Elisha

18And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.

The child grew older. One day he went out to his father, who was working with the harvest workers.

19And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.

He said to his father, "My head! My head hurts!" His father told a servant, "Carry him to his mother."

20And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

The servant picked him up and brought him to his mother. The boy sat on her lap until noon. Then he died.

21And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.

She carried him up and laid him on the bed in the man of God's room. Then she shut the door and went out.

22And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.

She called her husband and said, "Please send me a servant and a donkey. I must go to the man of God and come right back."

23And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.

He said, "Why go today? It is not a New Moon day or a Sabbath." She said, "It will be all right."

24Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.

She saddled the donkey and told her servant, "Go fast. Do not slow down unless I tell you to."

25So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:

So she rode to Mount Carmel, where the man of God was. He saw her far away and said to Gehazi, "Look, there is the woman from Shunem."

26Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well.

"Please run and meet her. Ask if she is all right. Ask about her husband and her child." She answered, "Everything is all right."

27And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.

When she reached Elisha on the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came to push her away. But Elisha said, "Leave her alone. She is hurting deep inside. The LORD has hidden this from me and has not told me why."

28Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?

Then she said, "My lord, did I ask you for a son? Didn't I say, 'Do not fool me'?"

29Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.

Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tuck your robe into your belt so you can run. Take my walking stick and go. Do not stop to greet anyone. If anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my stick on the boy's face."

30And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.

The boy's mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and you live, I will not leave you." So Elisha got up and went with her.

31And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.

Gehazi ran ahead and laid the stick on the boy's face. But there was no sound and no answer. So he went back to Elisha and said, "The boy has not woken up."

32And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.

Elisha came to the house. The boy was lying dead on his bed.

33He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.

Elisha went in alone with the boy and shut the door. Then he prayed to the LORD.

34And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.

He got up on the bed and lay on the boy. He put his mouth on the boy's mouth. He put his eyes on the boy's eyes. He put his hands on the boy's hands. As he stretched out over him, the boy's body grew warm.

35Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

Elisha got up and walked back and forth in the room. Then he lay on the boy again. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

36And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.

Elisha called Gehazi and said, "Call the woman from Shunem." Gehazi called her, and she came in. Elisha said, "Pick up your son."

37Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.

She came in and fell at his feet. She bowed down to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.

38And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.

Elisha went back to Gilgal. There was a famine, and food was hard to find. The sons of the prophets, men who learned from him, were sitting with him. He told his helper, "Put the big pot on. Cook stew for these men."

39And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.

One man went out to the field to gather plants. He found a wild vine and picked all the wild gourds he could carry. He cut them up into the pot of stew. No one knew what they were.

40So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.

They poured out the stew for the men to eat. But when they tasted it, they cried out, "Man of God, there is death in the pot!" They could not eat it.

41But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.

Elisha said, "Bring me some flour." He threw it into the pot. Then he said, "Pour it out for the people to eat." Now nothing in the pot could hurt them.

42And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.

A man came from a town called Baal-shalishah. He brought the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread. The bread was made from the first grain of the harvest. He also brought fresh grain still in its husks. Elisha said, "Give it to the people to eat."

43And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.

His helper said, "How can this feed a hundred men?" Elisha said again, "Give it to the people to eat. The LORD says they will eat and still have food left over."

44So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

So the helper set the food in front of them. They ate, and there was food left over, just as the LORD had said.

1Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.

Naaman led the army of the king of Syria. His king thought very highly of him. The LORD had used Naaman to win victories for Syria. He was brave and strong. But he had a skin disease called leprosy.

2And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife.

Syrian raiders had gone into Israel and taken a young girl away. Now she worked for Naaman's wife.

3And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

The girl said to Naaman's wife, "I wish my master could see the prophet in Samaria. A prophet tells people what God says. He would heal my master's skin disease."

4And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.

Naaman went to his king. He told him what the girl from Israel had said.

5And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

The king of Syria said, "Go ahead. I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left. He took ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten sets of clothes.

6And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.

Naaman brought the letter to the king of Israel. It said, "I am sending my servant Naaman to you. Please heal his skin disease."

7And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

The king of Israel read the letter and tore his own clothes. He said, "Am I God? Can I kill and give life? This man asks me to heal leprosy. He is only looking for a fight with me."

8And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

Elisha was a man of God. He heard that the king had torn his clothes. He sent the king a message. "Why did you tear your clothes? Send the man to me. Then he will know there is a prophet in Israel."

9So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

So Naaman came with his horses and his chariot. He stopped at the door of Elisha's house.

10And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

Elisha did not come out. He sent a messenger to say, "Go wash in the Jordan River seven times. Your skin will be well again. You will be clean."

11But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

Naaman got angry and walked away. He said, "I thought Elisha would come out to me. I thought he would pray to the LORD his God. I thought he would wave his hand over my skin and heal it."

12Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

"Damascus has two rivers, Abana and Pharpar. Are they not better than any water in Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and left in a rage.

13And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

Naaman's servants came close and spoke to him. "Father, if the prophet had asked you to do something hard, you would have done it. He only said, 'Wash and be clean.' That is even easier."

14Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times. He did just what the man of God said. His skin became soft like a little child's skin. He was clean.

15And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.

Naaman went back to Elisha with all his men. He stood in front of him and said, "Now I know there is no God in all the earth but in Israel. Please take a gift from me."

16But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD lives, the one I serve, I will take nothing." Naaman kept asking him. But Elisha still said no.

17And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules’ burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.

Naaman said, "Then please let me take home some soil from Israel. Give me as much as two mules can carry. From now on I will bring offerings to the LORD only, and to no other god."

18In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.

"But please ask the LORD to forgive me for one thing. My master goes into the temple of his god Rimmon to worship. He leans on my arm, and I bow down there with him. Please let the LORD forgive me for that."

19And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.

Elisha said, "Go in peace." So Naaman started for home and went a short way.

20But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.

Gehazi was the servant of Elisha, the man of God. He thought, "My master let this Syrian go without taking a thing. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something."

21So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?

So Gehazi ran after Naaman. Naaman saw him running and climbed down from his chariot to meet him. He asked, "Is everything all right?"

22And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.

Gehazi said, "Everything is fine. My master sent me. Two young men just came to him from the hills of Ephraim. They are training to be prophets. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothes."

23And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.

Naaman said, "Please take two talents." He kept asking until Gehazi agreed. He tied the silver in two bags with two sets of clothes. Two of his servants carried them ahead of Gehazi.

24And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.

When Gehazi reached the hill, he took the bags from the servants. He put them away inside the house. Then he sent the men away, and they left.

25But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.

Gehazi went in and stood before his master. Elisha asked, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" He said, "Your servant did not go anywhere."

26And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

Elisha said, "My heart went with you. I saw the man climb down from his chariot to meet you. This is no time to take money and clothes. It is no time to take olive trees, vineyards, sheep, cattle, or servants."

27The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

"So Naaman's skin disease will stick to you and to your children after you." Gehazi walked out from Elisha with leprosy. His skin was white as snow.

1And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.

The men who studied with Elisha came to him. They were prophets, men who told people what God said. They said, "The place where we meet with you is too small."

2Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

"Please let us go to the Jordan River. Each of us can cut a log there. Then we can build a place to live." Elisha said, "Go."

3And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.

One of them said, "Please come with us, your servants." Elisha answered, "I will come."

4So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.

So Elisha went with them. They came to the Jordan River and began cutting down trees.

5But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.

One man was cutting a tree. The iron axe head slipped off and fell in the water. He cried out, "Oh no, master! That axe was borrowed!"

6And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.

Elisha, the man of God, asked, "Where did it fall?" The man showed him the spot. Elisha cut a stick and threw it in. The iron axe head floated up.

7Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

Elisha said, "Lift it out." The man reached out his hand and took it.

8Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.

The king of Syria was at war with Israel. He talked it over with his officers. He said, "I will set up my camp in this place."

9And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.

Elisha, the man of God, sent word to the king of Israel. He said, "Do not go near that place. The Syrian army is coming down there."

10And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.

So the king of Israel sent word to the place Elisha had named. He kept watch there. Elisha warned him this way again and again, and the king stayed safe.

11Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?

This made the king of Syria very upset. He called his officers together. He asked, "Which one of you is helping the king of Israel?"

12And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

One officer said, "None of us, my lord the king. Elisha is a prophet in Israel. He tells the king of Israel even what you say in your bedroom."

13And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

The king said, "Go find out where he is. Then I can send men to catch him." Someone told him, "Elisha is in Dothan."

14Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.

So the king sent horses, chariots, and a large army there. They came at night and surrounded the city.

15And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

Early in the morning, Elisha's servant got up and went outside. He saw an army with horses and chariots all around the city. He said, "Oh no, my master! What are we going to do?"

16And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

Elisha answered, "Do not be afraid. There are more on our side than on theirs."

17And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Elisha prayed, "LORD, please open his eyes so he can see." The LORD opened the young man's eyes. He saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

18And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

The Syrians came down toward Elisha. He prayed, "LORD, please make these men blind." The LORD made them blind, just as Elisha had asked.

19And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.

Elisha said to them, "This is not the road. This is not the city. Follow me. I will take you to the man you want." He led them to Samaria.

20And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

When they were inside Samaria, Elisha prayed, "LORD, open their eyes so they can see." The LORD opened their eyes. They looked around and saw they were inside Samaria.

21And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?

The king of Israel saw them. He said to Elisha, "My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?"

22And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

Elisha said, "Do not kill them. You would not kill men you caught with your own sword and bow. Set food and water in front of them. Let them eat and drink, then go home to their king."

23And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

So the king made a big meal for them. They ate and drank, and he sent them away. They went back to their king. After that, Syrian raiders stopped coming into Israel.

24And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

Some time later, Ben-hadad, king of Syria, gathered his whole army. He marched up and surrounded the city of Samaria.

25And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.

Food ran out in Samaria, and the people were starving. The army stayed around the city so long that a donkey's head cost eighty pieces of silver. A small cup of dove droppings cost five pieces of silver.

26And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.

The king of Israel was walking along the top of the city wall. A woman called out to him, "Help me, my lord the king!"

27And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?

He said, "If the LORD does not help you, how can I help you? I have no grain and no wine left to give."

28And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.

The king asked her, "What is wrong?" She said, "This woman told me, 'Give me your son. We will eat him today. Tomorrow we will eat my son.'"

29So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.

"So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said, 'Give me your son so we can eat him.' But she had hidden her son."

30And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

When the king heard her words, he tore his clothes in sorrow. As he walked on the wall, the people saw rough cloth under his clothes. He wore it against his skin to show his grief.

31Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

Then the king said, "May God punish me, and worse, if Elisha son of Shaphat still has his head today."

32But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?

Elisha was sitting in his house with the town leaders. The king sent a man ahead to him. Before the man arrived, Elisha told the leaders, "This murderer has sent someone to cut off my head. When the man comes, shut the door and hold it shut. His master is coming right behind him."

33And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?

While Elisha was still talking, the messenger came down to him. The king said, "This trouble comes from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"