2 Kings 4:18-44

English Standard Version

Elisha Raises the Shunammite's Son

¹⁸ When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the reapers. ¹⁹ And he said to his father, “Oh, ^(A)my head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” ²⁰ And when he had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon, and then he died. ²¹ And she went up ^(B)and laid him on the bed of the ^(C)man of God and shut the door behind him and went out. ²² Then she called to her husband and said, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may quickly go to ^(D)the man of God and come back again.” ²³ And he said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither ^(E)new moon nor Sabbath.” She said, “All is well.” ²⁴ Then she saddled the donkey, and she said to her servant, “Urge the animal on; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you.” ²⁵ So she set out and came to the man of God ^(F)at Mount Carmel.

When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Look, there is the Shunammite. ²⁶ Run at once to meet her and say to her, ‘Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?’” And she answered, “All is well.” ²⁷ And when she came ^(G)to the mountain to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came to push her away. But the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me.” ²⁸ Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? ^(H)Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’” ²⁹ He said to Gehazi, ^(I)“Tie up your garment and ^(J)take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, ^(K)do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And ^(L)lay my staff on the face of the child.” ³⁰ Then the mother of the child said, ^(M)“As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her. ³¹ Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life. Therefore he returned to meet him and told him, “The child ^(N)has not awakened.”

³² When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. ³³ So he went in and ^(O)shut the door behind the two of them ^(P)and prayed to the Lord. ³⁴ Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as ^(Q)he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. ³⁵ Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up ^(R)and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. ³⁶ Then he summoned Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” ³⁷ She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. ^(S)Then she picked up her son and went out.

Elisha Purifies the Deadly Stew

³⁸ And Elisha came again to ^(T)Gilgal when ^(U)there was a famine in the land. And as ^(V)the sons of the prophets ^(W)were sitting before him, he said to his servant, ^(X)“Set on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” ³⁹ One of them 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 cut them up into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were. ⁴⁰ And they poured out some for the men to eat. But while they were eating of the stew, they cried out, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. ⁴¹ He said, “Then bring flour.” ^(Y)And he threw it into the pot and said, “Pour some out for the men, that they may eat.” And there was no harm in the pot.

⁴² A man came from ^(Z)Baal-shalishah, ^(AA)bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, ^(AB)“Give to the men, that they may eat.” ⁴³ But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” So he repeated, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” ⁴⁴ So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.