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Monday, July 28th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Complete Jewish Bible

2 Kings 4:16

He said, "Next year, when the season comes around, you will be holding a son." "No, my lord," she answered. "Man of God, don't lie to your servant!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Elisha;   Shunammite;   Vicegerency;   Women;   Thompson Chain Reference - Births Foretold;   Children;   Home;   Shunammite;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Gehazi;   Shunem;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Time;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Miracle;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hospitality;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Shunem;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Furniture;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Season;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Elisha;   Marriage;   Medicine;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Gehazi ;   Shunammite ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elisha;   Gehazi;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Eli'sha;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Embrace;   Gehazi;   Habakkuk;   Handmaid;   Life;   Prophecy;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Elisha;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Elisha said, “At this time next year you will have a son in your arms.”
Hebrew Names Version
He said, At this season, when the time comes round, you shall embrace a son. She said, No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your handmaid.
King James Version
And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
English Standard Version
And he said, "At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant."
New Century Version
Then Elisha said, "About this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms." The woman said, "No, master, man of God, don't lie to me, your servant!"
New English Translation
He said, "About this time next year you will be holding a son." She said, "No, my master! O prophet, do not lie to your servant!"
Amplified Bible
Elisha said, "At this season next year, you will embrace a son." She said, "No, my lord. O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant."
New American Standard Bible
Then he said, "At this season next year, you are going to embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your servant."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he said, At this time appointed, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a sonne. And she sayd, Oh my Lorde, thou man of God, doe not lye vnto thine handmayd.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then he said, "At this season next year you will embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your servant-woman."
Contemporary English Version
Elisha said to her, "Next year at this time, you'll be holding your own baby son in your arms." "You're a man of God," the woman replied. "Please don't lie to me."
Darby Translation
And he said, At this appointed time, when thy term is come, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, man of God, do not lie to thy handmaid.
Easy-to-Read Version
Elisha said, "About this time next spring, you will be holding your own baby boy in your arms." The woman said, "No, sir! Man of God, don't lie to me!"
George Lamsa Translation
And he said to her, About this season, you will be with child, and shall embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, O prophet of God, do not lie to your handmaid.
Good News Translation
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!"
Lexham English Bible
And he said, "At this time next spring, you will be embracing a son." She said, "No, my lord, O man of God! You must not tell a lie to your servant!"
Literal Translation
And he said, At this season, according to the time of life you shall embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your handmaid.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he sayde: Aboute this tyme yf ye frute can lyue, thou shalt enbrace a sonne. She sayde: Alas, no my lorde, thou man of God, lye not vnto thy handmayden.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
And Elisha said, At this time in the coming year you will have a son in your arms. And she said, No, my lord, O man of God, do not say what is false to your servant.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he saide: At this tyme appoynted, according to the tyme of lyfe, thou shalt imbrace a sonne. And she said: Oh nay my lorde thou man of God, do not lye vnto thyne handmayde.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.'
King James Version (1611)
And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt imbrace a sonne. And she said, Nay my lord, thou man of God, doe not lie vnto thine handmaid.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Elisaie said to her, At this time next year, as the season is, thou shalt be alive, and embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, do not lie to thy servant.
English Revised Version
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 thine handmaid.
Berean Standard Bible
And Elisha declared, "At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms." "No, my lord," she said. "Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
he seide to hir, In this tyme and in this same our, if lijf schal be felow, thou schalt haue a sone in the wombe. And sche answeride, Nyle thou, my lord, the man of God, Y biseche, nyle thou lye to thin hondmaide.
Young's Literal Translation
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.'
Update Bible Version
And he said, At this season, when the time comes round, you shall embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your slave.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, [thou] man of God, do not lie to thy handmaid.
World English Bible
He said, At this season, when the time comes round, you shall embrace a son. She said, No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your handmaid.
New King James Version
Then he said, "About this time next year you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!"
New Living Translation
"Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!" "No, my lord!" she cried. "O man of God, don't deceive me and get my hopes up like that."
New Life Bible
Then he said, "At this time next year you will hold a son in your arms." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God. Do not lie to your woman servant."
New Revised Standard
He said, "At this season, in due time, you shall embrace a son." She replied, "No, my lord, O man of God; do not deceive your servant."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said he - At this season, about the time of spring, thou, shalt be embracing a son. And she said - Nay! my lord, thou man of God, do not delude thy maid-servant.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He said to her: At this time, and this same hour, if life be in company, thou shalt have a son in thy womb. But she answered: Do not, I beseech thee, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie to thy handmaid.
Revised Standard Version
And he said, "At this season, when the time comes round, you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your maidservant."
THE MESSAGE
Elisha said to her, "This time next year you're going to be nursing an infant son." "O my master, O Holy Man," she said, "don't play games with me, teasing me with such fantasies!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then he said, "At this season next year you will embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant."

Contextual Overview

8 One day Elisha visited Shunem, and a well-to-do woman living there pressed him to stay and eat a meal. After this, whenever he came through, he stopped there for a meal. 9 She said to her husband, "I can see that this is a holy man of God who keeps stopping at our place. 10 Please, let's build him a little room on the roof. We'll put a bed and a table in it for him, and a stool and a candlestick. Then, whenever he comes to visit us, he can stay there." 11 One day Elisha came to visit there, and he went into the upper room to lie down. 12 He said to Geichazi his servant, "Call this Shunamit." He called her; and when she arrived, 13 he said to him, "Tell her this: ‘You have shown us so much hospitality! What can I do to show my appreciation? Do you want me to say anything to the king for you? or to the commander of the army?" She answered, "I'm happy living as I do, among my own people." 14 He said, "What, then, is to be done for her?" Geichazi answered, "There's one thing — she doesn't have a son; and her husband is old. 15 Elisha said, "Call her." After he called her, she stood in the doorway. 16 He said, "Next year, when the season comes around, you will be holding a son." "No, my lord," she answered. "Man of God, don't lie to your servant!" 17 But the woman conceived and gave birth to a son the following year when the season came around, just as Elisha had said to her.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

About this: Genesis 17:21, Genesis 18:10, Genesis 18:14

season: Heb. set time

thou shalt: Genesis 17:16, Genesis 17:17, Luke 1:13, Luke 1:30, Luke 1:31

my lord: 2 Kings 2:19

do not lie: 2 Kings 4:28, 2 Kings 5:10, 2 Kings 5:11, Genesis 18:12-15, 1 Kings 17:18, 1 Kings 18:9, Psalms 116:11, Luke 1:18-20

Reciprocal: Genesis 17:19 - Sarah Genesis 21:2 - conceived Joshua 14:6 - the man Judges 13:3 - but thou Judges 13:6 - A man Judges 20:38 - sign 1 Kings 12:22 - General 2 Kings 8:4 - all the great 2 Kings 13:19 - the man of God Ecclesiastes 3:2 - time to be born Matthew 1:21 - she Matthew 10:41 - that receiveth a prophet Luke 7:12 - the only

Cross-References

Genesis 3:8
They heard the voice of Adonai , God, walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, so the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Adonai , God, among the trees in the garden.
Genesis 4:14
You are banning me today from the land and from your presence. I will be a fugitive wandering the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."
Exodus 20:18
So the people stood at a distance, but Moshe approached the thick darkness where God was.
2 Kings 13:23
but Adonai was gracious, took pity on them and looked on them with favor, because of his covenant with Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya‘akov. He was not willing to destroy them, and to this day he has not banished them from his presence.
2 Kings 24:20
And it was because of Adonai 's anger that all these things happened to Yerushalayim and Y'hudah, until he had thrown them out of his presence. Tzidkiyahu rebelled against the king of Bavel;
Job 1:12
Adonai said to the Adversary, "Here! Everything he has is in your hands, except that you are not to lay a finger on his person." Then the Adversary went out from the presence of Adonai .
Job 2:7
Then the Adversary went out from the presence of Adonai and struck Iyov down with horrible infected sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
Job 20:17
He will not enjoy the rivers, the streams flowing with honey and cream.
Psalms 5:11
God, declare them guilty! Let them fall through their own intrigues, For their many crimes, throw them down; since they have rebelled against you.
Psalms 68:2
Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered; let those who hate him flee from his presence.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said, about this season,.... In the next year:

according to the time of life; the usual time women go with child:

thou shalt embrace a son; in thine arms, that shall be born of thee, which she should have in her lap, and in her bosom:

and she said, nay, my lord, do not lie unto thine handmaid; or speak unto her what was not truth; it was so great, and so unaccountable, how it could be in her circumstances, that she could not believe it to be true, though she wished it might; or do not deceive me with vain and false words, or flatter me, jest with me, which would be unbecoming his character as a man of God, and prophet of the Lord; according to the Targum, she wished it might prove true, and she not deceived; see 2 Kings 4:28.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Do not lie - Compare a similar incredulity in Genesis 17:17; Genesis 18:12; Luke 1:20. The expression, “do not lie,” which is harsh to us, accords with the plain, straightforward simplicity of ancient speech. It would not mean more than “deceive” (compare the marginal reference).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 4:16. Thou shalt embrace a son. — This promise, and the circumstances of the parties, are not very dissimilar to that relative to the birth of Isaac, and those of Abraham and Sarah.

Do not lie — That is, Let thy words become true; or, as the rabbins understand it, Do not mock me by giving me a son that shall soon be removed by death; but let me have one that shall survive me.


 
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