2 Kings 4:8–37

The Shunammite Woman

⁸One day Elisha went to Shunem, where an important woman lived. She begged Elisha to stay and eat. So every time Elisha passed by, he stopped there to eat. ⁹The woman said to her husband, “I know that this is a holy man of God who passes by our house all the time. ¹⁰Let’s make a small room on the roof ⁿ and put a bed in the room for him. We can put a table, a chair, and a lampstand there. Then when he comes by, he can stay there.”

¹¹One day Elisha came to the woman’s house. After he went to his room and rested, ¹²he said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite woman.”

When the servant had called her, she stood in front of him. ¹³Elisha had told his servant, “Now say to her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak to the king or the commander of the army for you?’ ”

She answered, “I live among my own people.”

¹⁴Elisha said to Gehazi, “But what can we do for her?”

He answered, “She has no son, and her husband is old.”

¹⁵Then Elisha said to Gehazi, “Call her.” When he called her, she stood in the doorway. ¹⁶Then Elisha said, “About this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.”

The woman said, “No, master, man of God, don’t lie to me, your servant!”

¹⁷But the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son at that time the next year, just as Elisha had told her.

¹⁸The boy grew up and one day went out to his father, who was with the grain harvesters. ¹⁹The boy said to his father, “My head! My head!”

The father said to his servant, “Take him to his mother!” ²⁰The servant took him to his mother, and he lay on his mother’s lap until noon. Then he died. ²¹So she took him up and laid him on Elisha’s bed. Then she shut the door and left.

²²She called to her husband, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys. Then I can go quickly to the man of God and return.”

²³The husband said, “Why do you want to go to him today? It isn’t the New Moon or the Sabbath day.”

She said, “It will be all right.”

²⁴Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on. Don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.” ²⁵So she went to Elisha, the man of God, at Mount Carmel.

When he saw her coming from far away, he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, there’s the Shunammite woman! ²⁶Run to meet her and ask, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is the boy all right?’ ”

She answered, “Everything is all right.”

²⁷Then she came to Elisha at the hill and grabbed his feet. Gehazi came near to pull her away, but Elisha said to him, “Leave her alone. She’s very upset, and the Lord has not told me about it. He has hidden it from me.”

²⁸She said, “Master, did I ask you for a son? Didn’t I tell you not to lie to me?”

²⁹Then Elisha said to Gehazi, “Get ready. Take my walking stick in your hand and go quickly. If you meet anyone, don’t say hello. If anyone greets you, don’t respond. Lay my walking stick on the boy’s face.”

³⁰The boy’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I won’t leave you!” So Elisha got up and followed her.

³¹Gehazi went on ahead and laid the walking stick on the boy’s face, but the boy did not talk or move. Then Gehazi went back to meet Elisha. “The boy has not awakened,” he said.

³²When Elisha came into the house, the boy was lying dead on his bed. ³³Elisha entered the room and shut the door, so only he and the boy were in the room. Then he prayed to the Lord. ³⁴He went to the bed and lay on the boy, putting his mouth on the boy’s mouth, his eyes on the boy’s eyes, and his hands on the boy’s hands. He stretched himself out on top of the boy. Soon the boy’s skin became warm. ³⁵Elisha turned away and walked around the room. Then he went back and put himself on the boy again. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

³⁶Elisha called Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite!” So he did. When she came, Elisha said, “Pick up your son.” ³⁷She came in and fell at Elisha’s feet, bowing facedown to the floor. Then she picked up her son and went out.