Elisha Helps a Poor Widow
1 The widow of a member of a group of prophets went to Elisha and said, “Sir, my husband has died! As you know, he was a God-fearing man, but now a man he owed money to has come to take away my two sons as slaves in payment for my husband's debt.”
2 “What shall I do for you?” he asked. “Tell me, what do you have at home?”
“Nothing at all, except a small jar of olive oil,” she answered.
3 “Go to your neighbors and borrow as many empty jars as you can,” Elisha told her. 4 “Then you and your sons go into the house, close the door, and start pouring oil into the jars. Set each one aside as soon as it is full.”
5 So the woman went into her house with her sons, closed the door, took the small jar of olive oil, and poured oil into the jars as her sons brought them to her. 6 When they had filled all the jars, she asked if there were any more. “That was the last one,” one of her sons answered. And the olive oil stopped flowing. 7 She went back to Elisha, the prophet, who said to her, “Sell the olive oil and pay all your debts, and there will be enough money left over for you and your sons to live on.”
Elisha and the Rich Woman from Shunem
8 One day Elisha went to Shunem, where a rich woman lived. She invited him to a meal, and from then on every time he went to Shunem he would have his meals at her house. 9 She said to her husband, “I am sure that this man who comes here so often is a holy man. 10 Let's build a small room on the roof, put a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp in it, and he can stay there whenever he visits us.”
11 One day Elisha returned to Shunem and went up to his room to rest. 12 He told his servant Gehazi to go and call the woman. When she came, 13 he said to Gehazi, “Ask her what I can do for her in return for all the trouble she has had in providing for our needs. Maybe she would like me to go to the king or the army commander and put in a good word for her.”
“I have all I need here among my own people,” she answered.
14 Elisha asked Gehazi, “What can I do for her then?”
He answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is an old man.”
15 “Tell her to come here,” Elisha ordered. She came and stood in the doorway, 16 and Elisha said to her, “By this time next year you will be holding a son in your arms.”
“Oh!” she exclaimed. “Please, sir, don't lie to me. You are a man of God!”
17 But, as Elisha had said, at about that time the following year she gave birth to a son.
18 Some years later, at harvest time, the boy went out one morning to join his father, who was in the field with the harvest workers. 19 Suddenly he cried out to his father, “My head hurts! My head hurts!”
“Carry the boy to his mother,” the father said to a servant. 20 The servant carried the boy back to his mother, who held him in her lap until noon, at which time he died. 21 She carried him up to Elisha's room, put him on the bed and left, closing the door behind her. 22 Then she called her husband and said to him, “Send a servant here with a donkey. I need to go to the prophet Elisha. I'll be back as soon as I can.”
23 “Why do you have to go today?” her husband asked. “It's neither a Sabbath nor a New Moon Festival.”
“Never mind,” she answered. 24 Then she had the donkey saddled, and ordered the servant, “Make the donkey go as fast as it can, and don't slow down unless I tell you to.” 25 So she set out and went to Mount Carmel, where Elisha was.
Elisha saw her coming while she was still some distance away, and he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, there comes the woman from Shunem! 26 Hurry to her and find out if everything is all right with her, her husband, and her son.”
She told Gehazi that everything was all right, 27 but when she came to Elisha, she bowed down before him and took hold of his feet. Gehazi was about to push her away, but Elisha said, “Leave her alone. Can't you see she's deeply distressed? And the Lord has not told me a thing about it.”
28 The woman said to him, “Sir, did I ask you for a son? Didn't I tell you not to get my hopes up?”
29 Elisha turned to Gehazi and said, “Hurry! Take my walking stick and go. Don't stop to greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, don't take time to answer. Go straight to the house and hold my stick over the boy.”
30 The woman said to Elisha, “I swear by my loyalty to the living Lord and to you that I will not leave you!” So the two of them started back together. 31 Gehazi went on ahead and held Elisha's stick over the child, but there was no sound or any other sign of life. So he went back to meet Elisha and said, “The boy didn't wake up.”
32 When Elisha arrived, he went alone into the room and saw the boy lying dead on the bed. 33 He closed the door and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he lay down on the boy, placing his mouth, eyes, and hands on the boy's mouth, eyes, and hands. As he lay stretched out over the boy, the boy's body started to get warm. 35 Elisha got up, walked around the room, and then went back and again stretched himself over the boy. The boy sneezed seven times and then opened his eyes. 36 Elisha called Gehazi and told him to call the boy's mother. When she came in, he said to her, “Here's your son.” 37 She fell at Elisha's feet, with her face touching the ground; then she took her son and left.
Two More Miracles
38 Once, when there was a famine throughout the land, Elisha returned to Gilgal. While he was teaching a group of prophets, he told his servant to put a big pot on the fire and make some stew for them. 39 One of them went out in the fields to get some herbs. He found a wild vine and picked as many gourds as he could carry. He brought them back and sliced them up into the stew, not knowing what they were. 40 The stew was poured out for the men to eat, but as soon as they tasted it they exclaimed to Elisha, “It's poisoned!”—and wouldn't eat it. 41 Elisha asked for some meal, threw it into the pot, and said, “Pour out some more stew for them.” And then there was nothing wrong with it.
42 Another time, a man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing Elisha twenty loaves of bread made from the first barley harvested that year, and some freshly-cut heads of grain. Elisha told his servant to feed the group of prophets with this, 43 but he answered, “Do you think this is enough for a hundred men?”
Elisha replied, “Give it to them to eat, because the Lord says that they will eat and still have some left over.” 44 So the servant set the food before them, and as the Lord had said, they all ate, and there was still some left over.
1 Un kāda sieva no praviešu mācekļu sievām kliegdama lūdza Elīsu, sacīdama: "Mans vīrs, tavs kalps, ir miris, un tu zini, ka tavs kalps bijās To Kungu. Bet nu nāk parādu piedzinējs un grib manus divus bērnus sev ņemt par vergiem!" 2 Un Elīsa viņai atbildēja: "Ko lai es tevis labad daru? Saki man, kas ir tavā namā?" Un viņa atbildēja: "Tavai kalponei nav itin nekā namā kā tikai trauks eļļas." 3 Tad viņš sacīja: "Ej un aizņemies sev traukus no citiem, no saviem kaimiņiem, bet tikai tukšus traukus - un nelūdz to par maz. 4 Un tad ieej namā un aizslēdz durvis aiz sevis un aiz abiem saviem dēliem, un sāc liet visos tajos traukos, un to, kas ir pilns, liec pie malas." 5 Tad tā no viņa aizgāja un aizslēdza durvis aiz sevis un aiz saviem dēliem; un tie viņai pienesa traukus, bet viņa pati tikai pildīja. 6 Un, kad trauki bija pielieti pilni, tad tā sacīja savam dēlam: "Pasniedz man vēl vienu trauku!" Bet tas viņai atbildēja: "Vairāk neviena trauka nav." Tad eļļa apstājās plūst. 7 Un viņa aizgāja un to pateica Dieva vīram, un viņš sacīja: "Ej un pārdod eļļu un samaksā savu parādu; no atlikuma tad pārtiec pati ar saviem dēliem." 8 Un kādu dienu notika, ka Elīsa gāja uz Sunemu, un tur bija kāda bagāta sieva, un tā viņu uzlūdza, ka viņš ar to ēstu mielastu. Un tā notika: cikkārt viņš tur gāja garām, viņš tur iegriezās ēst maizi. 9 Un tā sacīja savam vīram: "Redzi, es atzīstu, ka tas ir svēts Dieva vīrs, kas pie mums še pastāvīgi iegriežas. 10 Mēs varētu viņam iekārtot mazu augštelpu ar sienām, tur tad noliksim viņam gultu un galdu, kā arī krēslu un lukturi, lai viņam pie mums atnākušam būtu, kur ieiet." 11 Kādu dienu, kad viņš tur ieradās, viņš iegāja šai augšējā istabā un apgūlās. 12 Un viņš sacīja savam puisim Gehazim: "Paaicini šo sunamieti!" Un viņš to pasauca, un tā ienāca pie viņa. 13 Un Elīsa sacīja kalpam: "Lūdzu, pasaki viņai: redzi, tu mūsu labad esi tā rūpējusies; ko lai mēs tevis labad darām? Vai būtu vēlams tevis labad iebilst kādu labu vārdu pie ķēniņa vai pie karaspēka virspavēlnieka?" Bet viņa atbildēja: "Es dzīvoju droši savas tautas vidū!" 14 Kad viņš vēlreiz jautāja, kas būtu viņas labā darāms, tad Gehazis atbildēja: "Taču kaut kas, jo viņai nav dēla, un viņas vīrs ir vecs." 15 Tad Elīsa sacīja: "Atsauc viņu šurp!" Kad viņš bija to pasaucis un viņa stāvēja durvīs, 16 tad viņš sacīja: "Nākamā gadā ap šo laiku tu apkampusi turēsi dēlu." Bet tā sacīja: "Ak, nē, mans kungs, tu Dieva vīrs, nemaldini savu kalponi!" 17 Un šī sieva patiesi kļuva grūta un dzemdēja dēlu tanī pašā laikā nākamajā gadā, tieši kā Elīsa viņai bija sacījis. 18 Kad zēns bija paaudzies, tas kādu dienu gāja pie sava tēva, pie pļāvējiem. 19 Tad piepeši tas sāka vaimanāt un sacīja savam tēvam: "Mana galva, mana galva!" Bet tas pavēlēja savam kalpam: "Aiznes to pie viņa mātes!" 20 Kad tas to paņēma uz rokām un nonesa pie viņa mātes, tad viņš līdz pusdienai nosēdēja viņas klēpī un tad nomira. 21 Un tā uzgāja augšā un noguldīja viņu Dieva vīra gultā, un aizslēdza durvis un izgāja ārā. 22 Tad viņa pasauca savu vīru un tam sacīja: "Lūdzu, atsūti man kādu no puišiem un vienu ēzeļa māti; es steigšos pie Dieva vīra, bet es atkal drīz pārnākšu." 23 Un viņš sacīja: "Kāpēc taisni šodien tu gribi pie viņa iet? Nav taču nedz jauna mēness svētki, nedz arī sabats!" Bet viņa atbildēja: "Būs labi." 24 Un viņa lika apseglot ēzeļa māti un sacīja savam puisim: "Dzen steigšus un nekavē mani jājot kā vien, kad es tev teikšu!" 25 Un tā viņa devās ceļā un nonāca pie Dieva vīra Karmela kalnā. Un notika, kad Dieva vīrs viņu ieraudzīja no tālienes, tad viņš sacīja savam puisim Gehazim: "Redzi, tur ir mūsu sunamiete! 26 Lūdzu, tagad steidzies viņai pretī un jautā viņai, vai viņai pašai, viņas vīram un viņas dēlam klājas labi." Un viņa atbildēja: "Labi gan!" 27 Bet, kad viņa bija nonākusi pie Dieva vīra kalna virsotnē, tad tā apkampa viņa kājas; tad pienāca Gehazis, lai viņu atstumtu, bet Dieva vīrs sacīja: "Liec to mierā, jo viņas dvēsele ir noskumusi, un Dievs to ir paturējis apslēptu no manis un nav man to darījis zināmu!" 28 Tad viņa sacīja: "Vai es biju tā, kura no sava kunga lūdza dēlu? Vai es neteicu: nemodini manī aplamas cerības?" 29 Tad viņš pavēlēja Gehazim: "Apjoz savus gurnus un ņem manu zizli savā rokā, un dodies ceļā! Ja tu kādu sastopi, tad nesveicini to, un, ja tevi kāds sveicinās, tad neatbildi tam, un noliec manu zizli uz zēna sejas." 30 Bet zēna māte sauca: "Tik tiešām, ka Tas Kungs ir dzīvs un tava dvēsele dzīva, es tevi neatstāšu!" Tad viņš cēlās un devās tai līdzi. 31 Bet pa to laiku Gehazis bija steidzies viņiem pa priekšu, un nogājis tas uzlika zizli uz zēna sejas, bet tur nebija nedz skaņas, nedz kādas dzīvības zīmes. Tad viņš griezās atpakaļ pretī savam kungam un tam paziņoja, ka zēns nav uzmodies. 32 Kad Elīsa ienāca namā, tad redzi, bērns gulēja miris viņa gultā. 33 Un viņš iegāja iekšā un aizslēdza durvis, un pielūdza To Kungu. 34 Un viņš uzkāpa un uzgūlās bērnam virsū, un lika savu muti uz viņa mutes un savas acis uz viņa acīm, un savas rokas uz viņa rokām, un tā viņš nogūlās tam pāri un sasildīja bērna miesas. 35 Tad viņš atkal piecēlās un staigāja pa istabu šurpu turpu, un atkal uzkāpa, un pārliecās pār viņu. Tad zēns nošķaudījās septiņas reizes, un pēc tam tas atdarīja savas acis. 36 Nu viņš sauca Gehazi un tam pavēlēja: "Pasauc mūsu sunamieti!" Un tas to atsauca, un tā iegāja pie viņa; tad viņš sacīja: "Saņem savu dēlu!" 37 Tad tā nāca un nokrita pie viņa kājām, un viņa ar seju noliecās pie zemes tā priekšā, tad tā pacēla savu zēnu uz rokām un izgāja ārā. 38 Un Elīsa atgriezās atpakaļ Gilgalā, un tanī zemē bija bads. Kad praviešu mācekļi bija apmetušies pie viņa, tad viņš sacīja savam puisim: "Uzliec lielo katlu uz uguns un vāri ēdienu praviešu mācekļiem!" 39 Tad viens no viņiem izgāja laukā, lai salasītu saknītes; tas atrada meža gurķu stīgas, un no tām viņš salasīja pilnu klēpi meža gurķu; un viņš tos atnesa mājā un iegrieza ēdienu katlā, jo viņš tos nepazina. 40 Un, kad tie ielēja vīriem, lai tie ēstu, un, kad viņi baudīja ēdienu, tad vīri sāka kliegt un sauca: "Nāve ir katlā, Dieva vīrs!" Un tie nevarēja to ēst. 41 Bet viņš sacīja: "Atnesiet miltus!" Un viņš tos iebēra katlā, un tad viņš sacīja: "Iesmel ļaudīm, lai tie ēd!" Un vairs nekā nelaba nebija katlā. 42 Un kāds vīrs nāca no Baal-Šališas, un viņš atnesa Dieva vīram pirmās ražas maizi, divdesmit miežu maizes un dažas briedušas vārpas savā maizes tarbā. Un tas sacīja: "Dod tiem ļaudīm, lai viņi ēd!" 43 Bet viņa apkalpotājs atbildēja: "Ko lai es ceļu priekšā simts tādiem vīriem?" Tomēr viņš pavēlēja: "Dod tiem ļaudīm, lai ēd! Jo tā saka Tas Kungs: tie ēdīs, un vēl atliks!" 44 Kad viņš tiem lika priekšā, tad tie paēda, un viņiem palika vēl pāri, kā Tā Kunga vārds bija apsolījis.
