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Elisha and the Family from Shunem

Elisha didn't only show God's power to kings and the families of religious workers. He also helped ordinary people. This story reminds us of Jesus' words that the person who offers another person a cup of cold water in the name of a prophet will be rewarded.

And it fell on a day that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman, and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread.

And she said unto her husband, “Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passes by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray you, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed and a table and a stool and a candlestick. And it shall be, when he comes to us, that he shall turn in there.”

And it fell on a day that he came there, 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, you have been careful for us with all this care. What is to be done for you? Would you be spoken for to the king or to the captain of the host?”

And she answered, “I dwell among my own people.”

And he said, “What then is to be done for her?”

And Gehazi answered, “Verily she has no child, and her husband is old.”

And he said, “Call her.”

And when he had called her, she stood in the door.

And he said, “About this season, according to the time of life, you shall embrace a son.”

And she said, “No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie unto your handmaid.”

And the woman conceived and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.

(2 Kings 4:8-17)

Words that may be new
according: in keeping with.
behold: to look, to see.
candlestick: furniture to hold a candle for light.

chamber: a small room; a bedroom
conceive: to become pregnant.
constrain: to force, or here to ask strongly.
continually: often, always.
dwell: to live or to stay.
embrace: to hug, to hold in the arms.
handmaid: a female servant.
host: army
perceive: to see or understand.
season: time of year.
verily: truly.

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