Study Desk

Now a woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, "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 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.

So Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil."

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.

Then he said, "Go, borrow containers elsewhere for yourself, empty containers from all your neighbors—do not get too few.

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

"Then you shall come in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour into all these containers; and you shall set aside what is full."

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.

So she left him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they began bringing the containers to her, and she poured the oil.

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.

When the containers were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another container." But he said to her, "There are no more containers." Then the oil stopped.

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.

So 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."

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.

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.

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.

And she said to her husband, "Behold now, I am aware that this is a holy man of God passing by us repeatedly.

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

"Please, let's make a little walled upper room, and let's set up a bed for him there, and a table, a chair, and a lampstand; then 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 candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

Now one day he came there, and turned in to the upper room and rested.

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

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

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

And he said to him, "Say now to her, 'Behold, you have taken trouble for us with all this care; what can I do for you? Would you like me to speak for you to the king or to the commander of the army?'" But she answered, "I live among my own people."

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.

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."

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 then said, "Call her." When he had called her, she stood in the doorway.

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

Then he said, "At this season next year, you are going to embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your servant."

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.

Now the woman conceived and gave birth to a son at that season the next year, as Elisha had told her.

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

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

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

And he said to his father, "My head, my head!" And his father said to his servant, "Carry him to his mother."

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

When he had carried him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.

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

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

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

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."

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.

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."

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.

Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Drive the donkey and go on; do not slow down the pace for me unless I tell you."

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

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.

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:

"Please run now to meet her and say to her, 'Is it going well for you? Is it going well for your husband? Is it going well for the child?'" Then she answered, "It is going well."

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:

But she came to the man of God at the hill and took hold of his feet. And Gehazi came up to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone, for her soul is troubled within her; and the LORD has concealed it from me and has not informed me."

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.

Then she said, "Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, 'Do not give me false hope'?"

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

Then he said to Gehazi, "Get ready and take my staff in your hand, and go; if you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply to him. And lay my staff on the boy's face."

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

When Elisha entered the house, behold the boy was dead, laid on his bed.

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

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

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

Then he got up on the bed and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, his hands on his hands, and he bent down on him; and the flesh of the child became warm.

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.

Then he returned and walked in the house back and forth once, and went up and bent down on him; and the boy sneezed seven times, then the boy opened his eyes.

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.

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."

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.

Then she came in and fell at his feet and bowed down to the ground, and she picked up her son and left.

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

When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting in front of him, he said to his servant, "Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets."

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.

Then one went out into the field to gather mallow, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds; and he came and sliced them into the pot of stew, because they did not know what they were.

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.

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 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.

Then he said, "Bring flour." And he threw it into the pot, and said, "Pour it out for the people that they may eat." Then there was nothing harmful 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 harm in the pot.

Now a man came from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh grain in his sack. And Elisha said, "Give them to the people that they may eat."

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.

But his attendant said, "How am I to serve this to a hundred men?" Nevertheless he said, "Give them to the people that they may eat, for this is what the LORD says: 'They shall eat and have some left over.'"

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.

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

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