Study Desk

Now a day came when Elisha went over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she urged him to eat food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, that he turned in there to eat food.

So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "It is a fact that she has no son, and her husband is old."

Then she called to her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so that I may run to the man of God and return."

But he said, "Why are you going to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath." So she just said, "It will be fine."

So she went on and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi his servant, "Behold, that person there is the Shunammite.

The mother of the boy said, "As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will not leave you." So he got up and followed her.

Then Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound or response. So he returned to meet him and informed him, saying, "The boy has not awakened."

So he entered and shut the door behind them both, and he prayed to the LORD.

And he called Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite." So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, "Pick up your son."

So they poured it out for the men to eat. But as they were eating the stew, they cried out and said, "You man of God, there is death in the pot!" And they were unable to eat.

So he served it to them, and they ate and had some left over, in accordance with the word of the LORD.

Then the king of Aram said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothes.

And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, "And now as this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, so that you may cure him of his leprosy."

So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and stood at the doorway of Elisha's house.

"Are Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, not better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage.

So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, in accordance with the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Then he returned to the man of God with all his company, and came and stood before him. And he said, "Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; so please accept a gift from your servant now."

He said to him, "Go in peace." So he went some distance from him.

So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, "Is everything well?"

"Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever." So he went out from his presence afflicted with leprosy, as white as snow.