Holy Bible
(King James Version)
Second
Kings: Chapter 4
1. 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
the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be
bondmen.
2. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what
hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing
in the house, save a pot of oil.
3. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours,
even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
4. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and
upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt
set aside that which is full.
5. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons,
who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
6. 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. 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 children of the rest.
8. 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. And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an
holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
10. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us
set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick:
and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
11. And if fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the
chamber, and lay there.
12. And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shu-nam-mite. And when
he had called her, she stood before him.
13. 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. And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered,
Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
15. And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood
in the door.
16. And he said, About this season, according to the time of life,
thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of
God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
17. And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha
had said unto her, according to the time of life.
18. And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to
his father to the reapers.
19. And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to
a lad, Carry him to his mother.
20. And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on
her knees till noon, and then died.
21. 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. And 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.
23. 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. Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go
forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.
25. 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 that Shu-nam-mite:
26. Run 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.
27. And 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.
28. Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not
deceive me?
29. Then 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.
30. And 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.
31. 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 went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not
awaked.
32. And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead,
and laid upon his bed.
33. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed
unto the LORD.
34. 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 the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.
35. Then 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.
36. And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shu-nam-mite. So he called
her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.
37. Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the
ground, and took up her son, and went out.
38. 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 seethe pottage for the sons of
the prophets.
39. 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. 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 thou
man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat
thereof.
41. 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. And there came a man from Ba-al-shal-i-sha, 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.
43. And 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.
44. So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof,
according to the word of the LORD.
May 8 Daily reading
schedule.. go to chapter 5
|
Art by: Penny Parker. Visit her site HERE
|