The Divided Kingdom

And the king of Moab seeth that the battle has been too strong for him, and he taketh with him seven hundred men, drawing sword, to cleave through unto the king of Edom, and they have not been able,

and he taketh his son, the first-born who reigneth in his stead, and causeth him to ascend--a burnt-offering on the wall, and there is great wrath against Israel, and they journey from off him, and turn back to the land.

And a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets hath cried unto Elisha, saying, `Thy servant, my husband, is dead, and thou hast known that thy servant was fearing Jehovah, and the lender hath come to take my two children to him for servants.'

And Elisha saith unto her, `What do I do for thee? declare to me, what hast thou in the house?' and she saith, `Thy maid-servant hath nothing in the house except a pot of oil.'

And he saith, `Go, ask for thee vessels from without, from all thy neighbours--empty vessels--let them not be few;

and thou hast entered, and shut the door upon thee, and upon thy sons, and hast poured out into all these vessels, and the full ones thou dost remove.'

And she goeth from him, and shutteth the door upon her, and upon her sons; they are bringing nigh unto her, and she is pouring out,

and it cometh to pass, at the filling of the vessels, that she saith unto her son, `Bring nigh unto me a vessel more,' and he saith unto her, `There is not a vessel more;' and the oil stayeth.

And she cometh and declareth to the man of God, and he saith, `Go, sell the oil, and repay thy loan; and thou and thy sons do live of the rest.'

And the day cometh that Elisha passeth over unto Shunem, and there is a great woman, and she layeth hold on him to eat bread, and it cometh to pass, at the time of his passing over, he turneth aside thither to eat bread,

and she saith unto her husband, `Lo, I pray thee, I have known that a holy man of God he is, passing over by us continually;

let us make, I pray thee, a little upper chamber of the wall, and we set for him there a bed, and a table, and a high seat, and a candlestick; and it hath been, in his coming in unto us, he doth turn aside thither.'

And the day cometh, that he cometh in thither, and turneth aside unto the upper chamber, and lieth there,

and he saith unto Gehazi his young man, `Call for this Shunammite;' and he calleth for her, and she standeth before him.

And he saith to him, `Say, I pray thee, unto her, Lo, thou hast troubled thyself concerning us with all this trouble; what--to do for thee? is it to speak for thee unto the king, or unto the head of the host?' and she saith, `In the midst of my people I am dwelling.'

And he saith, `And what--to do for her?' and Gehazi saith, `Verily she hath no son, and her husband is aged.'

And he saith, `Call for her;' and he calleth for her, and she standeth at the opening,

and he saith, `At this season, according to the time of life, thou art embracing a son;' and she saith, `Nay, my lord, O man of God, do not lie unto thy maid-servant.'

And the woman conceiveth and beareth a son, at this season, according to the time of life, that Elisha spake of unto her.

And the lad groweth, and the day cometh that he goeth out unto his father, unto the reapers,

and he saith unto his father, `My head, my head;' and he saith unto the young man, `Bear him unto his mother;'

and he beareth him, and bringeth him in unto his mother, and he sitteth on her knees till the noon, and dieth.

And she goeth up, and layeth him on the bed of the man of God, and shutteth the door upon him, and goeth out,

and calleth unto her husband, and saith, `Send, I pray thee, to me, one of the young men, and one of the asses, and I run unto the man of God, and return.'

And he saith, `Wherefore art thou going unto him to-day? --neither new moon nor sabbath!' and she saith, `Peace to thee !'