Study Desk

Then she came to the man of God to the hill and took hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away; but the man of God said, "Let her alone, for her soul is bitter within her; and Yahweh has hidden it from me and has not told me."

But the mother of the boy said, "As Yahweh lives and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you." And he arose and followed her.

Now Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound or response. So he returned to meet him and told him, saying, "The boy has not awakened."

But he said, "Now bring flour." He threw it into the pot and said, "Pour it out for the people that they may eat." Then there was no harm in the pot.

And his attendant said, "What, will I give this before one hundred men?" But he said, "Give them to the people that they may eat, for thus says Yahweh, ‘They shall eat and have some left over.'"

Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and highly respected, because by him Yahweh had given salvation to Aram. The man was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.

Now it happened that when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to put to death and to make alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? But know now, and see how he is seeking a quarrel against me."

But Naaman was furious and went away and said, "Behold, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.'

Then he returned to the man of God with all his camp, and came and stood before him, and said, "Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so now please take a blessing from your servant."

But he said, "As Yahweh lives, before whom I stand, I will take nothing." And he urged him to take it, but he refused.

So Naaman said, "If not, please let your servant at least be given two mules' load of earth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to Yahweh.

But he came in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" And he said, "Your servant went nowhere."

And one of his servants said, "No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom."

So we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him'; but she has hidden her son."

Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man from his presence; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, "Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door shut against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?"

And the royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God and said, "Behold, if Yahweh should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" Then he said, "Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it."

So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans. Then they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans, but behold, there was no one there.

Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. So now, come, let us go and tell the king's household."

Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died just as the man of God had spoken, who spoke when the king came down to him.

And the royal officer had answered the man of God and said, "Now behold, if Yahweh should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?" And he had said, "Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it."