1 And a certain woman from among the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant was one who feared the LORD {YHWH, Divine Guide}; and the creditor has come to take my two children for himself as slaves {avadim: forced laborers}.”
2 And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell {hagidi: instruct me} what you have in the house.” And she said, “There is nothing for your servant {shifchah: female attendant} in the house except a flask of oil.”
3 And he said, “Go, ask for yourself vessels {kelim: general containers} from outside, from all your neighbors—empty {re’qîm: lacking contents} vessels. Do not make them few.”
4 When you enter, you shall shut the door behind yourself and your sons, then pour oil into all these vessels {keliym: containers for oil}, and when one is filled {maleh: reaches capacity}, you shall set it aside.
5 So she went away from him and shut {sagar: securely closed} the door behind herself and her sons. They were bringing the vessels {kelim: containers} to her, and she was pouring.
6 And it came to pass, when the vessels {kelim: storage jars} were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” And the oil {shemen: household oil} ceased.
7 She came and reported to the man of God {ha’elohim: divine representative}, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your creditors {nashyeikh: debt collectors}; you and your sons shall live on the remainder.”
8 And it happened one day that Elisha passed to Shunem, where a great woman prevailed-upon him {taḥăzēq: pressed earnestly} to eat bread {lechem: staple food}. And whenever he passed by, he would turn aside there to eat bread.
9 And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I know that this is a holy {kadosh: set apart for divine purpose} man of God {Elohim, Prophetic Messenger}; he continually passes over us.”
10 Let us make a small upper room {aliyat-kir: elevated chamber} on the wall and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair {kise: seat of honor}, and a lampstand. It shall be that when he comes to us he will turn aside there.
11 And it happened on the day {yom: narrative marker} that he came there; and he turned aside to the upper room {aliyah: upper chamber} and lay down there.
12 And he said to Gehazi, his servant, “Call this Shunammite{shunammit: Shunem woman}.” Then he called her, and she stood before him{lefanav: before his face}.
13 And he said to him, “Please say to her, ‘Behold, you have shown all this anxious care {hacharadah: deep concern} for us; what can be done for you? Is there anyone to intercede {ledabber: act as advocate} for you with the king or with the commander of the army?’” And she said, “I dwell among my own people.”
14 And he said, “Then what is to be done for her?” And Gehazi {geikhazi: personal attendant} said, “But she has no son, and her husband is old {zaken: advanced years}.”
15 And he said, “Call her {qera-lah: summon her}.” So he called her, and she stood {vata'amod: took her place} in the doorway.
16 And he said, “At this appointed time {moed: appointed season}, according to the time of life, you will embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord! O man of God {Elohim: Divine Representative}, do not deceive your servant.”
17 And the woman conceived, and she bore a son at this appointed time {moed: divinely appointed season} and at the time of life {chayyah: expected childbearing age}, just as Elisha had said to her.
18 The child grew {vayigdal: physically matured}, and when the day came, he went out to his father, to the reapers {kotzrim: those harvesting crops}.
19 And he said to his father, “My head {rosh: chief part}! My head!” Then his father said to the servant {na'ar: young attendant}, “Carry him to his mother.”
20 And he lifted him up and brought him to his mother, and he sat on her knees {birkeha: position of support} until noon; then he died {vayamot: ceased living}.
21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God {ha’elohim, Miracle Agent}, shut the door behind him {ba’ado: for protection}, and left.
22 She called to her husband and said, “Please send me one of the young men {na’ar: young attendant} and one of the donkeys, so I may quickly go to the man of God {Elohim, Sovereign Judge} and return.”
23 And he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither a New Moon nor a Sabbath.” And she replied, “Peace” {shalom: well-being, order restored}.
24 She saddled the donkey {ha’aton: female beast of burden} and said to her attendant, “Drive on and go; do not restrain {ta’atzar: hold back} me from riding unless I tell you.”
25 So she went and came to the man of God {ish haElohim: prophetic mediator} at Mount Carmel {har haKarmel: sacred site}. And it happened, when the man of God saw her from a distance, that he said to Gehazi his servant, “Behold, the Shunammite, that one!”
26 Now, run {rutz-na: urgent command} to meet her and say to her, “Is it well {shalom: condition of wholeness} with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?” And she said, “It is well.”
27 When she came to the man of God on the mountain, she seized his feet. Gehazi came up to push her away, but the man of God said, “Release her, for her soul {nefesh: inner being} is bitter to her.” The LORD {YHWH, One Who Withholds} has hidden it from me and has not told me.
28 And she said, “Did I ask for a son from my lord {adoni: respected master}? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive {tashleh: mislead or give false hope} me?’”
29 And he said to Gehazi, “Gird your loins {motnayim: physical readiness}, and take my staff in your hand, and go. If you meet a man, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Place my staff upon the face of the boy {na’ar: young male}.”
30 And the mother of the boy said, “As the LORD {YHWH, Oath Witness} lives, and as your soul {nefesh: essential life} lives, I will not leave you.” So he arose and went after her.
31 And Gehazi went on ahead of them and placed the staff {mishenet: support instrument} upon the boy’s face, but there was no sound and no response {kashev: attentive answer}. So he returned to meet him and told him, saying, “The boy has not awakened.”
32 And Elisha came into the house, and behold {hinneh: narrative cue}, the boy was dead, lying on his bed {mittato: resting place}.
33 He came in and shut the door {delet: entrance barrier} behind the two of them, and he prayed to the LORD {YHWH, Prayer Recipient}.
34 And he went up and lay on the boy, and he put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes, and his palms on his palms. Then he bent {vayighar: intensive contact} over him, and the flesh {besar: physical body} of the boy became warm.
35 Then he returned and walked about in the house, one time here and one time there. Then he went up and bent down {vayyigghar: bowed over} upon him, and the boy sneezed {vayizorer: breath returning} seven times, and the boy opened his eyes.
36 And he called to Gehazi {geḥazi: Elisha’s attendant} and said, “Call this Shunammite woman.” He called her, and she came to him. Then he said, “Take up your son {ben: child by birth}.”
37 She came in and fell at his feet, and she bowed herself {vatishtakhu: deep homage} to the ground. Then she picked up her son {vatisah: lifted with effort} and went out.
38 And Elisha returned to Gilgal {Gilgal: prophet’s meeting site}, and there was a famine {raav: severe shortage} in the land. The sons of the prophets were sitting before him, and he said to his servant, “Set on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”
39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and he found a wild vine of the field and gathered from it wild gourds {pakkuot: bitter gourds}, the fullness of his garment. And he came and cut them into the pot of stew {hanazid: cooking vessel}, for they did not know them.
40 And they poured it out for the men to eat, and it happened as they were eating the stew {nazid: thick soup} that they cried out and said, “Man of God {ish ha-elohim: prophetic envoy}, there is death in the pot”; and they were not able to eat.
41 And he said, “Take some flour {kemakh: basic grain ingredient}.” And he threw it into the pot. Then he said, “Pour it out for the people, and let them eat.” And there was nothing harmful {ra: injurious, damaging} in the pot.
42 And a man came from Baal Shalishah and brought to the man of God {Elohim, Prophetic Servant} bread of firstfruits {bikkurim: first harvest portion}, twenty loaves of barley and full ears of grain in his sack. And he said, “Give to the people so that they may eat.”
43 His servant {mesharet: personal attendant} said, “What shall I set this before a hundred men?” And he said, “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus has the LORD {YHWH, Provider of abundance} said, ‘They will eat and have some left over.’”
44 And he set it before them, and they ate, and they had left over {yotiru: remained in surplus} according to the word of the LORD {YHWH, Promise Fulfiller}.