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.

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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

The Shunammite’s Son Raised

18 The child grew and one day went out to his father and the harvesters.(A) 19 Suddenly he complained to his father, “My head! My head!”

His father told his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 So he picked him up and took him to his mother. The child sat on her lap until noon and then died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut him in, and left.

22 She summoned her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so I can hurry to the man of God and come back again.”

23 But he said, “Why go to him today? It’s not a New Moon or a Sabbath.”(B)

She replied, “It’s all right.”(C)

24 Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Go fast; don’t slow the pace for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.(D)

When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to his attendant Gehazi,(E) “Look, there’s the Shunammite woman.(F) 26 Run out to meet her and ask, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your son all right?’”

And she answered, “It’s all right.”

27 When she came up to the man of God at the mountain, she clung to his feet.(G) Gehazi came to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone—she is in severe anguish,(H) and the Lord has hidden it from me. He hasn’t told me.”

28 Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Didn’t I say, ‘Do not lie to me?’” (I)

29 So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your mantle(J) under your belt, take my staff with you, and go. If you meet anyone, don’t stop to greet him, and if a man greets you, don’t answer him.(K) Then place my staff on the boy’s face.”

30 The boy’s mother said to Elisha, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.”(L) So he got up and followed her.

31 Gehazi went ahead of them and placed the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or sign of life, so he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy didn’t wake up.”(M)

32 When Elisha got to the house, he discovered the boy lying dead on his bed.(N) 33 So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.(O) 34 Then he went up and lay on the boy:(P) he put mouth to mouth, eye to eye, hand to hand. While he bent down over him, the boy’s flesh became warm.(Q) 35 Elisha got up, went into the house, and paced back and forth. Then he went up and bent down over him again. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.(R)

36 Elisha called Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite woman.” He called her and she came. Then Elisha said, “Pick up your son.” 37 She came, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; she picked up her son and left.(S)

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