2 Kings 4:8–37

The Shunammite Woman

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

⁹She said to her husband, “Behold now, I perceive 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 shall be, when he comes to us, that he can turn in there.”

¹¹¹One day he came there and turned in to the upper chamber and ²rested.

¹²Then he said to ^aGehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” And when he had called her, she stood before him.

¹³He 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 captain 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.”

¹⁵He said, “Call her.” When he had called her, 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 maidservant.”

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

The Shunammite’s Son

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

¹⁹He said to his father, “My head, my head.” And he said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.”

²⁰When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her ¹lap until noon, and then died.

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

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

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

²⁴Then she saddled a donkey and said to her servant, “Drive and go forward; do not slow down ¹the pace for me unless I tell you.”

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

When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi his servant, “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.”

²⁷When she came to the man of God ^ato the hill, she caught 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 ¹troubled within her; and the Lord 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 your way; if you meet any man, do not ^csalute him, and if anyone salutes you, do not answer him; and ^dlay my staff on the lad’s face.”

³⁰The mother of the lad said, “^aAs the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” And he arose and followed her.

³¹Then Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the lad’s face, but there was no sound or ¹response. So he returned to meet him and told ²him, “The lad ^ahas not awakened.”

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

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

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 lad sneezed seven times and the lad opened his eyes.

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

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