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2 Kings 4:18-37
Legacy Standard Bible

A Dead Boy Opens His Eyes

18 Then the child was grown. And 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 he said to [a]his young man, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 Then he carried him and brought him to his mother, and he sat on her knees until noon, and then died. 21 Then she went up and (A)laid him on the bed of (B)the man of God and shut the door behind him and went out. 22 And she called to her husband and said, “Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and return.” 23 And he said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither (C)new moon nor sabbath.” And she said, “It is well.” 24 Then she saddled a donkey and said to her young man, “Drive and go; do not hold back the pace of the ride for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she went and came to the man of God to (D)Mount Carmel.

Now it happened that when the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi his young man, “Behold, [b]there is the Shunammite. 26 Please run now to meet her and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’” And she [c]answered, “It is well.” 27 Then she came to the man of God (E)to the hill and took hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away; but the man of God said, “Let her alone, for her soul is bitter within her; and Yahweh has hidden it from me and has not told me.” 28 Then she said, “Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, ‘(F)Do not deceive me’?”

29 Then he said to Gehazi, “(G)Gird up your loins and (H)take my staff in your hand, and go; if you meet anyone, do not [d](I)greet him, and if anyone [e]greets you, do not answer him; and (J)lay my staff on the boy’s face.” 30 But the mother of the boy said, “(K)As Yahweh lives and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” And he arose and followed her. 31 Now Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or [f]response. So he returned to meet him and told him, saying, “The boy (L)has not awakened.”

32 Then Elisha came into the house, and behold, the boy was dead and laid on his bed. 33 So he entered and (M)shut the door behind them both and prayed to Yahweh. 34 And (N)he went up and lay on the child and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, and he stretched himself on him; and the flesh of the child became warm. 35 Then he returned and walked in the house once back and forth, and went up and (O)stretched himself on him; and the boy sneezed seven times and the boy opened his eyes. 36 Then he called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. Then she came in to him, and he said, “Take up your son.” 37 Then she came in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground, and (P)she took up her son and went out.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 4:19 Lit the
  2. 2 Kings 4:25 Lit this Shunammite
  3. 2 Kings 4:26 Lit said
  4. 2 Kings 4:29 Lit bless
  5. 2 Kings 4:29 Lit bless
  6. 2 Kings 4:31 Lit attentiveness
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2 Kings 4:18-37
International Standard Version

Elisha Raises the Shunammite’s Son(A)

18 After the child had grown up a bit, one day he went out to visit his father, who was with the harvesters. 19 He told his father, “My head! My head!”

So his father ordered his servant, “Carry him over to his mother!” 20 So the servant carried him over to his mother, where he rested on her lap until mid-day,[a] and then he died. 21 The woman went upstairs, laid him on the bed belonging to the man of God, and shut the door, leaving him behind as she left.

22 Then she called to her husband and asked him, “Please send me one of the servants, along with one of the donkeys, so I can ride quickly to see that godly man.[b] I’ll be right back.”

23 He asked her, “What’s the point of visiting him today? It’s not a New Moon, and it isn’t the Sabbath!”

But she kept saying, “Things will go well.”[c]

24 So she saddled a donkey and told her servant, “Forward, driver! Don’t slow down on my account, unless I tell you!” 25 So out she went and eventually she arrived at Mount Carmel to visit the man of God.

When the man of God noticed her from a distance, he told his attendant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the woman from Shunem! 26 Please run out quickly and greet her. Ask her, ‘Are things going well with you? Are things going well with your husband? Are things going well with your child?’”

She answered Gehazi,[d] “Things are going well.”

27 As she came near the man of God on the mountain, she grabbed his feet. When Gehazi intervened to push her away, the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is deeply troubled! The Lord has concealed the thing from me, and hasn’t informed me.”

28 Then she asked, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Didn’t I beg you, ‘Don’t mislead me?’”

29 At this he told Gehazi, “Get ready to run![e] Take my staff in your hand, and get on the road. Don’t greet anyone you meet. If anyone greets you, don’t respond. Just go lay my staff on the youngster’s face.”

30 At this, the youngster’s mother replied, “As long as you and the Lord live, I’m not leaving you!” So he got up and followed her.

31 Meanwhile, Gehazi went on ahead of them and placed the staff on the youngster’s face, but when there was no sound or reaction, he returned, met Elisha,[f] and told him, “The youngster has shown no sign of awakening.”

32 When Elisha entered the house, there was the youngster, dead and laid out on Elisha’s[g] bed! 33 So he entered, shut the door behind them both, and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he approached the child and lay down with his mouth near the child’s, with his eyes near those of the child, and taking the child’s hands in his. As Elisha[h] stretched himself on the child, the child’s flesh began to grow warm. 35 Then he went downstairs, walked around back and forth inside the house once, went back up to his upper chamber,[i] and stretched himself over the child again. The young man sneezed seven times and then opened his eyes.

36 He called out to Gehazi, “Go get the Shunammite woman!” So he called her. When she came in to see Elisha,[j] he told her, “Take back your son!” 37 Then she approached him, fell at his feet, bowing low to the ground, took back her son, and went out.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 4:20 Or noon
  2. 2 Kings 4:22 Or that man of God
  3. 2 Kings 4:23 Lit. Peace; i.e. a general statement of good will; and so through v. 26
  4. 2 Kings 4:26 The Heb. lacks Gehazi
  5. 2 Kings 4:29 Lit. Tie up your garments; i.e. to secure one’s robes with a belt in preparation for running
  6. 2 Kings 4:31 Lit. him
  7. 2 Kings 4:32 Lit. his
  8. 2 Kings 4:34 Lit. he
  9. 2 Kings 4:35 The Heb. lacks up to his upper chamber
  10. 2 Kings 4:36 Lit. him
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2 Kings 3
2 Kings 5
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