2 Kings 4:1-33 ▼

1 And one of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisaie, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant feared the Lord: and the creditor is come to take my two sons to be his servants.

2 And Elisaie said, What shall I do for thee? tell me what thou hast in the house. And she said, Thy servant has nothing in the house, except oil wherewith I anoint myself.

3 And he said to her, Go, borrow for thyself vessels without of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

4 And thou shalt go in and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and thou shalt pour forth into these vessels, and remove that which is filled.

5 And she departed from him, and shut the door upon herself and upon her sons: they brought the vessels near to her, and she poured in until the vessels were filled.

6 And she said to her sons, Bring me yet a vessel. And they said to her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

7 And she came and told the man of God: and Elisaie said, Go, and sell the oil, and thou shalt pay thy debts, and thou and thy sons shall live of the remaining oil.

8 And a day came, when Elisaie passed over to Soman, and there was a great lady there, and she constrained him to eat bread: and it came to pass as often as he went into the city, that he turned aside to eat there.

9 And the woman said to her husband, See now, I know that this is a holy man of God who comes over continually to us.

10 Let us now make for him an upper chamber, a small place; and let us put there for him a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall come to pass that when he comes in to us, he shall turn in thither.

11 And a day came, and he went in thither, and turned aside into the upper chamber, and lay there.

12 And he said to Giezi his servant, Call me this Somanite. and he called her, and she stood before him.

13 And he said to him, Say now to her, Behold, thou hast taken all this trouble for us; what should I do for thee? Hast thou any request to make to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she said, I dwell in the midst of my people.

14 And he said to Giezi, What must we do for her? and Giezi his servant said, Indeed she has no son, and her husband is old.

15 And he called her, and she stood by the door.

16 And Elisaie said to her, At this time next year , as the season is , thou shalt be alive, and embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, do not lie to thy servant.

17 And the woman conceived, and bore a son at the very time, as the season was, being alive, as Elisaie said to her.

18 And the child grew: and it came to pass when he went out to his father to the reapers,

19 that he said to his father, My head, my head. and his father said to a servant, carry him to his mother.

20 And he carried him to his mother, and he lay upon her knees till noon, and died.

21 And she carried him up and laid him on the bed of the man of god; and she shut the door upon him, and went out.

22 And she called her husband, and said, Send now for me one of the young men, and one of the asses, and I will ride quickly to the man of God, and return.

23 And he said, Why art thou going to him to-day? It is neither new moon, nor the Sabbath. And she said, It is well.

24 And she saddled the ass, and said to her servant, Be quick, proceed: spare not on my account to ride, unless I shall tell thee. Go, and thou shalt proceed, and come to the man of God to mount Carmel.

25 And she rode and came to the man of God to the mountain: and it came to pass when Elisaie saw her coming, that he said to Giezi his servant, See now, that Somanite comes.

26 Now run to meet her, and thou shalt say, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? and she said, It is well.

27 And she came to Elisaie to the mountain, and laid hold of his feet; and Giezi drew near to thrust her away. And Elisaie said, Let her alone, for her soul is much grieved in her, and the Lord has hidden it from me, and has not told it me.

28 And she said, Did I ask a son of my lord? For did I not say, Do not deal deceitfully with me?

29 And Elisaie said to Giezi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go: if thou meet any man, thou shalt not salute him, and if a man salute thee thou shalt not answer him: and thou shalt lay my staff on the child's face.

30 And the mother of the child said, As the Lord lives and as thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. And Elisaie arose, and went after her.

31 And Giezi went on before her, and laid his staff on the child's face: but there was neither voice nor any hearing. So he returned to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.

32 And Elisaie went into the house, and, behold, the dead child was laid upon his bed.

33 And Elisaie went into the house, and shut the door upon themselves, the two, and prayed to the Lord.