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looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of Jehovah. And there came forth two shebears out of the wood, and tare forty and two lads of them. And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.

LXXXV

ELISHA AND THE SHUNAMMITE WOMAN (II Kings iv: 1-41)

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 Jehovah: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two children to be bordmen." 1 And Elisha said unto her, "What shall I do for thee? tell me; what hast thou in the house?" And she said, "Thy handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil." Then he said, "Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And thou shalt go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels; and thou shalt set aside that which is full." So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons; they brought the vessels to her, and she poured out. 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. 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 sons of the rest."

And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem,

1. Servants until the debt was paid.

where was a great woman;1 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. And she said unto her husband, “Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, that passeth by us continually. Let us make, I pray thee, a little chamber on the wall;2 and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a seat, and a candlestick and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither." And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber and lay there. And he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite." And when he had called her, she stood before him. 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." And he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, “Verily she hath no son, and her husband is old." And he said, "Call her." And when he had called her, she stood in the door. And he said, "At this season, when the time cometh round, thou shalt embrace a son." And she said, "Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thy handmaid.”

And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season, when the time came round, as Elisha had said unto her. And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. And he

1. A notably good woman.

2. Fit up one of the chambers projecting from the inner wall of the outer court, according to the manner of Eastern houses. In these rooms visitors could go in and out without disturbing the family by whom they were being entertained.

3. Commander of the army.

4. I am well protected by my own people.

said unto his father, "My head, my head." And he said to his servant, "Carry him to his mother." And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. And she called unto her husband, and said, "Send me, I pray thee, one of the servants, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again." And he said, "Wherefore wilt thou go to him today? it is neither new moon nor sabbath." And she said, "It shall be well." Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, "Drive, and go forward; slacken me not the riding, except I bid thee." So she went, and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel.

1

And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, "Behold, yonder is the Shunammite: run, I pray thee, now 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." And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to thrust her away; but the man of God said, "Let her alone: for her soul is vexed within her; and Jehovah hath hid it from me, and hath not told me." Then she said, "Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, 'Do not deceive me?"" Then he said to Gehazi, "Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy 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." And the mother of the child said, "As Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee." And he 1. Religious festivals. See note on page 228.

arose, and followed her. 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 returned to meet him, and told him, saying, "The child is not awaked."

And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto Jehovah. 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 him; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house once to and fro; and went up, and stretched1 himself upon him; and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 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." Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and she took up her son, and went out.

LXXXVI

THE HEALING OF NAAMAN THE SYRIAN (II Kings v: 1-27)

Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him Jehovah had given victory unto Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maiden; and she waited on Naaman's wife. And she said unto her mistress, "Would that my lord were with the prophet that

1. Bowed over him.

is in Samaria! then would he recover him of his leprosy." And one went in, and told his lord, saying, "Thus and thus said the maiden that is of the land of Israel." And the king of Syria said, “Go now, 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. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, "And now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy." And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? but consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me."

And it was so, when Elisha the man of God 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." So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou halt be clean." 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 Jehovah his God, and wave his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus,1 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. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said,

1. See map.

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