Elisha and the Widow's Oil

4 Now the wife of one of the ^(A)sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, ^(B)but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” ² And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” ³ Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. ⁴ Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” ⁵ So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. ⁶ When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. ⁷ She came and told the ^(C)man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.”

Elisha and the Shunammite Woman

⁸ One day Elisha went on to ^(D)Shunem, where a ^(E)wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food. ⁹ And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I know that this is a holy ^(F)man of God who is continually passing our way. ¹⁰ Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us, he can go in there.”

¹¹ One day he came there, and he turned into the chamber and rested there. ¹² And he said to ^(G)Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” When he had called her, she stood before him. ¹³ And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘See, you have taken all this trouble for us; what is to be done for you? Would you have a word spoken on your behalf to the king or to ^(H)the commander of the army?’” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.” ¹⁴ And he said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.” ¹⁵ He said, “Call her.” And when he had called her, she stood in the doorway. ¹⁶ And he said, “At this season, ^(I)about this time next year, you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, ^(J)O man of God; ^(K)do not lie to your servant.” ¹⁷ But the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time ^(L)the following spring, as Elisha had said to her.

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, ^(M)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 ^(N)and laid him on the bed of the ^(O)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 ^(P)the man of God and come back again.” ²³ And he said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither ^(Q)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 ^(R)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 ^(S)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? ^(T)Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’” ²⁹ He said to Gehazi, ^(U)“Tie up your garment and ^(V)take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, ^(W)do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And ^(X)lay my staff on the face of the child.” ³⁰ Then the mother of the child said, ^(Y)“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 ^(Z)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 ^(AA)shut the door behind the two of them ^(AB)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 ^(AC)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 ^(AD)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. ^(AE)Then she picked up her son and went out.

Elisha Purifies the Deadly Stew

³⁸ And Elisha came again to ^(AF)Gilgal when ^(AG)there was a famine in the land. And as ^(AH)the sons of the prophets ^(AI)were sitting before him, he said to his servant, ^(AJ)“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.” ^(AK)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 ^(AL)Baal-shalishah, ^(AM)bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, ^(AN)“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.

Naaman Healed of Leprosy

5 ^(AO)Naaman, ^(AP)commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.^{[a] 2} Now the Syrians on ^(AQ)one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife. ³ She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” ⁴ So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” ⁵ And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”

So he went, ^(AR)taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels^[b] of gold, and ten ^(AS)changes of clothing. ⁶ And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” ⁷ And when the king of Israel read the letter, ^(AT)he tore his clothes and said, ^(AU)“Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only ^(AV)consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”

⁸ But when Elisha the ^(AW)man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” ⁹ So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. ¹⁰ And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ^(AX)“Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” ¹¹ But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. ¹² Are not Abana^[c] and Pharpar, the rivers of ^(AY)Damascus, 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. ¹³ But his servants came near and said to him, ^(AZ)“My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” ¹⁴ So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, ^(BA)and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, ^(BB)and he was clean.

Gehazi's Greed and Punishment

¹⁵ Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that ^(BC)there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so ^(BD)accept now a present from your servant.” ¹⁶ But he said, ^(BE)“As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, ^(BF)I will receive none.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. ¹⁷ Then Naaman said, “If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the Lord. ¹⁸ In this matter may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of ^(BG)Rimmon to worship there, ^(BH)leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon your servant in this matter.” ¹⁹ He said to him, ^(BI)“Go in peace.”

But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance, ^20 (BJ)Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “See, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. ^(BK)As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” ²¹ So Gehazi followed Naaman. And when Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and said, ^(BL)“Is all well?” ²² And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me to say, ‘There have just now come to me from ^(BM)the hill country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Please give them a talent of silver and ^(BN)two changes of clothing.’” ²³ And Naaman said, ^(BO)“Be pleased to accept two talents.” And he urged him and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants. And they carried them before Gehazi. ²⁴ And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand and put them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed. ²⁵ He went in and stood before his master, and Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.” ²⁶ But he said to him, “Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants? ²⁷ Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence ^(BP)a leper, like snow.

The Axe Head Recovered

6 Now ^(BQ)the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. ² Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.” And he answered, “Go.” ³ Then one of them said, “Be pleased to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.” ⁴ So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. ⁵ But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.” ⁶ Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, ^(BR)he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. ⁷ And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it.

Horses and Chariots of Fire

⁸ Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” ⁹ But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.” ¹⁰ And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice.

¹¹ And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?” ¹² And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” ¹³ And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in ^(BS)Dothan.” ¹⁴ So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

¹⁵ When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” ¹⁶ He said, “Do not be afraid, ^(BT)for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” ¹⁷ Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please ^(BU)open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of ^(BV)horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. ¹⁸ And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” ^(BW)So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. ¹⁹ And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria.

²⁰ As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, ^(BX)open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. ²¹ As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, ^(BY)“My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” ²² He answered, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive ^(BZ)with your sword and with your bow? ^(CA)Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” ²³ So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again ^(CB)on raids into the land of Israel.

Ben-hadad's Siege of Samaria

²⁴ Afterward ^(CC)Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria. ²⁵ And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab^[d] of dove's dung for five shekels of silver. ²⁶ Now as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” ²⁷ And he said, “If the Lord will not help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?” ²⁸ And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ ^29 (CD)So we boiled my son and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.” ³⁰ When the king heard the words of the woman, ^(CE)he tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, ^(CF)he had sackcloth beneath on his body— ³¹ and he said, ^(CG)“May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.”

³² Elisha was sitting in his house, ^(CH)and the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence, but before the messenger arrived Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this ^(CI)murderer has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?” ³³ And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the Lord! ^(CJ)Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”

The Sermon on the Mount

5 Seeing the crowds, ^(A)he went up on the mountain, and when he ^(B)sat down, his disciples came to him.

The Beatitudes

² And ^(C)he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

^3 (D)“Blessed are ^(E)the poor in spirit, for ^(F)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴ “Blessed are ^(G)those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

⁵ “Blessed are the ^(H)meek, for they ^(I)shall inherit the earth.

⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and ^(J)thirst ^(K)for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

⁷ “Blessed are ^(L)the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

⁸ “Blessed are ^(M)the pure in heart, for ^(N)they shall see God.

⁹ “Blessed are ^(O)the peacemakers, for ^(P)they shall be called ^(Q)sons^[a] of God.

^10 (R)“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for ^(S)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

^11 (T)“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely ^(U)on my account. ^12 (V)Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for ^(W)so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth, ^(X)but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

^14 (Y)“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ^15 (Z)Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so ^(AA)that^[b] they may see your good works and ^(AB)give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

^17 (AC)“Do not think that I have come to abolish ^(AD)the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but ^(AE)to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly, I say to you, ^(AF)until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ^19 (AG)Therefore whoever relaxes ^(AH)one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least ^(AI)in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great ^(AJ)in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds ^(AK)that of the scribes and Pharisees, you ^(AL)will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Anger

^21 (AM)“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ^(AN)‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable ^(AO)to judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that ^(AP)everyone who is angry with his brother^[c] will be liable ^(AQ)to judgment; whoever insults^[d] his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to ^(AR)the hell^[e] of fire. ^23 (AS)So if ^(AT)you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ^25 (AU)Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. ²⁶ Truly, I say to you, ^(AV)you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.^[f]

Lust

^27 (AW)“You have heard that it was said, ^(AX)‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸ But I say to you that ^(AY)everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ^29 (AZ)If your right eye ^(BA)causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into ^(BB)hell. ^30 (BC)And if your right hand ^(BD)causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into ^(BE)hell.

Divorce

^31 (BF)“It was also said, ^(BG)‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ ^32 (BH)But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and ^(BI)whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

³³ “Again ^(BJ)you have heard that it was said to those of old, ^(BK)‘You shall not swear falsely, but ^(BL)shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, ^(BM)Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for ^(BN)it is the throne of God, ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is ^(BO)the city of the great King. ³⁶ And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; ^(BP)anything more than this comes from evil.^[g]

Retaliation

^38 (BQ)“You have heard that it was said, ^(BR)‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹ But I say to you, ^(BS)Do not resist the one who is evil. But ^(BT)if anyone ^(BU)slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ And ^(BV)if anyone would sue you and take your tunic,^[h] let him have your cloak as well. ⁴¹ And if anyone ^(BW)forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. ^42 (BX)Give to the one who begs from you, and ^(BY)do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Love Your Enemies

^43 (BZ)“You have heard that it was said, ^(CA)‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, ^(CB)Love your enemies and ^(CC)pray for those who persecute you, ^45 (CD)so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and ^(CE)sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ^46 (CF)For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers,^[i] what more are you doing than others? Do not even ^(CG)the Gentiles do the same? ^48 (CH)You therefore must be ^(CI)perfect, ^(CJ)as your heavenly Father is perfect.