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.