2 Kings 4

Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 Ref Now a certain woman, the wife of one of the sons of the prophets, came crying to Elisha and said, Your servant my husband is dead; and to your knowledge he was a worshipper of the Lord; but now, the creditor has come to take my two children as servants in payment of his debt.

2 Ref Then Elisha said to her, What am I to do for you? say now, what have you in the house? And she said, Your servant has nothing in the house but a pot of oil.

3 Ref Then he said, Go out to all your neighbours and get vessels, a very great number of them.

4 Ref Then go in, and, shutting the door on yourself and your sons, put oil into all these vessels, putting on one side the full ones.

5 Ref So she went away, and when the door was shut on her and her sons, they took the vessels to her and she put oil into them.

6 Ref And when all the vessels were full, she said to her son, Get me another vessel. And he said, There are no more. And the flow of oil was stopped.

7 Ref So she came to the man of God and gave him word of what she had done. And he said, Go and get money for the oil and make payment of your debt, and let the rest be for the needs of yourself and your sons.

8 Ref Now there came a day when Elisha went to Shunem, and there was a woman of high position living there, who made him come in and have a meal with her. And after that, every time he went by, he went into her house for a meal.

9 Ref And she said to her husband, Now I see that this is a holy man of God, who comes by day after day.

10 Ref So let us make a little room on the wall; and put a bed there for him, and a table and a seat and a light; so that when he comes to us, he will be able to go in there.

11 Now one day, when he had gone there, he went into the little room and took his rest there.

12 Ref And he said to Gehazi, his servant, Send for this Shunammite. So in answer to his voice she came before him.

13 Ref And he said to him, Now say to her, See, you have taken all this trouble for us; what is to be done for you? will you have any request made for you to the king or the captain of the army? But she said, I am living among my people.

14 Ref So he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi made answer, Still there is this, she has no son and her husband is old.

15 Then he said, Send for her. And in answer to his voice she took her place at the door.

16 Ref And Elisha said, At this time in the coming year you will have a son in your arms. And she said, No, my lord, O man of God, do not say what is false to your servant.

17 Ref Then the woman became with child and gave birth to a son at the time named, in the year after, as Elisha had said to her.

18 Ref Now one day, when the child was older, he went out to his father to where the grain was being cut.

19 Ref And he said to his father, My head, my head! And the father said to a servant, Take him in to his mother.

20 Ref And he took him in to his mother, and she took him on her knees and kept him there till the middle of the day, when his life went from him.

21 Ref Then she went up and put him on the bed of the man of God, shutting the door on him, and went out.

22 Ref And she said to her husband, Send me one of the servants and one of the asses so that I may go quickly to the man of God and come back again.

23 Ref And he said, Why are you going to him today? it is not a new moon or a Sabbath. But she said, It is well.

24 Ref Then she made the ass ready and said to her servant, Keep driving on; do not make a stop without orders from me.

25 Ref So she went, and came to Mount Carmel, to the man of God. And when the man of God saw her coming in his direction, he said to Gehazi, his servant, See, there is the Shunammite;

26 Ref Go quickly to her, and on meeting her say to her, Are you well? and your husband and the child, are they well? And she said in answer, All is well.

27 Ref And when she came to where the man of God was on the hill, she put her hands round his feet; and Gehazi came near with the purpose of pushing her away; but the man of God said, Let her be, for her soul is bitter in her; and the Lord has kept it secret from me, and has not given me word of it.

28 Ref Then she said, Did I make a request to my lord for a son? did I not say, Do not give me false words?

29 Ref Then he said to Gehazi, Make yourself ready, and take my stick in your hand, and go: if you come across anyone on the way, give him no blessing, and if anyone gives you a blessing, give him no answer. And put my stick on the child's face.

30 Ref But the mother of the child said, As the Lord is living and as your soul is living, I will not go back without you. So he got up and went with her.

31 Ref And Gehazi went on before them and put the stick on the child's face; but there was no voice, and no one gave attention. So he went back, and meeting him gave him the news, saying, The child is not awake.

32 Ref And when Elisha came into the house he saw the child dead, stretched on his bed.

33 Ref So he went in, and shutting the door on the two of them, made prayer to the Lord.

34 Ref Then he got up on the bed, stretching himself out on the child, and put his mouth on the child's mouth, his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands; and the child's body became warm.

35 Ref Then he came back, and after walking once through the house and back, he went up, stretching himself out on the child seven times; and the child's eyes became open.

36 Ref And he gave orders to Gehazi, and said, Send for the Shunammite. And she came in answer to his voice. And he said, Take up your son.

37 Ref And she came in, and went down on her face to the earth at his feet; then she took her son in her arms and went out.

38 Ref And Elisha went back to Gilgal, now there was very little food in the land; and the sons of the prophets were seated before him. And he said to his servant, Put the great pot on the fire, and make soup for the sons of the prophets.

39 Ref And one went out into the field to get green plants and saw a vine of the field, and pulling off the fruit of it till the fold of his robe was full, he came back and put the fruit, cut up small, into the pot of soup, having no idea what it was.

40 Ref Then they gave the men soup from the pot. And while they were drinking the soup, they gave a cry, and said, O man of God, there is death in the pot; and they were not able to take any more food.

41 Ref But he said, Get some meal. And he put it into the pot, and said, Now give it to the people so that they may have food. And there was nothing bad in the pot.

42 Ref Now a man came from Baal-shalishah with an offering of first-fruits for the man of God, twenty barley cakes and garden fruit in his bag. And he said, Give these to the people for food.

43 Ref But his servant said, How am I to put this before a hundred men? But he said, Give it to the people for food; for the Lord says, There will be food for them and some over.

44 So he put it before them, and they had a meal and there was more than enough, as the Lord had said.

American Standard-ASV1901 (ASV)

1 Ref Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear Jehovah: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two children to be bondmen.

2 Ref And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me; what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil.

3 Ref Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

4 Ref And thou shalt go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels; and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

5 Ref So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons; they brought `the vessels' to her, and she poured out.

6 Ref And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

7 Ref Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy sons of the rest.

8 Ref And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.

9 Ref And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, that passeth by us continually.

10 Ref Let us make, I pray thee, a little chamber on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a seat, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

11 And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber and lay there.

12 Ref And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.

13 Ref And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.

14 Ref And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no son, and her husband is old.

15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.

16 Ref And he said, At this season, when the time cometh round, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thy handmaid.

17 Ref And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season, when the time came round, as Elisha had said unto her.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

25 Ref So 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 the Shunammite:

26 Ref run, I pray thee, now 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.

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

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

29 Ref Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy 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.

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

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

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

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

34 Ref And 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 him; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.

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

36 Ref And 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.

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

38 Ref And 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 boil pottage for the sons of the prophets.

39 Ref And 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.

40 Ref So 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 man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.

41 Ref But 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.

42 Ref And there came a man 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, Give unto the people, that they may eat.

43 Ref And his servant said, What, should I set this before a hundred men? But he said, Give the people, that they may eat; for thus saith Jehovah, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.

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

World English Bible (WEB)

1 Ref Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets to Elisha, saying, Your servant my husband is dead; and you know that your servant did fear Yahweh: and the creditor is come to take to him my two children to be bondservants.

2 Ref Elisha said to her, What shall I do for you? tell me; what have you in the house? She said, Your handmaid has nothing in the house, except a pot of oil.

3 Ref Then he said, Go, borrow you vessels abroad of all your neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

4 Ref You shall go in, and shut the door on you and on your sons, and pour out into all those vessels; and you shall set aside that which is full.

5 Ref So she went from him, and shut the door on her and on her sons; they brought [the vessels] to her, and she poured out.

6 Ref It happened, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, Bring me yet a vessel. He said to her, There isn't another vessel. The oil stayed.

7 Ref Then she came and told the man of God. He said, Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt, and live you and your sons of the rest.

8 Ref It fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. So it was, that as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread.

9 Ref She said to her husband, See now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, that passes by us continually.

10 Ref Let us make, Please, a little chamber on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a seat, and a lamp stand: and it shall be, when he comes to us, that he shall turn in there.

11 It fell on a day, that he came there, and he turned into the chamber and lay there.

12 Ref He said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. When he had called her, she stood before him.

13 Ref He said to him, Say now to her, Behold, you have been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for you? would you be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? She answered, I dwell among my own people.

14 Ref He said, What then is to be done for her? Gehazi answered, Most assuredly she has no son, and her husband is old.

15 He said, Call her. When he had called her, she stood in the door.

16 Ref He said, At this season, when the time comes round, you shall embrace a son. She said, No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your handmaid.

17 Ref The woman conceived, and bore a son at that season, when the time came round, as Elisha had said to her.

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

19 Ref He said to his father, My head, my head. He said to his servant, Carry him to his mother.

20 Ref When he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees until noon, and then died.

21 Ref She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut [the door] on him, and went out.

22 Ref 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 come again.

23 Ref He said, Why will you go to him today? it is neither new moon nor Sabbath. She said, It shall be well.

24 Ref Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; don't slacken me the riding, except I bid you.

25 Ref So she went, and came to the man of God to Mount Carmel. It happened, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is the Shunammite:

26 Ref please run now to meet her, and ask her, Is it well with you? is it well with your husband? is it well with the child? She answered, It is well.

27 Ref When she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. Gehazi came near to thrust her away; but the man of God said, Let her alone: for her soul is vexed within her; and Yahweh has hid it from me, and has not told me.

28 Ref Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? Didn't I say, Do not deceive me?

29 Ref Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up your loins, and take my staff in your hand, and go your way: if you meet any man, Don't greet him; and if anyone greets you, don't answer him again: and lay my staff on the face of the child.

30 Ref The mother of the child said, As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. He arose, and followed her.

31 Ref Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Therefore he returned to meet him, and told him, saying, The child has not awakened.

32 Ref When Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid on his bed.

33 Ref He went in therefore, and shut the door on them both, and prayed to Yahweh.

34 Ref 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 grew warm.

35 Ref Then he returned, and walked in the house once back and forth; and went up, and stretched himself on him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

36 Ref He called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. When she was come in to him, he said, Take up your son.

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

38 Ref Elisha came again to Gilgal. There was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, Set on the great pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.

39 Ref One went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered of it wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of stew; for they didn't recognize them.

40 Ref So they poured out for the men to eat. It happened, as they were eating of the stew, that they cried out, and said, man of God, there is death in the pot. They could not eat of it.

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

42 Ref There came a man 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. He said, Give to the people, that they may eat.

43 Ref His servant said, What, should I set this before a hundred men? But he said, Give the people, that they may eat; for thus says Yahweh, They shall eat, and shall leave of it.

44 So he set it before them, and they ate, and left of it, according to the word of Yahweh.

Chapter 4 of 25

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