以利沙帮助穷寡妇

有一个先知的妻子哀求以利沙说:“你仆人——我丈夫怎样敬畏耶和华,你是知道的。如今他去世了,债主来取我的两个孩子做奴隶。” 以利沙问她:“我该怎样帮你呢?告诉我,你家里有什么?”妇人答道:“婢女家什么也没有,只有一瓶油。” 以利沙说:“你去向所有的邻居借空器皿,要尽量多借一些。 然后回家关上门,你和你儿子在屋里把那瓶油倒在所有借来的器皿中,装满的放在一边。” 于是,妇人辞别以利沙,回去后把自己和儿子关在屋里,儿子递给她器皿,她就倒油。 器皿都装满了,她对儿子说:“再拿个器皿给我。”儿子说:“已经没有了。”这时,油止住了。 妇人将经过告诉上帝的仆人,上帝的仆人对她说:“你去把油卖了还债,你们母子可以用剩下的钱度日。”

以利沙和书念妇人

一天,以利沙路过书念,那里一位富有的妇人挽留他吃饭。此后以利沙每次路过那里,总到她家里吃饭。 那妇人对丈夫说:“我看常路过我们这里的这位是上帝圣洁的仆人。他常路过我们这里, 10 不如我们在房顶上给他盖一间小屋,里面放床、桌子、椅子和灯。这样,他来我们家时,可以在那里休息。”

11 一天,以利沙又到了那里,便在那间小屋里休息。 12 以利沙吩咐仆人基哈西去请书念的妇人。她来了,站在以利沙面前。 13 以利沙吩咐基哈西说:“你对她说,‘你为我们费了不少心,我们该为你做些什么呢?要不要我们在王或元帅面前为你说些好话呢?’”她答道:“我在本族中安居无事。” 14 以利沙问基哈西:“我们能为她做什么呢?”基哈西说:“她没有儿子,丈夫也已经老了。” 15 以利沙说:“你再去请她来。”她来了,站在门口。 16 以利沙对她说:“明年这时候,你必抱一个儿子。”她说:“上帝的仆人,我主啊,不要骗我。” 17 那妇人果然怀了孕,在第二年的那时候生了一个儿子,应验了以利沙对她说的话。

18 孩子渐渐长大。一天,他到收割的人那里找他父亲。 19 突然,他对他父亲喊道:“我的头啊!我的头啊!”他父亲见状,立刻吩咐仆人抱他到他母亲那里。 20 仆人把他抱起来,送到他母亲那里。孩子坐在母亲的膝上,到中午就死了。 21 他母亲上楼把他放在上帝仆人的床上,关上门出来。 22 她叫来丈夫,对他说:“请你预备一个仆人和一头驴,我好赶快去见上帝的仆人,然后返回来。” 23 她丈夫说:“今天不是朔日[a],也不是安息日,你为什么要去见他?”妇人说:“平安无事。” 24 她骑上驴,对仆人说:“快走吧!我不吩咐你,就不要慢下来。”

25 她就去迦密山见上帝的仆人。上帝的仆人远远望见她,就对仆人基哈西说:“你看,书念的妇人来了! 26 你跑去迎接她,问问她和她的丈夫与孩子都好吗。”

妇人对以利沙的仆人说:“一切都好。”

27 可是,她上山见到上帝的仆人后,就抱住他的脚。基哈西想要推开她,但上帝的仆人说:“由她吧!因为她心里非常痛苦。耶和华没有告诉我发生了什么事。” 28 妇人说:“我何尝向我主求过儿子呢?我不是对你说不要骗我吗?” 29 以利沙吩咐基哈西:“你要束上腰带,拿着我的杖去她家。路上不论遇见谁,都不要问候他。有人问候你,也不要作答。去把我的杖放在孩子脸上。” 30 孩子的母亲说:“我凭永活的耶和华和你的性命起誓,你若不同去,我决不离开你。”于是,以利沙跟她同去。 31 基哈西先赶到,把杖放在孩子脸上,可是孩子一点动静也没有。他就回去找以利沙,路上碰见他,便说:“孩子还没醒过来。”

32 以利沙进了屋子,看见孩子死了,躺在床上, 33 就关上门,向耶和华祈祷。 34 祷告后,他上床伏在孩子身上,口对口,眼对眼,手对手,孩子的身体渐渐变暖了。 35 然后,以利沙起来在房内来回走了一趟,又上床伏在孩子身上。孩子打了七个喷嚏,便睁开了眼睛。 36 以利沙叫基哈西请那妇人来。妇人来了,以利沙对她说:“把你儿子抱走吧。” 37 妇人进来,在以利沙脚前下拜,然后抱起儿子出去了。

用面粉解毒

38 以利沙回到吉甲,那里正闹饥荒。一群先知坐在他面前,他吩咐仆人把一口大锅放在火上给他们煮汤。 39 有个先知到田间摘野菜,看见一棵野瓜藤,便摘了一兜野瓜回来,切碎了放进锅里,却不知道那是什么瓜。 40 汤煮好后倒出来给众人喝,他们刚喝了一点,就叫道:“上帝的仆人啊,汤里有毒!”他们都不敢喝了。 41 以利沙说:“拿点面粉来。”他把面粉撒在锅里,说:“倒出来给众人喝吧。”于是,汤里没有毒了。

用二十个饼喂饱百人

42 从巴力·沙利沙来了一个人,他带了二十个用初熟大麦做的饼和一些麦穗送给上帝的仆人。上帝的仆人说:“分给众人吃吧。” 43 仆人说:“这些怎么够一百人吃呢?”以利沙说:“你只管分给众人吃。因为耶和华说,‘众人都能吃饱,并且还会剩下。’” 44 于是,仆人将食物摆在众人面前,他们都吃饱了,果然还有剩余,正如耶和华所言。

Footnotes

  1. 4:23 朔日”即每月初一。

以利沙幫助寡婦還債

一位先知門徒的妻子哀求以利沙說:“你僕人我的丈夫死了,你知道你的僕人是敬畏耶和華的。現在債主來要抓我的兩個孩子作他的奴僕。” 以利沙對他說:“我可以為你作甚麼呢?告訴我,你家裡有甚麼呢?”她說:“婢女家中除了一瓶油以外,甚麼也沒有。” 以利沙說:“你到外面去向你所有的鄰居借空器皿,要盡量多借。 然後回去,把你和你兒子關在家裡,你要把油倒在所有器皿裡面,裝滿了的就放在一邊。” 於是婦人離開了他,把自己和兒子關在門內;她的兒子不住地把器皿拿到她面前,她就把油倒進去。 器皿都倒滿了的時候,她對兒子說:“再拿一個器皿給我。”他對她說:“再沒有器皿了。”油就止住了。 她去告訴神人,神人說:“你去把油賣掉,還清你的債務,你和你的兒子可以靠著剩下的過活。”

書念婦人接待以利沙

有一天,以利沙經過書念的時候,那裡有一位貴婦堅持留他吃飯;於是以後每逢他從那裡經過,他總進去吃飯。 那婦人對她的丈夫說:“你看,我知道那常從我們這裡經過的,是個聖潔的神人。 10 讓我們蓋一間有牆的小閣,為他在裡面擺設睡床、桌子、椅子和燈盞;他到我們這裡來的時候,就可以到那裡休息。” 11 有一天,以利沙來到那裡,就上小閣休息,在那裡躺下。 12 他對他的僕人基哈西說:“你去叫這書念的婦人來。”於是他叫了她來,站在他的面前。 13 他對他的僕人說:“你對她說:‘看哪!你為我們費了這麼多心思。我可以為你作些甚麼呢?你有事要我替你向王或軍長說的嗎?’”她說:“我住在自己的人民中間。” 14 於是他說:“我到底可以為她作些甚麼呢?”基哈西說:“她沒有兒子,而她的丈夫又老了。” 15 於是以利沙對他說:“再叫她來。”他就再去叫了她來,她就站在門口。 16 以利沙說:“明年這個時分,時候到了,你必懷抱一個兒子。”她說:“神人哪!不要欺哄你的婢女。”

蒙恩生子

17 這婦人果然懷了孕,到明年這個時分,時候到了,她就生了一個兒子,正如以利沙對她所說的。

孩子中暑死亡

18 孩子漸漸長大。有一天,他出來到收割的人中找他的父親。 19 他對他的父親說:“我的頭啊!我的頭啊!”他的父親對僕人說:“把他抱到他母親那裡。” 20 於是僕人把他抱著,送到他母親那裡。孩子坐在他母親的雙膝上,到中午就死了。 21 她把孩子抱上小閣,放在神人的床上;她把他關在裡面,就出去了。 22 她呼喚她的丈夫,說:“請你派一個僕人和一頭驢子給我。我要趕到神人那裡,立刻就回來。” 23 他說:“為甚麼你要在今天去見他呢?今天既不是月朔,也不是安息日。”她說:“一切都平安。” 24 於是她把驢套上鞍,對她的僕人說:“你來趕驢子走吧,除非我告訴你,否則不要因為我慢下來。” 25 於是她起程,去到迦密山神人那裡。神人從遠處看見她的時候,就對他的僕人基哈西說:“看哪!書念的婦人在那邊呢! 26 現在你跑去迎接她,對她說:‘你平安嗎?你的丈夫平安嗎?你的兒子平安嗎?’”她說:“都平安。” 27 她來到山上神人那裡,就抱住神人的腳;基哈西上前要推開她,但神人說:“由她吧,因為她的心靈很痛苦。耶和華隱瞞我,沒有告訴我。” 28 她說:“我有向我主求過兒子嗎?我不是說過:‘不要欺哄我’的嗎?”

使死去的孩子復活

29 神人對基哈西說:“你束上腰,手裡拿著我的手杖前去;不論遇見的是誰,都不要向他問安;若是有人向你問安,你也不要回答他,只要去把我的手杖放在孩子的臉上。” 30 孩子的母親說:“我指著永活的耶和華和你的性命起誓,我決不會離開你。”神人只好起身隨她而去。 31 基哈西在他們前面去了,把手杖放在孩子的臉上,可是沒有聲音,也沒有反應;於是他回來迎著以利沙,告訴他說:“那孩子還沒有醒過來。” 32 以利沙來到書念婦人的家,看見孩子已經死了,躺在他的床上。 33 於是他進去,把自己和孩子二人關在門內,然後向耶和華禱告。 34 他又上床伏在孩子身上,使自己的口對著孩子的口,自己的眼對著孩子的眼,自己的手放在孩子的手上;他伏在孩子身上,孩子的身體就漸漸溫暖起來。 35 然後他下來在房內來回走了一趟,再上去,伏在孩子身上;那孩子打了七個噴嚏,跟著就張開了眼睛。 36 神人呼喚基哈西,說:“你去叫那書念的婦人來。”他就去叫她,她來到他那裡,他就說:“把你的兒子抱起來。” 37 於是她進去,在他的腳前下拜,俯伏在地上;然後把兒子抱起來,出去了。

以利沙以麵解毒

38 以利沙又回到吉甲,那地正發生饑荒。先知的門徒坐在他面前。他對他的僕人說:“把大鍋放在火上,給先知的門徒們煮點東西吃。” 39 有一個人到田野那裡去採摘野菜。他找到一棵野瓜藤,就摘下藤上的野瓜裝滿了他的衣服。他回來,把瓜切了放入煮東西的鍋中,他們不知道是甚麼東西。 40 後來他們倒出來給眾人吃,他們在吃鍋裡的東西的時候,都慘叫起來,說:“神人哪!鍋中有致死的毒物!”他們就不能吃了。 41 他說:“拿些麵給我。”他把麵放在鍋中,說:“倒出來給眾人吃吧。”鍋裡就沒有毒了。

二十個餅給一百人吃飽

42 有一個人從巴力.沙利沙來,他帶給神人二十個用初熟大麥做的餅,還有新穗子,裝在他的袋子裡;以利沙說:“把這些給眾人吃吧!” 43 他的僕人說:“我怎能把這一些食物擺在一百個人面前呢?”神人說:“給眾人吃吧,因為耶和華這樣說:‘他們要吃,而且還有剩下的。’” 44 於是僕人擺在眾人面前,他們都吃,而且還有剩下的,正如耶和華所說的。

The Widow’s Olive Oil

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.”

Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”(C)

Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”

But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

She went and told the man of God,(D) and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

The Shunammite’s Son Restored to Life

One day Elisha went to Shunem.(E) And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay(F) there whenever he comes to us.”

11 One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.”(G) So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’”

She replied, “I have a home among my own people.”

14 “What can be done for her?” Elisha asked.

Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.”

15 Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 “About this time(H) next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.”

“No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!”

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

18 The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers.(I) 19 He said to his father, “My head! My head!”

His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed(J) of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.

22 She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.”

23 “Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon(K) or the Sabbath.”

“That’s all right,” she said.

24 She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.(L)

When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! 26 Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’”

“Everything is all right,” she said.

27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress,(M) but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”

28 “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?”

29 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt,(N) take my staff(O) in your hand and run. Don’t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.”

30 But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.

31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”

32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch.(P) 33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed(Q) to the Lord. 34 Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched(R) himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm. 35 Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times(S) and opened his eyes.(T)

36 Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.”(U) 37 She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out.

Death in the Pot

38 Elisha returned to Gilgal(V) and there was a famine(W) in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these prophets.”

39 One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were. 40 The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.

41 Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He put it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.(X)

Feeding of a Hundred

42 A man came from Baal Shalishah,(Y) bringing the man of God twenty loaves(Z) of barley bread(AA) baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said.

43 “How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked.

But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat.(AB) For this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.(AC)’” 44 Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.

And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.

And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.

10 Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

11 And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.

12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.

13 And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.

14 And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.

15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.

16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.

17 And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.

18 And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.

19 And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.

20 And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

21 And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.

22 And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.

23 And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.

24 Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.

25 So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:

26 Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well:

27 And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.

28 Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?

29 Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.

30 And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.

31 And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.

32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.

33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord.

34 And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.

35 Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

36 And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.

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

38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.

39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.

40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.

41 But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.

42 And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.

43 And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.

44 So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord.