The Bible Part 75

4:21 And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of G.o.d, and shut the door upon him, and went out.

4:22 And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the a.s.ses, that I may run to the man of G.o.d, and come again.

4:23 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.

4:24 Then she saddled an a.s.s, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.

4:25 So she went and came unto the man of G.o.d to mount Carmel. And it came to pa.s.s, when the man of G.o.d saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: 4:26 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: 4:27 And when she came to the man of G.o.d to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of G.o.d said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.

4:28 Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me? 4:29 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.

4:30 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.

4:31 And Gehazi pa.s.sed 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.

4:32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.

4:33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.

4:34 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 stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.

4:35 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.

4:36 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.

4:37 Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.

4:38 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.

4:39 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.

4:40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pa.s.s, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of G.o.d, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.

4:41 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.

4:42 And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of G.o.d 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.

4:43 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.

4:44 So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

5:1 Now 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.

5:2 And 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.

5:3 And she said unto her mistress, Would G.o.d my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

5:4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.

5:5 And 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.

5:6 And 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.

5:7 And it came to pa.s.s, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I G.o.d, 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.

5:8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of G.o.d 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.

5:9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

5:10 And 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.

5:11 But 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 G.o.d, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

5:12 Are 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.

5:13 And 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? 5:14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of G.o.d: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

5:15 And he returned to the man of G.o.d, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no G.o.d in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.

5:16 But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

5:17 And 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 G.o.ds, but unto the LORD.

5:18 In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to wors.h.i.+p 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.

5:19 And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.

5:20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of G.o.d, 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.

5:21 So 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? 5:22 And 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.

5:23 And 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.

5:24 And 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.

5:25 But 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.

5:26 And 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? 5:27 The 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.

6:1 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.

6:2 Let 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.

6:3 And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.

6:4 So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.

6:5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.

6:6 And the man of G.o.d 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.

6:7 Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

6:8 Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.

6:9 And the man of G.o.d sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pa.s.s not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.

6:10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of G.o.d told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.

6:11 Therefore 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? 6:12 And 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.

6:13 And 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.

6:14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compa.s.sed the city about.

6:15 And when the servant of the man of G.o.d was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compa.s.sed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 6:16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

6:17 And 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.

6:18 And 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.

6:19 And 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.

6:20 And it came to pa.s.s, 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.

6:21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? 6:22 And 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.

6:23 And 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.

6:24 And it came to pa.s.s after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

6:25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an a.s.s'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.

6:26 And as the king of Israel was pa.s.sing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.

6:27 And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? 6:28 And 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.

6:29 So 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.

6:30 And it came to pa.s.s, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he pa.s.sed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

6:31 Then he said, G.o.d do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

6:32 But 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? 6:33 And 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? 7:1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

7:2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of G.o.d, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

7:3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? 7:4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

7:5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.

7:6 For the LORD had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hitt.i.tes, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

7:7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their a.s.ses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.

7:8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.

7:9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.

7:10 So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and a.s.ses tied, and the tents as they were.

7:11 And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within.

7:12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.

7:13 And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the mult.i.tude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the mult.i.tude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see.

7:14 They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.

7:15 And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.

7:16 And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

7:17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of G.o.d had said, who spake when the king came down to him.

7:18 And it came to pa.s.s as the man of G.o.d had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria: 7:19 And that lord answered the man of G.o.d, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

7:20 And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.

8:1 Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.

8:2 And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of G.o.d: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.

8:3 And it came to pa.s.s at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.

8:4 And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of G.o.d, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.

8:5 And it came to pa.s.s, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.

8:6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.

8:7 And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of G.o.d is come hither.

8:8 And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of G.o.d, and enquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? 8:9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? 8:10 And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die.