The Widow’s Oil

Now a certain woman of the wives of (A)the sons of the prophets cried out to [a]Elisha, “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.” Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house except (C)a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few. And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing the vessels to her and she poured. When (D)the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not one vessel more.” And the oil stopped. Then 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

Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to (F)Shunem, where there was a [b]prominent woman, and she persuaded him to eat [c]food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat [d]food. She said to her husband, “Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy (G)man of God passing by us continually. 10 Please, let us (H)make a little walled upper chamber and let us set a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; and it shall be, when he comes to us, that he can turn in there.”

11 [e]One day he came there and turned in to the upper chamber and [f]rested. 12 Then he said to (I)Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” And when he had called her, she stood before him. 13 He said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Behold, you have been [g]careful for us with all this [h]care; what can I do for you? Would you be spoken for to the king or to the captain of the army?’” And she [i]answered, “I live among my own people.” 14 So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi [j]answered, “Truly she has no son and her husband is old.” 15 He said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16 Then he said, “(J)At this season [k]next year you will embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God, (K)do not lie to your maidservant.”

17 The woman conceived and bore a son at that season [l]the next year, as Elisha had said to 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 He said to his father, “My head, my head.” And he said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her [m]lap until noon, and then died. 21 She went up and (L)laid him on the bed of (M)the man of God, and shut the door behind him and went out. 22 Then she called to her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and return.” 23 He said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither (N)new moon nor sabbath.” And she said, “It will be well.” 24 Then she saddled a donkey and said to her servant, “Drive and go forward; do not slow down [n]the pace for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she went and came to the man of God to (O)Mount Carmel.

When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Behold, [o]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 [p]answered, “It is well.” 27 When she came to the man of God (P)to the hill, she caught 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 [q]troubled within her; and the Lord 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, ‘(Q)Do not deceive me’?”

29 Then he said to Gehazi, “(R)Gird up your loins and (S)take my staff in your hand, and go your way; if you meet any man, do not (T)salute him, and if anyone salutes you, do not answer him; and (U)lay my staff on the lad’s face.” 30 The mother of the lad said, “(V)As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” And he arose and followed her. 31 Then Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the lad’s face, but there was no sound or [r]response. So he returned to meet him and told [s]him, “The lad (W)has not awakened.”

32 When Elisha came into the house, behold the lad was dead and laid on his bed. 33 So he entered and (X)shut the door behind them both and prayed to the Lord. 34 And (Y)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 (Z)stretched himself on him; and the lad sneezed seven times and the lad opened his eyes. 36 He called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, “Take up your son.” 37 Then she went in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground, and (AA)she took up her son and went out.

The Poisonous Stew

38 When Elisha returned to (AB)Gilgal, there was (AC)a famine in the land. [t]As (AD)the sons of the prophets (AE)were sitting before 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 herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, for they did not know what they were. 40 So they poured it out for the men to eat. And as they were eating of the stew, they cried out and said, “O man of God, there is (AG)death in the pot.” And they were unable to eat. 41 But he said, “Now bring meal.” (AH)He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people that they may eat.” Then there was no harm 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 ears of grain in his sack. And he said, “(AI)Give them to the people that they may eat.” 43 His attendant said, “What, (AJ)will I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’” 44 So he set it before them, and they ate and (AK)had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 4:1 Lit Elisha, saying
  2. 2 Kings 4:8 Lit great
  3. 2 Kings 4:8 Lit bread
  4. 2 Kings 4:8 Lit bread
  5. 2 Kings 4:11 Lit Now a day came that
  6. 2 Kings 4:11 Lit lay there
  7. 2 Kings 4:13 Lit fearful
  8. 2 Kings 4:13 Lit fear
  9. 2 Kings 4:13 Lit said
  10. 2 Kings 4:14 Lit said
  11. 2 Kings 4:16 Lit when the time revives
  12. 2 Kings 4:17 Lit when the time revived
  13. 2 Kings 4:20 Lit knees
  14. 2 Kings 4:24 Lit riding
  15. 2 Kings 4:25 Lit this Shunammite
  16. 2 Kings 4:26 Lit said
  17. 2 Kings 4:27 Lit bitter
  18. 2 Kings 4:31 Lit attentiveness
  19. 2 Kings 4:31 Lit him, saying
  20. 2 Kings 4:38 Lit And

Five Thousand Fed

After these things (A)Jesus went away to the other side of (B)the Sea of Galilee (or (C)Tiberias). A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the [a](D)signs which He was performing on those who were sick. Then (E)Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples. Now (F)the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, *said to (G)Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” This He was saying to (H)test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. (I)Philip answered Him, “(J)Two hundred [b]denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” One of His (K)disciples, (L)Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, *said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two (M)fish, but what are these for so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people [c]sit down.” Now there was (N)much grass in the place. So the men [d]sat down, in number about (O)five thousand. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and (P)having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the (Q)fish as much as they wanted. 12 When they were filled, He *said to His (R)disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve (S)baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Therefore when the people saw the [e]sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the (T)Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Jesus Walks on the Water

15 So Jesus, perceiving that they were [f]intending to come and take Him by force (U)to make Him king, (V)withdrew again to (W)the mountain by Himself alone.

16 Now when evening came, His (X)disciples went down to the sea, 17 and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea (Y)to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. 19 Then, when they had rowed about [g]three or four miles, they *saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. 20 But He *said to them, “It is I; [h](Z)do not be afraid.” 21 So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

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Footnotes

  1. John 6:2 Or attesting miracles
  2. John 6:7 The denarius was equivalent to a day’s wages
  3. John 6:10 Lit recline(d)
  4. John 6:10 Lit recline(d)
  5. John 6:14 Or attesting miracle
  6. John 6:15 Or about
  7. John 6:19 Lit 25 or 30 stadia
  8. John 6:20 Or stop being afraid