2 Kings 4 Parallel Bible Translations

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1 Now a wife of one of the prophets appealed to Elisha for help, saying, |Your servant, my husband is dead. You know that your servant was a loyal follower of the LORD. Now the creditor is coming to take away my two boys to be his servants.| 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 said to her, |What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?| She answered, |Your servant has nothing in the house except a small jar of olive 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 said, |Go and ask all your neighbors for empty containers. Get as many as you can. 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 Go and close the door behind you and your sons. Pour the olive oil into all the containers; set aside each one when you have filled it.| 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 him and closed the door behind her and her sons. As they were bringing the containers to her, she was pouring the olive 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 containers were full, she said to one of her sons, |Bring me another container.| But he answered her, |There are no more.| Then the olive 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 She went and told the prophet. He said, |Go, sell the olive oil. Repay your creditor, and then you and your sons can live off the rest of the profit.| 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 One day Elisha traveled to Shunem, where a prominent woman lived. She insisted that he stop for a meal. So whenever he was passing through, he would stop in there for a meal. 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 She said to her husband, |Look, I'm sure that the man who regularly passes through here is a very special prophet. 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 Let's make a small private upper room and furnish it with a bed, table, chair, and lamp. When he visits us, he can stay 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 for a visit; he went into the upper room and rested. 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 servant Gehazi, |Ask the Shunammite woman to come here.| So he did so and she came to 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 said to Gehazi, |Tell her, 'Look, you have treated us with such great respect. What can I do for you? Can I put in a good word for you with the king or the commander of the army?'| She replied, |I'm quite secure.| 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 So he asked Gehazi, |What can I do for her?| Gehazi replied, |She has no son, and her husband is 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 Elisha told him, |Ask her to come here.| So he did so and 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 He said, |About this time next year you will be holding a son.| She said, |No, my master! O prophet, do not lie to 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 The woman did conceive, and at the specified time the next year she gave birth to a son, 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 The boy grew and one day he went out to see his father who was with the harvest workers. 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 said to his father, |My head! My head!| His father told a servant, |Carry him 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 he picked him up and took him to his mother. He sat on her lap until noon and then 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 She went up and laid him down on the prophet's bed. She shut the door behind her and 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 She called to her husband, |Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so I can go see the prophet quickly and then return.| 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 said, |Why do you want to go see him today? It is not the new moon or the Sabbath.| She said, |Everything's fine.| 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 She saddled the donkey and told her servant, |Lead on. Do not stop unless I say so.| 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 she went to visit the prophet at Mount Carmel. When he saw her at a distance, he said to his servant Gehazi, |Look, it's the Shunammite woman. 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 Now, run to meet her and ask her, 'Are you well? Are your husband and the boy well?'| She told Gehazi, |Everything's fine.| 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 But when she reached the prophet on the mountain, she grabbed hold of his feet. Gehazi came near to push her away, but the prophet said, |Leave her alone, for she is very upset. The LORD has kept the matter hidden from me; he didn't tell me about it.| 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 She said, |Did I ask my master for a son? Didn't I say, '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 Elisha told Gehazi, |Tuck your robes into your belt, take my staff, and go! Don't stop to exchange greetings with anyone! Place my staff on the child'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 The mother of the child said, |As certainly as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.| So Elisha got up and followed her back. 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 Now Gehazi went on ahead of them. He placed the staff on the child's face, but there was no sound or response. When he came back to Elisha he told him, |The child did not wake up.| 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 arrived at the house, there was the child lying dead on his 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 He went in by himself and closed the door. Then he 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 He got up on the bed and spread his body out over the boy; he put his mouth on the boy's mouth, his eyes over the boy's eyes, and the palms of his hands against the boy's palms. He bent down over him, and the boy's skin grew 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 Elisha went back and walked around in the house. Then he got up on the bed again and bent down over him. The child sneezed seven times and 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 Elisha called to Gehazi and said, |Get the Shunammite woman.| So he did so and she came to him. He said to her, |Take 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 She came in, fell at his feet, and bowed down. Then she picked up her son and left. 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 Now Elisha went back to Gilgal, while there was famine in the land. Some of the prophets were visiting him and he told his servant, |Put the big pot on the fire and boil some stew for the 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 Someone went out to the field to gather some herbs and found a wild vine. He picked some of its fruit, enough to fill up the fold of his robe. He came back, cut it up, and threw the slices into the stew pot, not knowing they were harmful. 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 The stew was poured out for the men to eat. When they ate some of the stew, they cried out, |Death is in the pot, O prophet!| They could not eat it. 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 He said, |Get some flour.| Then he threw it into the pot and said, |Now pour some out for the men so they may eat.| There was no longer anything 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 Now a man from Baal Shalisha brought some food for the prophet--twenty loaves of bread made from the firstfruits of the barley harvest, as well as fresh ears of grain. Elisha said, |Set it before the people so they may 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 But his attendant said, |How can I feed a hundred men with this?| He replied, |Set it before the people so they may eat, for this is what the LORD says, 'They will eat and have some left over.'| 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 set it before them; they ate and had some left over, just as the LORD predicted. 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.
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