2 Kings 4:1-17 ▼

1 And a woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant was fearing YHWH, and the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”

2 And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has not anything in the house except but a jar of oil.”

3 And he said, “Go, ask for yourself vessels from outside, from all your neighbors—empty vessels. Do not let it be few.

4 And you shall come in and shut the door behind you and behind your sons, and you shall pour it into all these vessels and set aside the full ones.”

5 And she went from him and shut the door behind her and behind her sons. They brought them near to her, and she poured it out.

6 And it came to pass when the vessels were full that she said to her son, “Bring to me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” And the oil stood.

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

8 And one day it came to pass that Elisha went to Shunem, and there was a great woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. And it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn aside there to eat some food.

9 And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I know that he is a holy man of God who passes by us continually.

10 Let us make, please, a small upper room on the wall, and let us put for him there a bed, and a table, and a chair, and a lampstand. And it will be, in his coming to us, he can turn aside there.”

11 And the day came to pass that he came there, and he turned aside to the upper room and lay down there.

12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammitess.” And he called her, and she stood before his face.

13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Behold, you have trembled concerning us with all this trouble. What am I to do for you? Am I indeed to speak for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’” And she answered, “In the midst of my people I am dwelling.”

14 And he said, “And what is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Truly there is not unto her a son, and her husband is old.”

15 And he said, “Call to her.” And he called to her, and she stood in the doorway.

16 And he said, “This time next year of life, you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant.”

17 And the woman conceived and bore a son at this appointed time of life that Elisha had spoken to her.