1. A man from the group of prophets had a wife. This man died, and his wife cried out to Elisha, “My husband was like a servant to you. Now he is dead! You know he honored the Lord. But he owed money to a man. Now that man is coming to take my two boys and make them his slaves!”
2. Elisha answered, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” The woman said, “I don’t have anything in the house except a jar of olive oil.”
3. Then Elisha said, “Go and borrow bowls from all your neighbors. They must be empty. Borrow plenty of bowls.
4. Then go to your house and close the doors. Only you and your sons will be in the house. Then pour the oil into all the bowls. Fill them, and put them in a separate place.”
5. So the woman left Elisha, went into her house, and shut the door. Only she and her sons were in the house. Her sons brought the bowls to her and she poured oil.
6. She filled many bowls. Finally, she said to her son, “Bring me another bowl.” But all the bowls were full. One of the sons said to her, “There aren’t any more bowls.” Then the oil in the jar was finished!
7. When she told the man of God what had happened, Elisha said to her, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt. You and your sons can live on the money that is left.”
8. One day Elisha went to Shunem, where an important woman lived. She asked Elisha to stop and eat at her house. So every time Elisha went through that place, he stopped there to eat.
9. The woman said to her husband, “Look, I can see that Elisha is a holy man of God. He passes by our house all the time.
10. Please, let’s make a little room on the roof for him. Let’s put a bed in this room and a table, a chair, and a lampstand. Then when he comes to our house, he can have this room for himself.”
11. One day Elisha came to the woman’s house. He went to this room and rested there.
12. Elisha said to his servant Gehazi, “Call this Shunammite woman.” The servant called the Shunammite woman, and she stood in front of Elisha.
13. Elisha told his servant, “Now say to her, ‘Look, you have done your best to take care of us. What can we do for you? Do you want us to speak to the king for you, or to the captain of the army?’” She answered, “I am fine living here among my own people.”
14. Elisha said to Gehazi, “What can we do for her?” He answered, “I know! She does not have a son, and her husband is old.”
15. Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So Gehazi called the woman. She came and stood at his door.
16. 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!”
17. But the woman did become pregnant and gave birth to a son that next spring, just as Elisha had said.