When she was still a long way off, he saw her coming. He said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the woman from Shunem! ²⁶Run out there to meet her. Ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’ ”

“Everything is all right,” she said.

²⁷She came to the man of God at the mountain. Then she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away. But the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is suffering terribly. But the Lord hasn’t told me the reason for it. He has hidden it from me.”

²⁸“My master, did I ask you for a son?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t get my hopes up’?”

²⁹Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your coat into your belt. Take my wooden staff and run to Shunem. Don’t say hello to anyone you see. If anyone says hello to you, don’t answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.”

³⁰But the child’s mother said, “I won’t leave you. And that’s just as sure as the Lord and you are alive.” So Elisha got up and followed her.

³¹Gehazi went on ahead. He laid Elisha’s wooden staff on the boy’s face. But there wasn’t any sound. The boy didn’t move at all.

So Gehazi went back to Elisha. He told him, “The boy hasn’t awakened.”

³²Elisha arrived at the house. The boy was dead. He was lying on Elisha’s bed.

³³Elisha went into the room. He shut the door. He was alone with the boy. He prayed to the Lord.

³⁴Then he got on the bed. He lay down on the boy. His mouth touched the boy’s mouth. His eyes touched the boy’s eyes. And his hands touched the boy’s hands. As Elisha lay on the boy, the boy’s body grew warm.

³⁵Elisha turned away. He walked back and forth in the room. Then he got on the bed again. He lay down on the boy once more. The boy sneezed seven times. After that, he opened his eyes.

³⁶Elisha sent for Gehazi. He said to him, “Go and get the Shunammite woman.” So he did. When she came, Elisha said, “Take your son.”

³⁷She came in. She fell at Elisha’s feet. She bowed down with her face toward the ground. Then she took her son and went out.

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