Elisha Raises the Shunammite’s Son

18 ^xWhen the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, “Oh, my head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 And when he had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon, and then he died. 21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door behind him and went out. 22 Then she called to her husband and said, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may quickly go to the man of God and come back again.” 23 And he said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither ^ynew moon nor Sabbath.” She said, “All is well.” 24 Then she saddled the donkey, and she said to her servant, “Urge the animal on; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount ^zCarmel.

When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Look, there is the Shunammite. 26 Run at once to meet her and say to her, ‘Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?’” And she answered, “All is well.” 27 And when she came to the mountain to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came to push her away. But the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me.” 28 Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’” 29 He said to Gehazi, ^a“Tie up your garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, ^bdo not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child.” 30 Then the mother of the child said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her. 31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life. Therefore he returned to meet him and told him, “The child has not awakened.”

32 When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. 33 So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he went up and ^clay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. 35 Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. ^dThe child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36 Then he summoned Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” 37 She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.

Elisha Purifies the Deadly Stew

38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal when there was a famine in the land. And as the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “Set on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” 39 One of them went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were. 40 And they poured out some for the men to eat. But while they were eating of the stew, they cried out, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. 41 He said, “Then bring flour.” And he ^ethrew it into the pot and said, “Pour some out for the men, that they may eat.” And there was no harm in the pot.

42 A man came from Baal-shalishah, ^fbringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, ^gtwenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, “Give to the men, that they may eat.” 43 But his servant said, ^h“How can I set this before a hundred men?” So he repeated, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” 44 So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.

Naaman Healed of Leprosy

1 ⁱNaaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.¹ 2 Now the Syrians on one of their ^jraids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” 5 And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”

So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels² of gold, and ten ^kchanges of clothing. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, ^l“Am I God, ^mto kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and ⁿsee how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”

8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that ^othere is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ^p“Go and wash in the Jordan ^qseven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12 Are not Abana³ and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants came near and said to him, ^r“My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, ^sand his flesh was ^trestored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Gehazi’s Greed and Punishment

15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.” 16 But he said, ^u“As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 17 Then Naaman said, “If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the Lord. 18 In this matter may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, ^vleaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon your servant in this matter.” 19 He said to him, “Go in peace.”

But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance, 20 ^wGehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “See, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” 21 So Gehazi followed Naaman. And when Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?” 22 And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me to say, ‘There have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.’” 23 And Naaman said, “Be pleased to accept two talents.” And he urged him and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants. And they carried them before Gehazi. 24 And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand and put them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed. 25 He went in and stood before his master, and Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.” 26 But he said to him, “Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants? 27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” ^xSo he went out from his presence a leper, like snow.

Gimel

Greeting

1 Paul and Timothy, servants¹ of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers² and deacons:³

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 ^aI thank my God in all my ^bremembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with ^cjoy, 5 because of ^dyour partnership in the gospel ^efrom the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that ^fhe who began a good work in you ^gwill bring it to completion at the ^hday of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you ⁱin my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace,⁴ both in my ^jimprisonment and in the ^kdefense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For ^lGod is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that ^myour love may abound more and more, with ⁿknowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may ^oapprove what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the ^pfruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, ^qto the glory and praise of God.

The Advance of the Gospel

12 I want you to know, brothers,⁵ that what has happened to me ^rhas really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known ^sthroughout the whole imperial guard⁶ and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word⁷ without fear.

15 ^tSome indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? ^uOnly that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

To Live Is Christ

Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that ^vthrough your prayers and the help of the ^wSpirit of Jesus Christ ^xthis will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and ^yhope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full ^zcourage now as always Christ will be ^ahonored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 ^bFor to me to live is Christ, and to die is ^cgain. 22 ^dIf I am to live in the flesh, that means ^efruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. ^fMy desire is to ^gdepart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 ^hConvinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your ⁱprogress and joy in the faith, 26 so that ^jin me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

27 Only ^klet your manner of life be worthy⁸ of the gospel of Christ, so that ^lwhether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are ^mstanding firm in one spirit, ⁿwith one mind ^ostriving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a ^pclear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For ^qit has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict ^rthat you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Christ’s Example of Humility

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any ^sparticipation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 ^tcomplete my joy by ^ubeing of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from ^vselfish ambition or ^wconceit, ^xbut in ^yhumility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 ^zLet each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 ^aHave this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,⁹ 6 ^bwho, ^cthough ^dhe was in the form of God, ^edid not count ^fequality with God a thing to be grasped,¹⁰ 7 but ^gemptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,^{11 h}being born ⁱin the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he ^jhumbled himself by becoming ^kobedient to the point of death, ^leven death on a cross. 9 ^mTherefore God has highly ⁿexalted him and bestowed on him the name that is ^oabove every name, 10 so that at the ^pname of Jesus ^qevery knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue ^rconfess that ^sJesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Lights in the World

12 Therefore, my beloved, ^tas you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, ^uwork out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who ^vworks in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things ^wwithout grumbling or ^xdisputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a ^ycrooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as ^zlights in the world, 16 holding fast to the ^aword of life, so that in the day of Christ ^bI may be proud that I did not ^crun ^din vain or labor in vain. 17 ^eEven if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, ^fI am glad and ^grejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

19 ^hI hope in the Lord Jesus ⁱto send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy’s¹² proven worth, how as a ^json¹³ with a father ^khe has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and ^lI trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and ^mfellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So ⁿreceive him in the Lord with all joy, and ^ohonor such men, 30 for he ^pnearly died¹⁴ for the work of Christ, risking his life ^qto complete what was lacking in your service to me.