Berean Study Bible

English Standard Version

1Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!”

1Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.”

2“How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

2And 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“Go,” said Elisha, “borrow jars, even empty ones, from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few.

3Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few.

4Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full ones aside.”

4Then 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.”

5So she left him, and after she had shut the door behind her and her sons, they kept bringing jars to her, and she kept pouring.

5So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her.

6When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another.” But he replied, “There are no more jars.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

6When 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.

7She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt. Then you and your sons can live on the remainder.”

7She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.”

8One day Elisha went to Shunem, and a prominent woman who lived there persuaded him to have a meal. So whenever he would pass by, he would stop there to eat.

8One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food.

9Then the woman said to her husband, “Behold, now I know that the one who often comes our way is a holy man of God.

9And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our way.

10Please let us make a small room upstairs and put in it a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp for him. Then when he comes to us, he can stay there.”

10Let 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.”

11One day Elisha came to visit and went to his upper room to lie down.

11One day he came there, and he turned into the chamber and rested there.

12And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call the Shunammite woman.” And when he had called her, she stood before him,

12And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” When he had called her, she stood before him.

13and Elisha said to Gehazi, “Now tell her, ‘Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What can we do for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’ ” “I have a home among my own people,” she replied.

13And 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 the commander of the army?’” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.”

14So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?” “Well, she has no son,” Gehazi replied, “and her husband is old.”

14And he said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.”

15“Call her,” said Elisha. So Gehazi called her, and she stood in the doorway.

15He said, “Call her.” And when he had called her, she stood in the doorway.

16And Elisha declared, “At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord,” she said. “Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God.”

16And he said, “At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant.”

17But the woman did conceive, and at that time the next year she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.

17But the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time the following spring, as Elisha had said to her.

18And the child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the harvesters.

18When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the reapers.

19“My head! My head!” he complained to his father. So his father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.”

19And he said to his father, “Oh, my head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.”

20After the servant had picked him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.

20And when he had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon, and then he died.

21And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God. Then she shut the door and went out.

21And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door behind him and went out.

22And the woman called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may go quickly to the man of God and return.”

22Then she called to her husband and said, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may quickly go to the man of God and come back again.”

23“Why would you go to him today?” he replied. “It is not a New Moon or a Sabbath.” “Everything is all right,” she said.

23And he said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath.” She said, “All is well.”

24Then she saddled the donkey and told her servant, “Drive onward; do not slow the pace for me unless I tell you.”

24Then 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.”

25So she set out and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, there is the Shunammite woman.

25So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Look, there is the Shunammite.

26Please run out now to meet her and ask, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’ ” And she answered, “Everything is all right.”

26Run 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.”

27When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.”

27And when she came 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.”

28Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? Didn’t I say, ‘Do not deceive me?’ ”

28Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’”

29So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment, take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my staff on the boy’s face.”

29He said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment 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. And lay my staff on the face of the child.”

30And the mother of the boy said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.

30Then the mother of the child said, “As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her.

31Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”

31Gehazi 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 has not awakened.”

32When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his bed.

32When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed.

33So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.

33So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the LORD.

34Then Elisha got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eye to eye, and hand to hand. As he stretched himself out over him, the boy’s body became warm.

34Then 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 he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm.

35Elisha turned away and paced back and forth across the room. Then he got on the bed and stretched himself out over the boy again, and the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

35Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

36Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite woman.” So he called her and she came. Then Elisha said, “Pick up your son.”

36Then he summoned Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, “Pick up your son.”

37She came in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.

37She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.

38When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting at his feet, he said to his attendant, “Put on the large pot and boil some stew for the sons of the prophets.”

38And Elisha came again to Gilgal when there was a famine in the land. And as the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “Set on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”

39One of them went out to the field to gather herbs, and he found a wild vine from which he gathered as many wild gourds as his garment could hold. Then he came back and cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were.

39One 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.

40And they poured it out for the men to eat, but when they tasted the stew they cried out, “There is death in the pot, O man of God!” And they could not eat it.

40And 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.

41Then Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

41He said, “Then bring flour.” 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.

42Now a man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with a sack of twenty loaves of barley bread from the first ripe grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha.

42A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, “Give to the men, that they may eat.”

43But his servant asked, “How am I to set twenty loaves before a hundred men?” “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’ ”

43But 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.’”

44So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.

44So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the LORD.

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ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.