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2 Kings 4:18-5:27
New American Standard Bible

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 [a]lap until noon, and then he died. 21 And she went up and (A)laid him on the bed of (B)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 (C)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 [b]the pace for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she went on and came to the man of God at (D)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 [c]answered, “It is going well.” 27 But she came to the man of God (E)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 [d]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, ‘(F)Do not give me false hope’?”

29 Then he said to Gehazi, “[e](G)Get ready and (H)take my staff in your hand, and go; if you meet anyone, do not [f](I)greet him, and if anyone [g]greets you, do not reply to him. And (J)lay my staff on the boy’s face.” 30 The mother of the boy said, “(K)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 [h]response. So he returned to meet him and informed him, saying, “The boy (L)has not awakened.”

32 When Elisha entered the house, behold the boy was dead, laid on his bed. 33 So he entered and (M)shut the door behind them both, and he prayed to the Lord. 34 Then (N)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 (O)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 (P)she picked up her son and left.

The Poisonous Stew

38 When Elisha returned to (Q)Gilgal, there was (R)a famine in the land. [i]As (S)the sons of the prophets (T)were sitting in front of him, he said to his servant, “(U)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 (V)death in the pot!” And they were unable to eat. 41 Then he said, “Bring flour.” (W)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, “(X)Give them to the people that they may eat.” 43 But his attendant said, “How (Y)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 (Z)had some left over, in accordance with the word of the Lord.

Naaman Is Healed

5 Now (AA)Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man [j]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 (AB)in bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she [k]waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 And she said to her mistress, “If only my master were [l]with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 And [m]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 [n]now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and (AC)took with him ten [o]talents of silver, six thousand [p]shekels of gold, and ten (AD)changes of clothes.

6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, [q]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, (AE)he tore his clothes and said, “(AF)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 (AG)consider now, and see how he is seeking [r]a quarrel against me.”

8 Now it happened, when Elisha (AH)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, “(AI)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 [s]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 [t]leprosy.’ 12 Are [u]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 (AJ)went away in a rage. 13 (AK)Then his servants approached and spoke to him, [v]saying, “(AL)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 (AM)his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and (AN)he was clean.

Gehazi’s Greed

15 Then he returned to the man of God [w]with all his company, and came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold now, (AO)I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; so please (AP)accept a [x]gift from your servant now.” 16 But he said, “(AQ)As surely as the Lord lives, before whom I stand, (AR)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 (AS)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 (AT)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, “(AU)Go in peace.” So he went some distance from him.

20 But (AV)Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, [y]thought, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, [z]by not accepting from his hand what he brought. (AW)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, “(AX)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 (AY)the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and (AZ)two changes of clothes.’” 23 Naaman said, “(BA)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 [aa]hill, he took them from their hand and (BB)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, “(BC)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? (BD)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 [ab]descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence (BE)afflicted with leprosy, as white as snow.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 4:20 Lit knees
  2. 2 Kings 4:24 Lit riding
  3. 2 Kings 4:26 Lit said
  4. 2 Kings 4:27 Lit bitter
  5. 2 Kings 4:29 Lit Belt up your waist
  6. 2 Kings 4:29 Lit bless
  7. 2 Kings 4:29 Lit blesses
  8. 2 Kings 4:31 Lit attentiveness
  9. 2 Kings 4:38 Lit And
  10. 2 Kings 5:1 Lit before
  11. 2 Kings 5:2 Lit was before
  12. 2 Kings 5:3 Lit before
  13. 2 Kings 5:4 Lit he
  14. 2 Kings 5:5 Lit enter
  15. 2 Kings 5:5 A talent was about 75 lb. or 34 kg
  16. 2 Kings 5:5 A shekel was about 0.5 oz. or 14 gm
  17. 2 Kings 5:6 Lit saying
  18. 2 Kings 5:7 Lit an opportunity
  19. 2 Kings 5:11 Lit said
  20. 2 Kings 5:11 Lit one with leprosy
  21. 2 Kings 5:12 Another reading is Amanah
  22. 2 Kings 5:13 Lit and said
  23. 2 Kings 5:15 Lit he and
  24. 2 Kings 5:15 Lit blessing
  25. 2 Kings 5:20 Lit said
  26. 2 Kings 5:20 Lit from
  27. 2 Kings 5:24 Lit Ophel
  28. 2 Kings 5:27 Lit seed
Close NLT

2 Kings 4:18-5:27
New Living Translation

18 One day when her child was older, he went out to help his father, who was working with the harvesters. 19 Suddenly he cried out, “My head hurts! My head hurts!”

His father said to one of the servants, “Carry him home to his mother.”

20 So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But around noontime he died. 21 She carried him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and left him there. 22 She sent a message to her husband: “Send one of the servants and a donkey so that I can hurry to the man of God and come right back.”

23 “Why go today?” he asked. “It is neither a new moon festival nor a Sabbath.”

But she said, “It will be all right.”

24 So she saddled the donkey and said to the servant, “Hurry! Don’t slow down unless I tell you to.”

25 As she approached the man of God at Mount Carmel, Elisha saw her in the distance. He said to Gehazi, “Look, the woman from Shunem is coming. 26 Run out to meet her and ask her, ‘Is everything all right with you, your husband, and your child?’”

“Yes,” the woman told Gehazi, “everything is fine.”

27 But when she came to the man of God at the mountain, she fell to the ground before him and caught hold of his feet. Gehazi began to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone. She is deeply troubled, but the Lord has not told me what it is.”

28 Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? And didn’t I say, ‘Don’t deceive me and get my hopes up’?”

29 Then Elisha said to Gehazi, “Get ready to travel[a]; take my staff and go! Don’t talk to anyone along the way. Go quickly and lay the staff on the child’s face.”

30 But the boy’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I won’t go home unless you go with me.” So Elisha returned with her.

31 Gehazi hurried on ahead and laid the staff on the child’s face, but nothing happened. There was no sign of life. He returned to meet Elisha and told him, “The child is still dead.”

32 When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed. 33 He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he lay down on the child’s body, placing his mouth on the child’s mouth, his eyes on the child’s eyes, and his hands on the child’s hands. And as he stretched out on him, the child’s body began to grow warm again! 35 Elisha got up, walked back and forth across the room once, and then stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes!

36 Then Elisha summoned Gehazi. “Call the child’s mother!” he said. And when she came in, Elisha said, “Here, take your son!” 37 She fell at his feet and bowed before him, overwhelmed with gratitude. Then she took her son in her arms and carried him downstairs.

Miracles during a Famine

38 Elisha now returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. One day as the group of prophets was seated before him, he said to his servant, “Put a large pot on the fire, and make some stew for the rest of the group.”

39 One of the young men went out into the field to gather herbs and came back with a pocketful of wild gourds. He shredded them and put them into the pot without realizing they were poisonous. 40 Some of the stew was served to the men. But after they had eaten a bite or two they cried out, “Man of God, there’s poison in this stew!” So they would not eat it.

41 Elisha said, “Bring me some flour.” Then he threw it into the pot and said, “Now it’s all right; go ahead and eat.” And then it did not harm them.

42 One day a man from Baal-shalishah brought the man of God a sack of fresh grain and twenty loaves of barley bread made from the first grain of his harvest. Elisha said, “Give it to the people so they can eat.”

43 “What?” his servant exclaimed. “Feed a hundred people with only this?”

But Elisha repeated, “Give it to the people so they can eat, for this is what the Lord says: Everyone will eat, and there will even be some left over!” 44 And when they gave it to the people, there was plenty for all and some left over, just as the Lord had promised.

The Healing of Naaman

5 The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.[b]

2 At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman’s wife as a maid. 3 One day the girl said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.”

4 So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said. 5 “Go and visit the prophet,” the king of Aram told him. “I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel.” So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold,[c] and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter to the king of Israel said: “With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.”

7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? Why is this man asking me to heal someone with leprosy? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.”

8 But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him: “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.”

9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”

11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! 12 Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.

13 But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir,[d] if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” 14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed!

15 Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”

16 But Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept any gifts.” And though Naaman urged him to take the gift, Elisha refused.

17 Then Naaman said, “All right, but please allow me to load two of my mules with earth from this place, and I will take it back home with me. From now on I will never again offer burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god except the Lord. 18 However, may the Lord pardon me in this one thing: When my master the king goes into the temple of the god Rimmon to worship there and leans on my arm, may the Lord pardon me when I bow, too.”

19 “Go in peace,” Elisha said. So Naaman started home again.

The Greed of Gehazi

20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, said to himself, “My master should not have let this Aramean get away without accepting any of his gifts. As surely as the Lord lives, I will chase after him and get something from him.” 21 So Gehazi set off after Naaman.

When Naaman saw Gehazi running after him, he climbed down from his chariot and went to meet him. “Is everything all right?” Naaman asked.

22 “Yes,” Gehazi said, “but my master has sent me to tell you that two young prophets from the hill country of Ephraim have just arrived. He would like 75 pounds[e] of silver and two sets of clothing to give to them.”

23 “By all means, take twice as much[f] silver,” Naaman insisted. He gave him two sets of clothing, tied up the money in two bags, and sent two of his servants to carry the gifts for Gehazi. 24 But when they arrived at the citadel,[g] Gehazi took the gifts from the servants and sent the men back. Then he went and hid the gifts inside the house.

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

“I haven’t been anywhere,” he replied.

26 But Elisha asked him, “Don’t you realize that I was there in spirit when Naaman stepped down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to receive money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, and male and female servants? 27 Because you have done this, you and your descendants will suffer from Naaman’s leprosy forever.” When Gehazi left the room, he was covered with leprosy; his skin was white as snow.

Footnotes

  1. 4:29 Hebrew Bind up your loins.
  2. 5:1 Or from a contagious skin disease. The Hebrew word used here and throughout this passage can describe various skin diseases.
  3. 5:5 Hebrew 10 talents [340 kilograms] of silver, 6,000 [shekels] [68 kilograms] of gold.
  4. 5:13 Hebrew My father.
  5. 5:22 Hebrew 1 talent [34 kilograms].
  6. 5:23 Hebrew take 2 talents [150 pounds or 68 kilograms].
  7. 5:24 Hebrew the Ophel.
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New American Standard Bible (NASB)

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New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.