2 Kings 4 Parallel Bible Translations

2 Kings 4 ▼
swipe to see more →
ISV
Intl. Standard Version
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
+Add
1 Now there happened to be a certain woman who had been the wife of a member of the Guild of Prophets. She cried out to Elisha, |My husband who served you has died, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. But a creditor has come to take away my children into indentured servitude!| Now 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.” The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”
2 Elisha responded, |What shall I do for you? Tell me what you have in your house.| She replied, |Your servant has nothing in the entire house except for a flask of oil.| 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.” Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”
3 He told her, |Go out to all of your neighbors in the surrounding streets and borrow lots of pots from them. Don't get just a few empty vessels, either. Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.
4 Then go in and shut the door behind you, taking only your children, and pour oil into all of the pots. As each one is filled, set it aside.| 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.” Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”
5 So she left Elisha, shut the door behind her and her children, and while they kept on bringing vessels to her, she kept on pouring oil. So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.
6 When the last of the vessels had been filled, she told her son, |Bring me another pot!| But he replied, |There isn't even one pot left.| Then the oil stopped flowing. 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. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
7 After this, she went and told the man of God what had happened. So he said, |Go sell the oil, pay your debt, and you and your children will be able to live on the proceeds.| She 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.” She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
8 Some time later, Elisha went to Shunem, where he met a prominent and wealthy woman who persuaded him to have a meal with her. As a result, whenever he was in the area, he stopped by to eat with her. One 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. One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat.
9 So she had a talk with her husband. |Look here! I've learned that this is a holy and godly man who comes by here on a regular basis. And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our way. She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God.
10 Now then, let's build a small upper room and put a bed in it for him there, along with a table, a chair, and a lamp stand. That way, when he comes to visit, he can rest there.| 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.” Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.”
11 One day, Elisha came by to visit and stopped in to rest in the upper chamber. One day he came there, and he turned into the chamber and rested there. One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there.
12 He told his attendant Gehazi, |Call this Shunammite.| So when he had summoned her, she stood in front of him. And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” When he had called her, she stood before him. He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him.
13 Elisha told him, |Ask her, 'Look how you've gone to all this trouble to care for us! What can I do for you? Do you wish to be mentioned to the king or to the head of the army?'| She replied, |I'm at home living among my own people.| 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 the commander of the army?’” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.” Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’” She replied, “I have a home among my own people.”
14 He responded, |What, then, is to be done on her behalf?| Gehazi answered, |Well, she has no son and her husband is growing old.| And he said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.” “What can be done for her?” Elisha asked. Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.”
15 |Call her,| Elisha ordered. After he called her, she came and stood in the doorway, He said, “Call her.” And when he had called her, she stood in the doorway. Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway.
16 and he told her, |About this time next year you will be embracing a son.| |No, sir! Please, as a godly man, don't mislead your servant!| And 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.” “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!”
17 But the woman did conceive and did bear a son at that very same time the next year, just as Elisha had told her. But the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time the following spring, as Elisha had said to her. But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.
18 After the child had grown up a bit, one day he went out to visit his father, who was with the harvesters. When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the reapers. The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers.
19 He told his father, |My head! My head!| So his father ordered his servant, |Carry him over to his mother!| And he said to his father, “Oh, my head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” He said to his father, “My head! My head!” His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.”
20 So the servant carried him over to his mother, where he rested on her lap until mid-day, and then he died. And when he had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon, and then he died. After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.
21 The woman went upstairs, laid him on the bed belonging to the man of God, and shut the door, leaving him behind as she left. And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door behind him and went out. She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.
22 Then she called to her husband and asked him, |Please send me one of the servants, along with one of the donkeys, so I can ride quickly to see that godly man. I'll be right back.| 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 the man of God and come back again.” She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.”
23 He asked her, |What's the point of visiting him today? It's not a New Moon, and it isn't the Sabbath!| But she kept saying, |Things will go well.| And he said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath.” She said, “All is well.” “Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.” “That’s all right,” she said.
24 So she saddled a donkey and told her servant, |Forward, driver! Don't slow down on my account, unless I tell you!| 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.” She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.”
25 So out she went and eventually she arrived at Mount Carmel to visit the man of God. When the man of God noticed her from a distance, he told his attendant Gehazi, |Look! There's the woman from Shunem! So 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. So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite!
26 Please run out quickly and greet her. Ask her, 'Are things going well with you? Are things going well with your husband? Are things going well with your child?'| She answered Gehazi, |Things are going well.| 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.” Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’” “Everything is all right,” she said.
27 As she came near the man of God on the mountain, she grabbed his feet. When Gehazi intervened to push her away, the man of God said, |Leave her alone! She is deeply troubled! The LORD has concealed the thing from me, and hasn't informed me.| And 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.” When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”
28 Then she asked, |Did I ask my lord for a son? Didn't I beg you, 'Don't mislead me?'| Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’” “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?”
29 At this he told Gehazi, |Get ready to run! Take my staff in your hand, and get on the road. Don't greet anyone you meet. If anyone greets you, don't respond. Just go lay my staff on the youngster's face.| He 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.” Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don’t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.”
30 At this, the youngster's mother replied, |As long as you and the LORD live, I'm not leaving you!| So he got up and followed her. Then 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. But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.
31 Meanwhile, Gehazi went on ahead of them and placed the staff on the youngster's face, but when there was no sound or reaction, he returned, met Elisha, and told him, |The youngster has shown no sign of awakening.| 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 has not awakened.” Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”
32 When Elisha entered the house, there was the youngster, dead and laid out on Elisha's bed! When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch.
33 So he entered, shut the door behind them both, and prayed to the LORD. So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the LORD. He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the LORD.
34 Then he approached the child and lay down with his mouth near the child's, with his eyes near those of the child, and taking the child's hands in his. As Elisha stretched himself on the child, the child's flesh began to grow warm. 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 he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm.
35 Then he went downstairs, walked around back and forth inside the house once, went back up to his upper chamber, and stretched himself over the child again. The young man sneezed seven times and then opened his eyes. Then 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. Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
36 He called out to Gehazi, |Go get the Shunammite woman!| So he called her. When she came in to see Elisha, he told her, |Take back your son!| 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.” Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.”
37 Then she approached him, fell at his feet, bowing low to the ground, took back her son, and went out. She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out. She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out.
38 Elisha returned to Gilgal during a time of famine in the land. While the Guild of Prophets were having a meal with him, he instructed his attendant, |Put a large pot on the fire and boil some stew for the Guild of Prophets.| And 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.” Elisha returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these prophets.”
39 Somebody went out into the fields to grab some herbs, found a wild vine, and gathered a lap full of wild gourds, which he came and sliced up into the stew pot, but nobody else knew. 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. One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were.
40 When they served the men, they began to eat the stew. But they cried out, |That pot of stew is deadly, you man of God!| So they couldn't eat the stew. 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. The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.
41 But he replied, |Bring me some flour.| He tossed it into the pot and said, |Serve the people so they can eat.| Then there was nothing harmful in the pot. He 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. Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He put it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
42 Later on, a man arrived from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God some bread as a first fruit offering. He had 20 loaves of barley and ripe ears of corn in his sack. So Elisha said, |Give them to the people so they can eat.| A 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.” A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said.
43 Elisha's attendant asked, |What? Will this serve 100 men?| But he replied, |Distribute it to the people so they can eat, because this is what the LORD says: 'They will eat and have a surplus!'| 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.’” “How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked. But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’”
44 So he served them, and they ate and had some left over, just as the LORD had indicated. So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the LORD. Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.
Previous chapter
Top of Page
Top of Page