¶ Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons¹ of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear² the LORD: and the creditor³ is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

And Elisha said unto her, What shall I⁴ do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil⁵.

Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels⁶; borrow not a few⁷.

And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut⁸ the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour⁹ out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

So she went¹⁰ from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.

And it came to pass, when the vessels¹¹ were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil¹² stayed.

Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay¹³ thy debt¹⁴, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

¶ And it fell on¹⁵ a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem¹⁶, where was a great woman¹⁷; and she constrained him¹⁸ to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.

And she said¹⁹ unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is²⁰ an holy man of God²¹, which passeth by us continually.

¶ Let us²² make a little chamber²³, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.

And he said to Gehazi²⁴ his servant²⁵, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.

And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast²⁶ been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king²⁷, or to the captain²⁸ of the host? And she answered, I dwell²⁹ among mine³⁰ own people.

And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child³¹, and her husband is old.

And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.

And he said, About this³² season³³, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord³⁴, thou man of God, do not lie³⁵ unto thine handmaid.

³⁶And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.

¶ And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers³⁷.

And he said unto his father, My head³⁸, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.

¶ And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother³⁹, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died⁴⁰.

And she went up, and laid him on the bed⁴¹ of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.

And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run⁴² to the man of God, and come again.

And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon⁴³, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well⁴⁴.

Then she⁴⁵ saddled an ass⁴⁶, and said to her servant, Drive⁴⁷, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me,⁴⁸ except I bid thee.

So she went and came unto the man of God to mount⁴⁹ Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:

Run now,⁵⁰ I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee?⁵¹ is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well⁵².

And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet⁵³: but Gehazi came near to thrust⁵⁴ her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone⁵⁵; for her soul is vexed⁵⁶ within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me,⁵⁷ and hath not told me.

Then she said, Did I desire⁵⁸ a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not⁵⁹ deceive me?

Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins⁶⁰, and take my⁶¹ staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not;⁶² and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff⁶³ upon the face of the child.

¶ And the mother of the child said, As the LORD⁶⁴ liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not⁶⁵ leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.

And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice⁶⁶, nor hearing⁶⁷. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked⁶⁸.

And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child⁶⁹ was dead, and laid upon his bed.

He went in therefore, and shut the door⁷⁰ upon them twain, and prayed⁷¹ unto the LORD.

⁷²And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.

Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro⁷³; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite⁷⁴. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up⁷⁵ thy son.

Then she went in, and fell at his feet⁷⁶, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.

¶ And Elisha⁷⁷ came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth⁷⁸ in the land; and the sons⁷⁹ of the prophets were sitting⁸⁰ before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot⁸¹, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.

And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine⁸², and gathered thereof wild gourds⁸³ his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.

¶ So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou⁸⁴ man of God, there is death⁸⁵ in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.

But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast⁸⁶ it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there⁸⁷ was no harm⁸⁸ in the pot.

And there came a man from Baalshalisha⁸⁹, and brought the man of God bread⁹⁰ of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley⁹¹, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof.⁹² And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.

And his servitor⁹³ said, What,⁹⁴ should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat⁹⁵, and shall leave thereof.

So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.