for a son, my lord? Didn't I beg you not to give me false hope?"

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.

He told Gehazi, "Quickly, grab my staff and go. Don't stop to greet anyone or respond if greeted. Place my staff on the child's face."

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.

The child's mother said, 'As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.' So he got up and followed her.

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.

Gehazi hurried ahead, placing the staff on the child's face. But there was no response, no sign of life. Distressed, he returned to report, "The child hasn't woken up."

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

When Elisha entered the room, he was met with a heartbreaking sight - the lifeless body of the child, resting peacefully on his bed.

He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.

With a heavy heart, he entered, closing the door behind him, leaving only the two of them inside. Then, he poured out his soul in prayer to the LORD.

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 stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.

He ascended, cradling the child, their lips and eyes aligning, their hands intertwined. He poured his entirety into the child, and the child's body began to radiate warmth.

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.

He came back, pacing anxiously in the room. Climbing up, he laid himself over the child. Suddenly, the child sneezed seven times, a sign of life returning. The child's eyes fluttered open, a spark of hope ignited.

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.

He beckoned Gehazi, instructing him to summon the Shunammite woman. As she entered, he gently told her, "Embrace your son."

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

She came in and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground in deep reverence. She gently lifted her son, her world, and quietly left.

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.

Elisha returned to the famine-stricken Gilgal. The prophets' sons sat before him, their faces marked with hunger. With a compassionate voice, he instructed his servant, "Prepare a large pot of stew for these young prophets."

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.

A man ventured into the fields to collect herbs. He came upon a wild vine and gathered as many of its wild gourds as he could hold in his lap. He came back and chopped them into the stew, for no one knew what they were.

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.

As they served the meal, the men began to eat. Suddenly, they cried out in fear, "Man of God, this food is poisoned!" They couldn't eat another bite.

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.

He insisted, "Add some flour." As he tossed it into the stew, he urged, "Serve it to everyone." And just like that, the pot was safe to eat from.

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.

A man journeyed from Baalshalisha, bringing the holy man bread from the first harvest: twenty barley loaves, and fresh ears of grain still in the husk. Elisha said, "Share this with the people, let them eat."

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.

His servant questioned, "How can I feed a hundred men with this?" He replied, "Serve it to the people, let them eat. For the Lord has promised, they will eat and have leftovers."

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

He lovingly served them the meal. They ate heartily, leaving some behind, just as the LORD had instructed.