2 Kings 4:38-44

New American Standard Bible

The Poisonous Stew

³⁸ When Elisha returned to ^(A)Gilgal, there was ^(B)a famine in the land. ^[a]As ^(C)the sons of the prophets ^(D)were sitting in front of him, he said to his servant, “^(E)Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” ³⁹ 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. ⁴⁰ 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 ^(F)death in the pot!” And they were unable to eat. ⁴¹ Then he said, “Bring flour.” ^(G)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.

⁴² 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, “^(H)Give them to the people that they may eat.” ⁴³ But his attendant said, “How ^(I)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.’” ⁴⁴ So he served it to them, and they ate and ^(J)had some left over, in accordance with the word of the Lord.