2 Kings 4:8–37

The Shunammite Woman Will Bear a Son

⁸Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to ^aShunem, where there was a ¹prominent woman, and she prevailed upon him to eat ²food. Now it happened, as often as he passed by, that he turned in there to eat ³food.

⁹And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I know that this is a holy ^aman of God passing by us continually.

¹⁰“Please, let us ^amake a little walled upper chamber and let us set a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; and it will be, when he comes to us, that he can turn in there.”

¹¹Now it happened that one day he came there and turned in to the upper chamber, and there he ¹lay down.

¹²Then he said to ^aGehazi his young man, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him.

¹³And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Behold, you have been ¹careful for us with all this ²care; what can I do for you? Would you be spoken for to the king or to the commander of the army?’” And she ³answered, “I live among my own people.”

¹⁴So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi ¹answered, “Truly she has no son, and her husband is old.”

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

¹⁶Then he said, “^aAt this season ¹next year you will embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God, ^bdo not lie to your servant-woman.”

¹⁷Then the woman conceived and bore a son at that season ¹the next year, as Elisha had said to her.

A Dead Boy Opens His Eyes

¹⁸Then the child was grown. And the day came that he went out to his father to the reapers.

¹⁹And he said to his father, “My head, my head.” And he said to ¹his young man, “Carry him to his mother.”

²⁰Then he carried him and brought him to his mother, and he sat on her knees until noon, and then died.

²¹Then she went up and ^alaid him on the bed of ^bthe man of God and shut the door behind him and went out.

²²And she called to her husband and said, “Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and return.”

²³And he said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither ^anew moon nor sabbath.” And she said, “It is well.”

²⁴Then she saddled a donkey and said to her young man, “Drive and go; do not hold back the pace of the ride for me unless I tell you.”

²⁵So she went and came to the man of God to ^aMount Carmel.

Now it happened that when the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi his young man, “Behold, ¹there is the Shunammite.

²⁶“Please run now to meet her and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’” And she ¹answered, “It is well.”

²⁷Then she came to the man of God ^ato the hill and took hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away; but the man of God said, “Let her alone, for her soul is bitter within her; and Yahweh has hidden it from me and has not told me.”

²⁸Then she said, “Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, ‘^aDo not deceive me’?”

²⁹Then he said to Gehazi, “^aGird up your loins and ^btake my staff in your hand, and go; if you meet anyone, do not ^1cgreet him, and if anyone ²greets you, do not answer him; and ^dlay my staff on the boy’s face.”

³⁰But the mother of the boy said, “^aAs Yahweh lives and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” And he arose and followed her.

³¹Now Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or ¹response. So he returned to meet him and told him, saying, “The boy ^ahas not awakened.”

³²Then Elisha came into the house, and behold, the boy was dead and laid on his bed.

³³So he entered and ^ashut the door behind them both and prayed to Yahweh.

³⁴And ^ahe went up and lay on the child and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, and he stretched himself on him; and the flesh of the child became warm.

³⁵Then he returned and walked in the house once back and forth, and went up and ^astretched himself on him; and the boy sneezed seven times and the boy opened his eyes.

³⁶Then he called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. Then she came in to him, and he said, “Take up your son.”

³⁷Then she came in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground, and ^ashe took up her son and went out.