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2 Kings 4 - New American Standard Bible (NASB)

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The Widow’s Oil

4 Now a woman of the wives of (A)the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord; and (B)the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 2 So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except (C)a jar of oil.” 3 Then he said, “Go, [a]borrow containers [b]elsewhere for yourself, empty containers from all your neighbors—do not get too few. 4 Then you shall come in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour into all these containers; and you shall set aside what is full.” 5 So she left him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they began bringing the containers to her, and she poured the oil. 6 When (D)the containers were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another container.” But he said to her, “There [c]are no more containers.” Then the oil stopped. 7 So she came and told (E)the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest.”

The Shunammite Woman

8 Now a day came when Elisha went over to (F)Shunem, where there was a [d]prominent woman, and she urged him to eat [e]food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, that he turned in there to eat [f]food. 9 And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I am aware that this is a holy (G)man of God passing by us repeatedly. 10 Please, let’s (H)make a little walled upper room, and let’s set up a bed for him there, and a table, a chair, and a lampstand; then it shall be, when he comes to us, that he can turn in there.”

11 Now [g]one day he came there, and turned in to the upper room and [h]rested. 12 Then he said to his servant (I)Gehazi, “Call this Shunammite.” And when he had called her, she stood before him. 13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Behold, you have taken trouble for us with all this [i]care; what can I do for you? [j]Would you like me to speak for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’” But she [k]answered, “I live among my own people.” 14 So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi [l]answered, “It is a fact that she has no son, and her husband is old.” 15 He then said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16 Then he said, “(J)At this season [m]next year, you are going to embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, you man of God, (K)do not lie to your servant.”

17 Now the woman conceived and gave birth to a son at that season [n]the next year, as Elisha had told her.

The Shunammite’s Son

18 When the child was grown, the day came that he went out to his father, to the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, “My head, my head!” And his father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 When he had carried him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her [o]lap until noon, and then he died. 21 And she went up and (L)laid him on the bed of (M)the man of God, and shut the door behind him and left. 22 Then she called to her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so that I may run to the man of God and return.” 23 But he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither (N)new moon nor Sabbath.” So she just said, “It will be fine.” 24 Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Drive the donkey and go on; do not slow down [p]the pace for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she went on and came to the man of God at (O)Mount Carmel.

When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Behold, that person there is the Shunammite. 26 Please run now to meet her and say to her, ‘Is it going well for you? Is it going well for your husband? Is it going well for the child?’” Then she [q]answered, “It is going well.” 27 But she came to the man of God (P)at the hill and took hold of his feet. And Gehazi came up to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is [r]troubled within her; and the Lord has concealed it from me and has not informed me.” 28 Then she said, “Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, ‘(Q)Do not give me false hope’?”

29 Then he said to Gehazi, “[s](R)Get ready and (S)take my staff in your hand, and go; if you meet anyone, do not [t](T)greet him, and if anyone [u]greets you, do not reply to him. And (U)lay my staff on the boy’s face.” 30 The mother of the boy said, “(V)As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her. 31 Then Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or [v]response. So he returned to meet him and informed him, saying, “The boy (W)has not awakened.”

32 When Elisha entered the house, behold the boy was dead, laid on his bed. 33 So he entered and (X)shut the door behind them both, and he prayed to the Lord. 34 Then (Y)he got up on the bed and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, his hands on his hands, and he bent down on him; and the flesh of the child became warm. 35 Then he returned and walked in the house back and forth once, and went up and (Z)bent down on him; and the boy sneezed seven times, then the boy opened his eyes. 36 And he called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” 37 Then she came in and fell at his feet and bowed down to the ground, and (AA)she picked up her son and left.

The Poisonous Stew

38 When Elisha returned to (AB)Gilgal, there was (AC)a famine in the land. [w]As (AD)the sons of the prophets (AE)were sitting in front of him, he said to his servant, “(AF)Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” 39 Then one went out into the field to gather mallow, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds; and he came and sliced them into the pot of stew, because they did not know what they were. 40 So they poured it out for the men to eat. But as they were eating the stew, they cried out and said, “You man of God, there is (AG)death in the pot!” And they were unable to eat. 41 Then he said, “Bring flour.” (AH)And he threw it into the pot, and said, “Pour it out for the people that they may eat.” Then there was nothing harmful in the pot.

42 Now a man came from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh grain in his sack. And Elisha said, “(AI)Give them to the people that they may eat.” 43 But his attendant said, “How (AJ)am I to serve this to a hundred men?” Nevertheless he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat, for this is what the Lord says: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’” 44 So he served it to them, and they ate and (AK)had some left over, in accordance with the word of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 4:3 Lit request
  2. 2 Kings 4:3 Lit from outside
  3. 2 Kings 4:6 Lit is...container
  4. 2 Kings 4:8 Lit great
  5. 2 Kings 4:8 Lit bread
  6. 2 Kings 4:8 Lit bread
  7. 2 Kings 4:11 Lit the day came that
  8. 2 Kings 4:11 Lit lay there
  9. 2 Kings 4:13 Lit fear
  10. 2 Kings 4:13 Lit Is it to speak
  11. 2 Kings 4:13 Lit said
  12. 2 Kings 4:14 Lit said
  13. 2 Kings 4:16 Lit when the time revives
  14. 2 Kings 4:17 Lit when the time revived
  15. 2 Kings 4:20 Lit knees
  16. 2 Kings 4:24 Lit riding
  17. 2 Kings 4:26 Lit said
  18. 2 Kings 4:27 Lit bitter
  19. 2 Kings 4:29 Lit Belt up your waist
  20. 2 Kings 4:29 Lit bless
  21. 2 Kings 4:29 Lit blesses
  22. 2 Kings 4:31 Lit attentiveness
  23. 2 Kings 4:38 Lit And

Cross references

  1. 2 Kings 4:1 : 2 Kin 2:3
  2. 2 Kings 4:1 : Lev 25:39-41, 48; 1 Sam 22:2; Neh 5:2-5
  3. 2 Kings 4:2 : 1 Kin 17:12
  4. 2 Kings 4:6 : Matt 14:20
  5. 2 Kings 4:7 : 1 Kin 12:22
  6. 2 Kings 4:8 : Josh 19:18
  7. 2 Kings 4:9 : 2 Kin 4:7
  8. 2 Kings 4:10 : Matt 10:41, 42; 25:40; Rom 12:13
  9. 2 Kings 4:12 : 2 Kin 4:29-31; 5:20-27; 8:4, 5
  10. 2 Kings 4:16 : Gen 18:14
  11. 2 Kings 4:16 : 2 Kin 4:28
  12. 2 Kings 4:21 : 2 Kin 4:32
  13. 2 Kings 4:21 : 2 Kin 4:7
  14. 2 Kings 4:23 : Num 10:10; 28:11; 1 Chr 23:31
  15. 2 Kings 4:25 : 2 Kin 2:25
  16. 2 Kings 4:27 : 2 Kin 4:25
  17. 2 Kings 4:28 : 2 Kin 4:16
  18. 2 Kings 4:29 : 1 Kin 18:46; 2 Kin 9:1
  19. 2 Kings 4:29 : Ex 4:17; 2 Kin 2:14
  20. 2 Kings 4:29 : Luke 10:4
  21. 2 Kings 4:29 : Ex 7:19, 20; 14:16
  22. 2 Kings 4:30 : 2 Kin 2:2, 4
  23. 2 Kings 4:31 : John 11:11
  24. 2 Kings 4:33 : 2 Kin 4:4; Matt 6:6; Luke 8:51
  25. 2 Kings 4:34 : 1 Kin 17:21-23
  26. 2 Kings 4:35 : 1 Kin 17:21
  27. 2 Kings 4:37 : Heb 11:35
  28. 2 Kings 4:38 : 2 Kin 2:1
  29. 2 Kings 4:38 : 2 Kin 8:1
  30. 2 Kings 4:38 : 2 Kin 2:3
  31. 2 Kings 4:38 : Luke 10:39; Acts 22:3
  32. 2 Kings 4:38 : Ezek 11:3, 7, 11; 24:3
  33. 2 Kings 4:40 : Ex 10:17
  34. 2 Kings 4:41 : Ex 15:25; 2 Kin 2:21
  35. 2 Kings 4:42 : Matt 14:16-21; 15:32-38
  36. 2 Kings 4:43 : Luke 9:13; John 6:9
  37. 2 Kings 4:44 : Matt 14:20; 15:37; John 6:13

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2 Kings 4 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

4 And a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets hath cried unto Elisha, saying, `Thy servant, my husband, is dead, and thou hast known that thy servant was fearing Jehovah, and the lender hath come to take my two children to him for servants.' 2 And Elisha saith unto her, `What do I d...
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2 Kings 4 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

4 Forsooth a woman of the wives of prophets cried to Elisha, and said, Thy servant, mine husband, is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant dreaded God; and lo! the creancer, that is, he to whom debt is owed, cometh to take my two sons to serve him. (And a woman of the wives of the sons of the prop...
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2 Kings 4 - World English Bible (WEB)

4 Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead. You know that your servant feared Yahweh. Now the creditor has come to take for himself my two children to be slaves.” 2 Elisha said to her, “What should I do for you? Tell m...
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2 Kings 4 - The Voice (VOICE)

4 The wife of one of the prophets’ disciples pleaded with Elisha.Woman: My husband who served you is now dead. He greatly feared the Eternal. You yourself know this to be true. The creditor is now trying to take away my only two children and make them into slaves. Elisha: 2 What is it that you want ...
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2 Kings 4 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Miracle of Multiplying Oil4 Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha saying, “Your servant my husband is dead—you know that your servant feared Adonai. Now the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 2 “What should I do for you?” Elisha as...
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2 Kings 4 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Elisha and the Widow’s Oil4 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Eli′sha, “Your servant my husband is dead; and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 2 And Eli′sha said to her, “What shall I do for you? T...
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2 Kings 4 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Elisha and the Widow’s Oil4 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Eli′sha, “Your servant my husband is dead; and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 2 And Eli′sha said to her, “What shall I do for you? T...
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2 Kings 4 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Elisha and the Widow’s Oil4 Now the wife of a member of the company of prophets[a] cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead; and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but a creditor has come to take my two children as slaves.” 2 Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, ...
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2 Kings 4 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Elisha and the Widow’s Oil4 Now the wife of a member of the company of prophets[a] cried to Elisha, ‘Your servant my husband is dead; and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but a creditor has come to take my two children as slaves.’ 2 Elisha said to her, ‘What shall I do for you? Tell me, ...
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2 Kings 4 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Elisha and the Widow’s Oil4 Now the wife of a member of the company of prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but a creditor has come to take my two children as slaves.”(A)2 Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, wh...
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2 Kings 4 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Elisha Helps a Poor Widow4 One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.” 2 “What can I do to help you?” Elisha aske...
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2 Kings 4 - New Life Version (NLV)

Elisha and the Jar of Oil4 Now the wife of the son of one of the men who tell what will happen in the future cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead. You know that your servant honored the Lord with fear. But the man to whom he owed money has come to take my two children to make them...
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2 Kings 4 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Elisha and the Widow’s Oil(A)4 A certain woman of the wives of (B)the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming (C)to take my two sons to be his slaves.” 2 So Elisha said to her, “Wha...
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2 Kings 4 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The widow’s olive oil4 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, ‘Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.’ 2 Elisha replied to her, ‘How can I help you? Tell me, what do yo...
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2 Kings 4 - New International Version (NIV)

The Widow’s Olive Oil4 The wife of a man from the company(A) of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor(B) is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” 2 Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what...
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2 Kings 4 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Elisha Provides Olive Oil for a Widow4 The wife of a man from the group of the prophets cried out to Elisha. She said, “My husband is dead. You know how much respect he had for the Lord. But he owed money to someone. And now that person is coming to take my two boys away. They will become his slaves...
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2 Kings 4 - New English Translation (NET)

Elisha Helps a Widow and Her Sons4 Now a wife of one of the prophets[a] appealed[b] to Elisha for help, saying, “Your servant, my husband is dead. You know that your servant was a loyal follower of the Lord.[c] Now the creditor is coming to take away my two boys to be his servants.” 2 Elisha said t...
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