1 N ow a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.”

¶ Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried unto Elisha, saying, Thy slave, my husband, is dead; and thou knowest that thy slave feared the LORD; and the creditor is come to take my two sons to be his slaves.

2 E lisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.”

And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me what thou hast in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid has nothing in the house except a flask of oil.

3 T hen he said, “Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few.

And he said, Go, borrow vessels from all thy neighbours, empty vessels; borrow not a few.

4 A nd you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full.”

Then enter in and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons and pour out into all those vessels, and as each one is full, set it aside.

5 S o she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing the vessels to her and she poured.

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 the oil.

6 W hen the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not one vessel more.” And the oil stopped.

And when the vessels were full, she said unto her son, Bring me yet another vessel. And he said unto her, There are no more vessels. Then the oil stopped flowing.

7 T hen she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest.” The Shunammite Woman

Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell this oil and pay thy debtors and live thou and thy sons of the rest.

8 N ow there came a day when Elisha passed over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she persuaded him to eat food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat food.

¶ And it also happened that one day Elisha passed through Shunem, where there was an important woman, and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread.

9 S he said to her husband, “Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God passing by us continually.

And she said to her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us continually.

10 P lease, let us make a little walled upper chamber and let us set a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; and it shall be, when he comes to us, that he can turn in there.”

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 lampstand so that when he comes to us, he shall turn in there.

11 O ne day he came there and turned in to the upper chamber and rested.

And it came to pass one day that he came there, and he turned into the chamber and slept there.

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

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

13 H e said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Behold, you have been careful for us with all this care; what can I do for you? Would you be spoken for to the king or to the captain of the army?’” And she answered, “I live among my own people.”

And he said unto Gehazi, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been diligent for us with all this care; what shall I do for thee? Dost thou have need that I speak for thee unto the king or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among my own people.

14 S o he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Truly she has no son and her husband is old.”

And he said, What then shall we do for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she has no child, and her husband is old.

15 H e said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway.

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

16 T hen he said, “ At this season next year you will embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant.”

And he said, At the appointed time, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, thou man of God, do not deceive thy handmaid.

17 T he woman conceived and bore a son at that season the next year, as Elisha had said to her. The Shunammite’s Son

But the woman conceived and gave birth to a son at the appointed time that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.

18 W hen the child was grown, the day came that he went out to his father to the reapers.

¶ And when the child was grown, it came to pass one day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.

19 H e said to his father, “My head, my head.” And he said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.”

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

20 W hen he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her lap until noon, and then died.

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

21 S he went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door behind him and went out.

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

22 T hen she called to her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and return.”

And calling her husband, she 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 H e said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath.” And she said, “ It will be well.”

And he said, Why must thou go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath. And she said, Peace.

24 T hen she saddled a donkey and said to her servant, “Drive and go forward; do not slow down the pace for me unless I tell you.”

Then she caused the ass to be saddled and said to her servant, Lead and go forward; slack not the pace for me except I bid thee.

25 S o she went and came to the man of God to Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Behold, there is the Shunammite.

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 P lease run now to meet her and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’” And she answered, “It is well.”

Run now, I pray thee, to meet her and say unto her, Dost thou have peace? And thy husband? And the child? And she answered, Peace.

27 W hen she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away; but the man of God said, “Let her alone, for her soul is troubled within her; and the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me.”

And when she came to the man of God in the mountain, she caught him by the feet. And Gehazi came near to thrust her away; but the man of God said, Let her alone, for her soul is bitter within her; and the LORD has hid it from me and has not revealed it to me.

28 T hen she said, “Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, ‘ Do not deceive me’?”

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

29 T hen he said to Gehazi, “ Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand, and go your way; if you meet any man, do not salute him, and if anyone salutes you, do not answer him; and lay my staff on the lad’s face.”

Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins and take my staff in thy hand and go; if thou meet anyone, salute him not; and if anyone salutes thee, answer him not again, and lay my staff upon the face of the child.

30 T he mother of the lad said, “ As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” And he arose and followed her.

Then the mother of the child said, As the LORD lives and as thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. And he arose and followed her.

31 T hen Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the lad’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he returned to meet him and told him, “The lad has not awakened.”

And Gehazi had gone on before them and had laid the staff upon the face of the child, but there was neither voice, nor attention. Therefore he went again to meet him and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.

32 W hen Elisha came into the house, behold the lad was dead and laid on his bed.

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

33 S o he entered and shut the door behind them both and prayed to the Lord.

He went in therefore and shut the door upon both of them and prayed unto the LORD.

34 A nd he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, and he stretched himself on him; and the flesh of the child became warm.

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

35 T hen he returned and walked in the house once back and forth, and went up and stretched himself on him; and the lad sneezed seven times and the lad opened his eyes.

Then he returned and walked through the house to and fro and went up and stretched himself upon him again; and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

36 H e called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, “Take up your son.”

And he called Gehazi and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And as she was coming in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.

37 T hen she went in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground, and she took up her son and went out. The Poisonous Stew

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

38 W hen Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “ Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”

¶ And Elisha returned to Gilgal. Then there was a famine in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, so he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot and make pottage for the sons of the prophets.

39 T hen one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, for they did not know what they were.

And one went out into the field to gather herbs and found a wild vine and gathered his lap full of wild grapes and came and shred them into the pot of pottage, for they knew them not.

40 S o they poured it out for the men to eat. And as they were eating of the stew, they cried out and said, “O man of God, there is death in the pot.” And they were unable to eat.

So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of that pottage, that they cried out and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat it.

41 B ut he said, “Now bring meal.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people that they may eat.” Then there was no harm in the pot.

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 evil thing in the pot.

42 N ow a man came from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And he said, “ Give them to the people that they may eat.”

Then a man came from Baalshalisha, who brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of wheat in the head. And he said, Give unto the people that they may eat.

43 H is attendant said, “What, will I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’”

And his minister said, How can I set this before one hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat, for thus hath the LORD said, They shall eat, and some shall be left over.

44 S o he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

So he set it before them, and they ate, and some was left over, according to the word of the LORD.