2 Kings 4 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Widow’s Oil

1 Now a certain ^H259 woman ^H802 of the wives ^H802 of the sons ^H1121 of the prophets ^H5030 cried ^H6817 out ^H6817 to [fn]Elisha ^H477, “Your servant ^H5650 my husband ^H376 is dead ^H4191, and you know ^H3045 that your servant ^H5650 feared ^H3372 Yahweh ^H3068; and the creditor ^H5383 has come ^H935 to take ^H3947 my two ^H8147 children ^H3206 to be his slaves ^H5650.”

2 And Elisha ^H477 said ^H559 to her, “What ^H4100 shall I do ^H6213 for you? Tell ^H5046 me, what ^H4100 do you have ^H3426 in the house ^H1004?” And she said ^H559, “Your servant-woman ^H8198 has ^H369 nothing ^H369 H3605 in the house ^H1004 except ^H3588 H518 a jar ^H610 of oil ^H8081.” 3 Then he said ^H559, “Go ^H1980, ask ^H7592 for vessels ^H3627 for yourself, from those outside ^H2351, from all ^H3605 your neighbors ^H7934, even empty ^H7386 vessels ^H3627; do not get ^H4591 a few ^H4591. 4 And you shall go ^H935 in ^H935 and shut ^H5462 the door ^H1817 behind ^H1157 you and your sons ^H1121, and pour ^H3332 out ^H3332 into all ^H3605 these ^H428 vessels ^H3627, and you shall set ^H5265 aside ^H5265 what is full ^H4392.” 5 So she went ^H1980 from him and shut ^H5462 the door ^H1817 behind ^H1157 her and her sons ^H1121; they were bringing ^H5066 the vessels to her and she poured ^H3332. 6 Now it happened that when the vessels ^H3627 were full ^H4390, she said ^H559 to her son ^H1121, “Bring ^H5066 me another ^H5750 vessel ^H3627.” And he said ^H559 to her, “There ^H369 is ^H369 not ^H369 one ^H369 vessel ^H3627 more ^H5750.” And the oil ^H8081 stopped ^H5975. 7 Then she came ^H935 and told ^H5046 the man ^H376 of God ^H430. And he said ^H559, “Go ^H1980, sell ^H4376 the oil ^H8081 and pay ^H7999 your debt ^H5386, and you and your sons ^H1121 can live ^H2421 on the rest ^H3498.”

The Shunammite Woman Will Bear a Son

8 Now there came ^H1961 a day ^H3117 when Elisha ^H477 passed ^H5674 over ^H5674 to Shunem ^H7766, where ^H8033 there was a [fn]prominent ^H1419 woman ^H802, and she prevailed ^H2388 upon him to eat ^H398 [fn]food ^H3899. Now it happened, as often ^H1767 as he passed ^H5674 by ^H5674, that he turned ^H5493 in ^H5493 there ^H8033 to eat ^H398 [fn]food ^H3899.

9 And she said ^H559 to her husband ^H376, “Behold ^H2009 now ^H4994, I know ^H3045 that this ^H1931 is a holy ^H6918 man ^H376 of God ^H430 passing ^H5674 by us continually ^H8548. 10 Please ^H4994, let us make ^H6213 a little ^H6996 walled ^H7023 upper ^H5944 chamber ^H5944 and let us set ^H7760 a bed ^H4296 for him there ^H8033, and a table ^H7979 and a chair ^H3678 and a lampstand ^H4501; and it will be, when he comes ^H935 to us, that he can turn ^H5493 in ^H5493 there ^H8033.”

11 Now it happened that one day ^H3117 he came ^H935 there ^H8033 and turned ^H5493 in ^H5493 to the upper ^H5944 chamber ^H5944, and there ^H8033 he [fn]lay ^H7901 down. 12 Then he said ^H559 to Gehazi ^H1522 his young ^H5288 man ^H5288, “Call ^H7121 this ^H2088 Shunammite ^H7767.” So he called ^H7121 her, and she stood ^H5975 before ^H6440 him. 13 And he said ^H559 to him, “Say ^H559 now ^H4994 to her, ‘Behold ^H2009, you have been ^H2729 [fn]careful ^H2729 for us with all ^H3605 this ^H2088 [fn]care ^H2731; what ^H4100 can I do ^H6213 for you? Would ^H3426 you be ^H3426 spoken ^H1696 for to the king ^H4428 or ^H176 to the commander ^H8269 of the army ^H6635?’” And she [fn]answered ^H559, “I live ^H3427 among ^H8432 my own people ^H5971.” 14 So he said ^H559, “What ^H4100 then is to be done ^H6213 for her?” And Gehazi ^H1522 [fn]answered ^H559, “Truly ^H61 she has ^H369 no ^H369 son ^H1121, and her husband ^H376 is ^H2204 old ^H2204.” 15 And he said ^H559, “Call ^H7121 her.” So he called ^H7121 her, and she stood ^H5975 in the doorway ^H6607. 16 Then he said ^H559, “At this ^H2088 season ^H4150 [fn]next ^H2416 year ^H6256 you will embrace ^H2263 a son ^H1121.” And she said ^H559, “No ^H408, my lord ^H113, O man ^H376 of God ^H430, do not lie ^H3576 to your servant-woman ^H8198.”

17 Then the woman ^H802 conceived ^H2029 and bore ^H3205 a son ^H1121 at that season ^H4150 [fn]the next ^H2416 year ^H6256, as Elisha ^H477 had said ^H1696 to her.

A Dead Boy Opens His Eyes

18 Then the child ^H3206 was grown ^H1431. And the day ^H3117 came ^H1961 that he went ^H3318 out ^H3318 to his father ^H1 to the reapers ^H7114.

19 And he said ^H559 to his father ^H1, “My head ^H7218, my head ^H7218.” And he said ^H559 to [fn]his young ^H5288 man ^H5288, “Carry ^H5375 him to his mother ^H517.” 20 Then he carried ^H5375 him and brought ^H935 him to his mother ^H517, and he sat ^H3427 on her knees ^H1290 until ^H5704 noon ^H6672, and then died ^H4191. 21 Then she went ^H5927 up ^H5927 and laid ^H7901 him on the bed ^H4296 of the man ^H376 of God ^H430 and shut ^H5462 the door behind ^H1157 him and went ^H3318 out ^H3318. 22 And she called ^H7121 to her husband ^H376 and said ^H559, “Please ^H4994 send ^H7971 me one ^H259 of the young ^H5288 men ^H5288 and one ^H259 of the donkeys ^H860, that I may run ^H7323 to the man ^H376 of God ^H430 and return ^H7725.” 23 And he said ^H559, “Why ^H4069 will you go ^H1980 to him today ^H3117? It is neither ^H3808 new ^H2320 moon ^H2320 nor ^H3808 sabbath ^H7676.” And she said ^H559, “It is well ^H7965.” 24 Then she saddled ^H2280 a donkey ^H860 and said ^H559 to her young ^H5288 man ^H5288, “Drive ^H5090 and go ^H1980; do not hold ^H6113 back ^H6113 the pace of the ride ^H7392 for me unless ^H3588 H518 I tell ^H559 you.” 25 So she went ^H1980 and came ^H935 to the man ^H376 of God ^H430 to Mount ^H2022 Carmel ^H3760.

Now it happened that when the man ^H376 of God ^H430 saw ^H7200 her at a distance ^H4480 H5048, he said ^H559 to Gehazi ^H1522 his young ^H5288 man ^H5288, “Behold ^H2009, [fn]there ^H1975 is the Shunammite ^H7767. 26 Please ^H4994 run ^H7323 now ^H6258 to meet ^H7122 her and say ^H559 to her, ‘Is it well ^H7965 with you? Is it well ^H7965 with your husband ^H376? Is it well ^H7965 with the child ^H3206?’” And she [fn]answered ^H559, “It is well ^H7965.” 27 Then she came ^H935 to the man ^H376 of God ^H430 to the hill ^H2022 and took ^H2388 hold ^H2388 of his feet ^H7272. And Gehazi ^H1522 came ^H5066 near ^H5066 to push ^H1920 her away ^H1920; but the man ^H376 of God ^H430 said ^H559, “Let ^H7503 her alone ^H7503, for her soul ^H5315 is ^H4843 bitter ^H4843 within her; and Yahweh ^H3068 has hidden ^H5956 it from me and has not told ^H5046 me.” 28 Then she said ^H559, “Did I ask ^H7592 for a son ^H1121 from my lord ^H113? Did I not say ^H559, ‘Do not deceive ^H7951 me’?”

29 Then he said ^H559 to Gehazi ^H1522, “Gird ^H2296 up your loins ^H4975 and take ^H3947 my staff ^H4938 in your hand ^H3027, and go ^H1980; if ^H3588 you meet ^H4672 anyone ^H376, do not [fn]greet ^H1288 him, and if ^H3588 anyone ^H376 [fn]greets ^H1288 you, do not answer ^H6030 him; and lay ^H7760 my staff ^H4938 on the boy’s ^H5288 face ^H6440.” 30 But the mother ^H517 of the boy ^H5288 said ^H559, “As Yahweh ^H3068 lives ^H2416 and as your soul ^H5315 lives ^H2416, I will not forsake ^H5800 you.” And he arose ^H6965 and followed ^H1980 H310 her. 31 Now Gehazi ^H1522 passed ^H5674 on ^H5674 before ^H6440 them and laid ^H7760 the staff ^H4938 on the boy’s ^H5288 face ^H6440, but there ^H369 was ^H369 no ^H369 sound ^H6963 or ^H369 [fn]response ^H7182. So he returned ^H7725 to meet ^H7122 him and told ^H5046 him, saying ^H559, “The boy ^H5288 has not awakened ^H6974.”

32 Then Elisha ^H477 came ^H935 into the house ^H1004, and behold ^H2009, the boy ^H5288 was dead ^H4191 and laid ^H7901 on his bed ^H4296. 33 So he entered ^H935 and shut ^H5462 the door ^H1817 behind ^H1157 them both ^H8147 and prayed ^H6419 to Yahweh ^H3068. 34 And he went ^H5927 up ^H5927 and lay ^H7901 on the child ^H3206 and put ^H7760 his mouth ^H6310 on his mouth ^H6310 and his eyes ^H5869 on his eyes ^H5869 and his hands ^H3709 on his hands ^H3709, and he stretched ^H1457 himself on him; and the flesh ^H1320 of the child ^H3206 became ^H2552 warm ^H2552. 35 Then he returned ^H7725 and walked ^H1980 in the house ^H1004 once ^H259 back ^H2008 and forth ^H2008, and went ^H5927 up ^H5927 and stretched ^H1457 himself on him; and the boy ^H5288 sneezed ^H2237 seven ^H7651 times ^H6471 and the boy ^H5288 opened ^H6491 his eyes ^H5869. 36 Then he called ^H7121 Gehazi ^H1522 and said ^H559, “Call ^H7121 this ^H2088 Shunammite ^H7767.” So he called ^H7121 her. Then she came ^H935 in ^H935 to him, and he said ^H559, “Take ^H5375 up ^H5375 your son ^H1121.” 37 Then she came ^H935 in ^H935 and fell ^H5307 at his feet ^H7272 and bowed ^H2331 herself to the ground ^H776, and she took ^H5375 up ^H5375 her son ^H1121 and went ^H3318 out ^H3318.

The Death in the Stew

38 Now Elisha ^H477 returned ^H7725 to Gilgal ^H1537, and there was a famine ^H7458 in the land ^H776. [fn]As the sons ^H1121 of the prophets ^H5030 were sitting ^H3427 before ^H6440 him, he said ^H559 to his young ^H5288 man ^H5288, “Put ^H8239 on the large ^H1419 pot ^H5518 and boil ^H1310 stew ^H5138 for the sons ^H1121 of the prophets ^H5030.”

39 Then one ^H259 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 into the field ^H7704 to gather ^H3950 herbs ^H219 and found ^H4672 a wild ^H7704 vine ^H1612 and gathered ^H3950 from it wild ^H7704 gourds ^H6498 filling ^H4393 his cloak ^H899 and came ^H935 and sliced ^H6398 them into the pot ^H5518 of stew ^H5138, for they did not know ^H3045 what they were. 40 So they poured ^H3332 it out ^H3332 for the men ^H376 to eat ^H398. And it happened that as they were eating ^H398 of the stew ^H5138, they cried ^H6817 out ^H6817 and said ^H559, “O man ^H376 of God ^H430, there is death ^H4194 in the pot ^H5518.” And they were ^H3201 unable ^H3808 H3201 to eat ^H398. 41 But he said ^H559, “Now bring ^H3947 flour ^H7058.” He threw ^H7993 it into the pot ^H5518 and said ^H559, “Pour ^H3332 it out ^H3332 for the people ^H5971 that they may eat ^H398.” Then there was no ^H3808 harm ^H1697 H7451 in the pot ^H5518.

42 Now a man ^H376 came ^H935 from Baal-shalishah ^H1190, and brought ^H935 the man ^H376 of God ^H430 bread ^H3899 of the first ^H1061 fruits ^H1061, twenty ^H6242 loaves ^H3899 of barley ^H8184 and fresh ^H3759 ears ^H3759 of grain ^H3759 in his sack ^H6861. And he said ^H559, “Give ^H5414 them to the people ^H5971 that they may eat ^H398.” 43 And his attendant ^H8334 said ^H559, “What ^H4100, will I give ^H5414 this ^H2088 before ^H6440 one hundred ^H3967 men ^H376?” But he said ^H559, “Give ^H5414 them to the people ^H5971 that they may eat ^H398, for thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, ‘They shall eat ^H398 and have some left ^H3498 over ^H3498.’” 44 So he gave ^H5414 it before ^H6440 them, and they ate ^H398 and had some left ^H3498 over ^H3498, according to the word ^H1697 of Yahweh ^H3068.