2 Kings 4:8-37

⁸It 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. ⁹She said to her husband, See now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, that passes by us continually. ¹⁰Let 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. ¹¹It fell on a day, that he came there, and he turned into the chamber and lay there. ¹²He said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. When he had called her, she stood before him. ¹³He 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. ¹⁴He said, What then is to be done for her? Gehazi answered, Most assuredly she has no son, and her husband is old. ¹⁵He said, Call her. When he had called her, she stood in the door. ¹⁶He 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.

¹⁷The woman conceived, and bore a son at that season, when the time came round, as Elisha had said to her. ¹⁸When the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. ¹⁹He said to his father, My head, my head. He said to his servant, Carry him to his mother. ²⁰When he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees until noon, and then died. ²¹She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut [the door] on him, and went out. ²²She 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. ²³He said, Why will you go to him today? it is neither new moon nor Sabbath. She said, It shall be well. ²⁴Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; don`t slacken me the riding, except I bid you. ²⁵So 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:

²⁶please 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. ²⁷When 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. ²⁸Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? Didn`t I say, Do not deceive me? <sup>29</sup>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. ³⁰The mother of the child said, As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. He arose, and followed her. ³¹Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Why he returned to meet him, and told him, saying, The child has not awakened.

³²When Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid on his bed. ³³He went in therefore, and shut the door on them both, and prayed to Yahweh. ³⁴He 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. ³⁵Then 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. ³⁶He called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. When she was come in to him, he said, Take up your son. ³⁷Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground; and she took up her son, and went out.