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2 Kings 4
New American Standard Bible

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
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2 Kings 4
New International Version

The Widow’s Olive Oil

4 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 do you have in your house?”

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

3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4 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.”

5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 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.

7 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

8 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. 9 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.

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2 Kings 5
New American Standard Bible

Naaman Is Healed

5 Now (A)Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man [a]in the view of his master, and eminent, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but afflicted with leprosy. 2 Now the Arameans had gone out (B)in bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she [b]waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 And she said to her mistress, “If only my master were [c]with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 And [d]Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “The girl who is from the land of Israel spoke such and such.” 5 Then the king of Aram said, “Go [e]now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and (C)took with him ten [f]talents of silver, six thousand [g]shekels of gold, and ten (D)changes of clothes.

6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, [h]which said, “And now as this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 But when the king of Israel read the letter, (E)he tore his clothes and said, “(F)Am I God, to kill and to keep alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? But (G)consider now, and see how he is seeking [i]a quarrel against me.”

8 Now it happened, when Elisha (H)the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent word to the king, saying, “Why did you tear your clothes? Just have him come to me, and he shall learn that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and stood at the doorway of Elisha’s house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “(I)Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.” 11 But Naaman was furious and went away, and he said, “Behold, I [j]thought, ‘He will certainly come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the site and cure the [k]leprosy.’ 12 Are [l]Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, not better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and (J)went away in a rage. 13 (K)Then his servants approached and spoke to him, [m]saying, “(L)My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, in accordance with the word of the man of God; and (M)his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and (N)he was clean.

Gehazi’s Greed

15 Then he returned to the man of God [n]with all his company, and came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold now, (O)I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; so please (P)accept a [o]gift from your servant now.” 16 But he said, “(Q)As surely as the Lord lives, before whom I stand, (R)I will accept nothing.” And he urged him to accept it, but he refused. 17 Then Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant be given two mules’ load of (S)earth; for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering nor a sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord. 18 Regarding this matter may the Lord forgive your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and (T)he leans on my hand and I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when I bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord please forgive your servant in this matter.” 19 He said to him, “(U)Go in peace.” So he went some distance from him.

20 But (V)Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, [p]thought, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, [q]by not accepting from his hand what he brought. (W)As the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” 21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is everything well?” 22 And he said, “(X)Everything is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from (Y)the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and (Z)two changes of clothes.’” 23 Naaman said, “(AA)Be sure to take two talents.” And he urged him, and tied up two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes, and gave them to two of his servants; and they carried them before him. 24 When he came to the [r]hill, he took them from their hand and (AB)deposited them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed. 25 But he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “(AC)Your servant went nowhere.”

26 Then he said to him, “Did my heart not go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? (AD)Is it a time to accept money and to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, and male and female slaves? 27 Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your [s]descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence (AE)afflicted with leprosy, as white as snow.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 5:1 Lit before
  2. 2 Kings 5:2 Lit was before
  3. 2 Kings 5:3 Lit before
  4. 2 Kings 5:4 Lit he
  5. 2 Kings 5:5 Lit enter
  6. 2 Kings 5:5 A talent was about 75 lb. or 34 kg
  7. 2 Kings 5:5 A shekel was about 0.5 oz. or 14 gm
  8. 2 Kings 5:6 Lit saying
  9. 2 Kings 5:7 Lit an opportunity
  10. 2 Kings 5:11 Lit said
  11. 2 Kings 5:11 Lit one with leprosy
  12. 2 Kings 5:12 Another reading is Amanah
  13. 2 Kings 5:13 Lit and said
  14. 2 Kings 5:15 Lit he and
  15. 2 Kings 5:15 Lit blessing
  16. 2 Kings 5:20 Lit said
  17. 2 Kings 5:20 Lit from
  18. 2 Kings 5:24 Lit Ophel
  19. 2 Kings 5:27 Lit seed
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2 Kings 5
New International Version

Naaman Healed of Leprosy

5 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram.(A) He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.[a](B)

2 Now bands of raiders(C) from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet(D) who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents[b] of silver, six thousand shekels[c] of gold and ten sets of clothing.(E) 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter,(F) he tore his robes and said, “Am I God?(G) Can I kill and bring back to life?(H) Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel(I) with me!”

8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet(J) in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash(K) yourself seven times(L) in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand(M) over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters(N) of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.(O)

13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father,(P) if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times,(Q) as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored(R) and became clean like that of a young boy.(S)

15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God(T). He stood before him and said, “Now I know(U) that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift(V) from your servant.”

16 The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.(W)

17 “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth(X) as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. 18 But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning(Y) on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.”

19 “Go in peace,”(Z) Elisha said.

After Naaman had traveled some distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord(AA) lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”

21 So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. “Is everything all right?” he asked.

22 “Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent[d] of silver and two sets of clothing.’”(AB)

23 “By all means, take two talents,” said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. 24 When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left.

25 When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?”

“Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered.

26 But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time(AC) to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves?(AD) 27 Naaman’s leprosy(AE) will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi(AF) went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.(AG)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 5:1 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin; also in verses 3, 6, 7, 11 and 27.
  2. 2 Kings 5:5 That is, about 750 pounds or about 340 kilograms
  3. 2 Kings 5:5 That is, about 150 pounds or about 69 kilograms
  4. 2 Kings 5:22 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
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