AME Zion Universal Reading October 24th 2021

Sunday School Zoom Link

Psalm 84:1–12 (NLT): 1 How lovely is your dwelling place,

O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

2 I long, yes, I faint with longing

to enter the courts of the Lord.

With my whole being, body and soul,

I will shout joyfully to the living God.

3 Even the sparrow finds a home,

and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young

at a place near your altar,

O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!

4 What joy for those who can live in your house,

always singing your praises.

Interlude

5 What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord,

who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

6 When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,

it will become a place of refreshing springs.

The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.

7 They will continue to grow stronger,

and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.

8 O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer.

Listen, O God of Jacob.

Interlude

9 O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield!

Show favor to the one you have anointed.

10 A single day in your courts

is better than a thousand anywhere else!

I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God

than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.

11 For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.

He gives us grace and glory.

The Lord will withhold no good thing

from those who do what is right.

12 O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,

what joy for those who trust in you.

First Portion

Genesis Chapter 18

1Now the Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre, and he was sitting at the entrance of the tent when the day was hot.2And he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing beside him, and he saw and he ran toward them from the entrance of the tent, and he prostrated himself to the ground.3And he said, "My lords, if only I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass on from beside your servant.4Please let a little water be taken, and bathe your feet, and recline under the tree.5And I will take a morsel of bread, and sustain your hearts; after[wards] you shall pass on, because you have passed by your servant." And they said, "So shall you do, as you have spoken."6And Abraham hastened to the tent to Sarah, and he said, "Hasten three seah of meal [and] fine flour; knead and make cakes."7And to the cattle did Abraham run, and he took a calf, tender and good, and he gave it to the youth, and he hastened to prepare it.8And he took cream and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and he placed [them] before them, and he was standing over them under the tree, and they ate.9And they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "Behold in the tent."10And he said, "I will surely return to you at this time next year, and behold, your wife Sarah will have a son." And Sarah heard from the entrance of the tent, and it was behind him.11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, coming on in years; Sarah had ceased to have the way of the women.12And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have become worn out, will I have smooth flesh? And also, my master is old."13And the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Is it really true that I will give birth, although I am old?'14Is anything hidden from the Lord? At the appointed time, I will return to you, at this time next year and Sarah will have a son."

Sunday

Psalm 150:1–6 (NLT):

1 Praise the Lord!

Praise God in his sanctuary;

praise him in his mighty heaven!

2 Praise him for his mighty works;

praise his unequaled greatness!

3 Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;

praise him with the lyre and harp!

4 Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;

praise him with strings and flutes!

5 Praise him with a clash of cymbals;

praise him with loud clanging cymbals.

6 Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

Second Portion

Genesis Chapter 18

15And Sarah denied, saying, "I did not laugh," because she was afraid. And He said, "No, but you laughed."16And the men arose from there, and they looked upon Sodom, and Abraham went with them to escort them,17And the Lord said, "Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am doing?18And Abraham will become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the world will be blessed in him.19For I have known him because he commands his sons and his household after him, that they should keep the way of the Lord to perform righteousness and justice, in order that the Lord bring upon Abraham that which He spoke concerning him."20And the Lord said, "Since the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah has become great, and since their sin has become very grave,21I will descend now and see, whether according to her cry, which has come to Me, they have done; [I will wreak] destruction [upon them]; and if not, I will know."22And the men turned from there and went to Sodom, and Abraham was still standing before the Lord.23And Abraham approached and said, "Will You even destroy the righteous with the wicked?24Perhaps there are fifty righteous men in the midst of the city; will You even destroy and not forgive the place for the sake of the fifty righteous men who are in its midst?25Far be it from You to do a thing such as this, to put to death the righteous with the wicked so that the righteous should be like the wicked. Far be it from You! Will the Judge of the entire earth not perform justice?"26And the Lord said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, I will forgive the entire place for their sake."27And Abraham answered and said, "Behold now I have commenced to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes.28Perhaps the fifty righteous men will be missing five. Will You destroy the entire city because of five?" And He said, "I will not destroy if I find there forty-five."29And he continued further to speak to Him, and he said, "Perhaps forty will be found there." And He said, "I will not do it for the sake of the forty."30And he said, "Please, let the Lord's wrath not be kindled, and I will speak. Perhaps thirty will be found there." And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."31And he said, "Behold now I have desired to speak to the Lord, perhaps twenty will be found there." And He said, "I will not destroy for the sake of the twenty."32And he said, "Please, let the Lord's wrath not be kindled, and I will speak yet this time, perhaps ten will be found there." And He said, "I will not destroy for the sake of the ten."33And the Lord departed when He finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Monday

Psalm 147:1–7 (NLT):

1 Praise the Lord!

How good to sing praises to our God!

How delightful and how fitting!

2 The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem

and bringing the exiles back to Israel.

3 He heals the brokenhearted

and bandages their wounds.

4 He counts the stars

and calls them all by name.

5 How great is our Lord! His power is absolute!

His understanding is beyond comprehension!

6 The Lord supports the humble,

but he brings the wicked down into the dust.

7 Sing out your thanks to the Lord;

sing praises to our God with a harp.

Third Portion

Genesis Chapter 19

1And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom, and Lot saw and arose toward them, and he prostrated himself on his face to the ground.2And he said, "Behold now my lords, please turn to your servant's house and stay overnight and wash your feet, and you shall arise early and go on your way." And they said, "No, but we will stay overnight in the street."3And he urged them strongly, and they turned in to him, and came into his house, and he made them a feast, and he baked unleavened cakes, and they ate.4When they had not yet retired, and the people of the city, the people of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, the entire populace from every end[of the city].5And they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, and let us be intimate with them."6And Lot came out to them to the entrance, and he shut the door behind him.7And he said, "My brethren, please do not do evil.8Behold now I have two daughters who were not intimate with a man. I will bring them out to you, and do to them as you see fit; only to these men do nothing, because they have come under the shadow of my roof."9But they said, "Back away." And they said, "This one came to sojourn, and he is judging! Now, we will deal even worse with you than with them." And they pressed hard upon the man Lot, and they drew near to break the door.10And the men stretched forth their hands, and they brought Lot to them to the house, and they shut the door.11And the men who were at the entrance of the house they struck with blindness, both small and great, and they toiled in vain to find the entrance.12And the men said to Lot, "Whom else do you have here? A son-in-law, your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, take out of the place.13For we are destroying this place, because their cry has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it."14So Lot went forth and spoke to his sons-in-law, the suitors of his daughters, and he said, "Arise, go forth from this place, for the Lord is destroying the city," but he seemed like a comedian in the eyes of his sons-in-law.15And as the dawn rose, the angels pressed Lot, saying, "Get up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you perish because of the iniquity of the city."16But he tarried, and the men took hold of his hand and his wife's hand, and the hand of his two daughters, out of the Lord's pity for him, and they took him out and placed him outside the city.17And it came to pass, when they took them outside, that he said, "Flee for your life, do not look behind you, and do not stand in the entire plain. Flee to the mountain, lest you perish."18And Lot said to them, "Please, do not, O Lord.19Behold now, Your servant has found favor in Your eyes, and You have increased Your kindness, which You have done with me, to sustain my soul. But I cannot flee to the mountain, lest the evil overtake me, and I die.20Behold now, this city is near to flee there, and it is small. Let me please flee there. Is it not small? And my soul will survive."

Tuesday

1 Samuel 16:14–23 (NLT): David Serves in Saul’s Court

14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.

15 Some of Saul’s servants said to him, “A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you. 16 Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.”

17 “All right,” Saul said. “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him here.”

18 One of the servants said to Saul, “One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player. Not only that—he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the Lord is with him.”

19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, “Send me your son David, the shepherd.” 20 Jesse responded by sending David to Saul, along with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a wineskin full of wine.

21 So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer.

22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse asking, “Please let David remain in my service, for I am very pleased with him.”

23 And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.

Fourth Portion

Genesis Chapter 19

21And he said to him, "Behold I have favored you also as regards this matter, that I will not overturn the city that you have mentioned.22Hasten, flee there, for I will not be able to do anything until you arrive there." Therefore, he named the city Zoar.23The sun came out upon the earth, and Lot came to Zoar.24And the Lord caused to rain down upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire, from the Lord, from heaven.25And He turned over these cities and the entire plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and the vegetation of the ground.26And his wife looked from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.27And Abraham arose early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.28And he looked over the face of Sodom and Gomorrah and over the entire face of the land of the plain, and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the earth had risen like the smoke of a furnace.29And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and He sent Lot out of the midst of the destruction when He overturned the cities in which Lot had dwelt.30And Lot went up from Zoar, and he dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters were with him, for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar; so he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.31And the elder said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man on earth to come upon us, as is the custom of all the earth.32Come, let us give our father wine to drink, and let us lie with him, and let us bring to life seed from our father."33And they gave their father wine to drink on that night, and the elder came and lay with her father, and he did not know of her lying down or of her rising up.34And it came to pass on the morrow, that the elder said to the younger, "Behold, last night I lay with my father. Let us give him wine to drink tonight too, and come, lie with him, and let us bring to life seed from our father."35So they gave their father to drink on that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know of her lying down or of her rising up.36And Lot's two daughters conceived from their father.37And the elder bore a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of Moab until this day.38And the younger, she too bore a son, and she named him Ben-ami; he is the father of the children of Ammon until this day.

Genesis Chapter 20

1And Abraham traveled from there to the land of the south, and he dwelt between Kadesh and between Shur, and he sojourned in Gerar.2And Abraham said about Sarah his wife, "She is my sister," and Abimelech the king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.3And God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and He said to him, "Behold you are going to die because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a married woman."4And Abimelech had not come near to her, and he said, "O Lord, will You kill even a righteous nation?5Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she, even she said, 'He is my brother.' With the innocence of my heart and with the purity of my hands have I done this."6And God said to him in a dream, "I too know that you did this with the innocence of your heart, and I too have withheld you from sinning to Me; therefore, I did not let you touch her.7And now, return the man's wife, because he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and [you will] live; but if you do not return [her], know that you will surely die, you and all that is yours."8And Abimelech arose early in the morning, and he summoned all his servants, and he spoke all these words in their ears; and the men were very frightened.9And Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us, and what have I sinned against you, that you have brought upon me and upon my kingdom a great sin? Deeds that are not done, you have done to me."10And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What did you see, that you did this thing?"11And Abraham said, "For I said, 'Surely, there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.12And also, indeed, she is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.13And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her: This is your kindness, which you shall do with me: whither we come, say about me, 'He is my brother.'"14And Abimelech took flocks and cattle and menservants and maidservants, and he gave [them] to Abraham, and he restored to him his wife Sarah.15And Abimelech said, "Here is my land before you; wherever it pleases you, you may dwell."16And to Sarah he said, "Behold I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your brother; behold it is to you a covering of the eyes for all who are with you, and with all you shall contend."17And Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his handmaids, and they gave birth.18For the Lord had shut every womb of Abimelech's household, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

Genesis Chapter 21

1And the Lord remembered Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as He had spoken.2And Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him.3And Abraham named his son who had been born to him, whom Sarah had borne to him, Isaac.4And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.

Fifth Portion

Genesis Chapter 21

5And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born to him.6And Sarah said, "God has made joy for me; whoever hears will rejoice over me."7And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children, for I have borne a son to his old age!"8And the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.9And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, making merry.10And Sarah said to Abraham, "Drive out this handmaid and her son, for the son of this handmaid shall not inherit with my son, with Isaac."11But the matter greatly displeased Abraham, concerning his son.12And God said to Abraham, "Be not displeased concerning the lad and concerning your handmaid; whatever Sarah tells you, hearken to her voice, for in Isaac will be called your seed.13But also the son of the handmaid I will make into a nation, because he is your seed."14And Abraham arose early in the morning, and he took bread and a leather pouch of water, and he gave [them] to Hagar, he placed [them] on her shoulder, and the child, and he sent her away; and she went and wandered in the desert of Beer sheba.15And the water was depleted from the leather pouch, and she cast the child under one of the bushes.16And she went and sat down from afar, at about the distance of two bowshots, for she said, "Let me not see the child's death." And she sat from afar, and she raised her voice and wept.17And God heard the lad's voice, and an angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, "What is troubling you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the lad's voice in the place where he is.18Rise, pick up the lad and grasp your hand upon him, for I shall make him into a great nation."19And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, and she went and filled the pouch with water and gave the lad to drink.20And God was with the lad, and he grew, and he dwelt in the desert, and he became an archer.21And he dwelt in the desert of Paran, and his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt.

Thursday

Psalm 148:1–14 (NLT):

1 Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord from the heavens!

Praise him from the skies!

2 Praise him, all his angels!

Praise him, all the armies of heaven!

3 Praise him, sun and moon!

Praise him, all you twinkling stars!

4 Praise him, skies above!

Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!

5 Let every created thing give praise to the Lord,

for he issued his command, and they came into being.

6 He set them in place forever and ever.

His decree will never be revoked.

7 Praise the Lord from the earth,

you creatures of the ocean depths,

8 fire and hail, snow and clouds,

wind and weather that obey him,

9 mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars,

10 wild animals and all livestock,

small scurrying animals and birds,

11 kings of the earth and all people,

rulers and judges of the earth,

12 young men and young women,

old men and children.

13 Let them all praise the name of the Lord.

For his name is very great;

his glory towers over the earth and heaven!

14 He has made his people strong,

honoring his faithful ones—

the people of Israel who are close to him.

Praise the Lord!

Sixth Portion

Genesis Chapter 21

22Now it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol his general said to Abraham, saying, "God is with you in all that you do.23And now, swear to me here by God, that you will not lie to me or to my son or to my grandson; according to the kindness that I have done with you, you shall do with me, and with the land wherein you have sojourned."24And Abraham said, "I will swear."25And Abraham contended with Abimelech about the well of water that the servants of Abimelech had forcibly seized.26And Abimelech said, "I do not know who did this thing, neither did you tell me, nor did I hear [of it] until today. "27And Abraham took flocks and cattle, and gave them to Abimelech, and they both formed a covenant.28And Abraham placed seven ewe lambs by themselves.29And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What are these seven ewe lambs, which you have placed by themselves?"30And he said, "For these seven ewe lambs you shall take from my hand, in order that it be to me for a witness that I dug this well."31Therefore, he named that place Beer sheba, for there they both swore.32And they formed a covenant in Beer-sheba, and Abimelech and Phicol his general arose, and they returned to the land of the Philistines.33And he planted an eishel in Beer-Sheba, and he called there in the name of the Lord, the God of the world.34And Abraham dwelt in the land of the Philistines for many days.

Friday

Colossians 3:12–17 (NLT):

12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Seventh Portion

Genesis Chapter 22

1And it came to pass after these things, that God tested Abraham, and He said to him, "Abraham," and he said, "Here I am."2And He said, "Please take your son, your only one, whom you love, yea, Isaac, and go away to the land of Moriah and bring him up there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains, of which I will tell you."3And Abraham arose early in the morning, and he saddled his donkey, and he took his two young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for a burnt offering, and he arose and went to the place of which God had told him.4On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.5And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder, and we will prostrate ourselves and return to you."6And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering, and he placed [it] upon his son Isaac, and he took into his hand the fire and the knife, and they both went together.7And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and he said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"8And Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And they both went together.9And they came to the place of which God had spoken to him, and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and he bound Isaac his son and placed him on the altar upon the wood.10And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife, to slaughter his son.11And an angel of God called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham! Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."12And he said, "Do not stretch forth your hand to the lad, nor do the slightest thing to him, for now I know that you are a God fearing man, and you did not withhold your son, your only one, from Me."13And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and he saw, and lo! there was a ram, [and] after [that] it was caught in a tree by its horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.14And Abraham named that place, The Lord will see, as it is said to this day: On the mountain, the Lord will be seen.15And an angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven.16And he said, "By Myself have I sworn, says the Lord, that because you have done this thing and you did not withhold your son, your only one,17That I will surely bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand that is on the seashore, and your descendants will inherit the cities of their enemies.18And through your children shall be blessed all the nations of the world, because you hearkened to My voice."19And Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beer sheba; and Abraham remained in Beer sheba.20And it came to pass after these matters, that it was told to Abraham saying: "Behold Milcah, she also bore sons to Nahor your brother.21Uz, his first born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel, the father of Aram.22And Kesed and Hazo and Pildash and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.23And Bethuel begot Rebecca." These eight did Milcah bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.24And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, had also given birth to Tebah and Gaham and Tahash and Maacah.

Saturday

Psalm 149:1–9 (NLT):

1 Praise the Lord!

Sing to the Lord a new song.

Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.

2 O Israel, rejoice in your Maker.

O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King.

3 Praise his name with dancing,

accompanied by tambourine and harp.

4 For the Lord delights in his people;

he crowns the humble with victory.

5 Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them.

Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.

6 Let the praises of God be in their mouths,

and a sharp sword in their hands—

7 to execute vengeance on the nations

and punishment on the peoples,

8 to bind their kings with shackles

and their leaders with iron chains,

9 to execute the judgment written against them.

This is the glorious privilege of his faithful ones.

Praise the Lord!

Maftir Portion

Genesis Chapter 22

20And it came to pass after these matters, that it was told to Abraham saying: "Behold Milcah, she also bore sons to Nahor your brother.21Uz, his first born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel, the father of Aram.22And Kesed and Hazo and Pildash and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.23And Bethuel begot Rebecca." These eight did Milcah bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.24And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, had also given birth to Tebah and Gaham and Tahash and Maacah.

Haftarah

II Kings Chapter 4

1Now a woman, of the wives of the disciples of the prophets, cried out to Elisha, saying, "Your servant, my husband, has died, and you know that your servant did fear the Lord; and the creditor has come to take my two children for himself as slaves."2And Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me what you have in the house." And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing at all in the house except a jug of oil."3And he said, "Borrow vessels for yourself from outside, from all your neighbors; do not borrow only a few empty vessels.4And you shall come and close the door about yourself and about your sons, and you shall pour upon all these vessels; and the full one you shall carry away."5And she went away from him and closed the door about herself and about her sons; they were bringing [vessels] to her and she was pouring.6And it was when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel," and he said to her, "There is no other vessel." And the oil stopped.7And she came and told the man of God: and he said, "Go sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons will live with the remainder."8And it was that day that Elisha went as far as Shunem, and there was a prominent woman who prevailed upon him to eat a meal; and it was, whenever he would pass, he would stop there to eat a meal.9And she said to her husband, "Behold now I know that he is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly.10Now let us make a small walled upper chamber, and place there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp; and it will be that when he comes to us, he will turn into there.11And it was one day that he went there, that he turned into the upper chamber and lay down there.12And he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunemitess;" and he called her, and she stood before him.13And he said to him, "Please say to her, 'Behold you have busied yourself on our account with all this trouble. What is there to do for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or to the general of the army?' " And she said, "I dwell in the midst of my people."14And he said, "Now what can we do for her? " And Gehazi said, "Indeed, she has no son, and her husband is old."15And he said, "Summon her," and he summoned her, and she stood at the doorway.16And he said, "At this time next year, when you will be alive like now, you will be embracing a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God, do not fail your maidservant."17And the woman conceived and bore a son, at this time a year later, which Elisha had spoken to her.18And the child grew up; and it was one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers.19And he said to his father, "My head! My head!" And he said to the servant, "Carry him to his mother."20And he carried him and brought him to his mother, and he sat on her knees until noon, and he died.21And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and she closed about him and left.22And she called her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and one of the she-asses; and I will run up to the man of God and return."23And he said, "Why are you going to him today; it is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath." And she said, "It's all right."24And she saddled the she-ass, and she said to her servant, "Drive and go forward. Don't keep back from riding because of me unless I tell you."25And she went and came to the man of God, to Mt. Carmel; and it was when the man of God saw her from afar, that he said to Gehazi his servant, "Here is that Shunemmitess.26Now please run toward her, and say to her, 'Are you well? Is your husband well? Is the child well?' " And she said, "We are well."27And she came to the man of God to the mountain, and she took hold of his feet; and Gehazi approached to push her away. Now the man of God said, "Let her be, for her soul is bitter to her, and the Lord hid it from me and did not tell me."28And she said, "Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, 'Do not mislead me?' "29And he said to Gehazi, "Gird your loins and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him: and you shall place my staff on the lad's face."30And the lad's mother said, "As the Lord lives and by your life, I will not leave you." And he rose and went after her.31And Gehazi went ahead of them, and he placed the staff on the lad's face, and there was no sound nor any attention; and he returned toward him and told him saying, "The lad has not awakened."32And Elisha came into the house, and behold the lad was dead, laid out on his bed.33And he came and closed the door about both of them; and he prayed to the Lord.34And he went up and lay on the child, and placed his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his palms on his palms, and he prostrated himself upon him: and the child's flesh became warm.35And he returned and walked in the house once here and once there, and he went up and prostrated himself upon him: and the lad sneezed up to seven times, and the lad opened his eyes.36And he summoned Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunemmitess." And he called her, and she came to him, and he said, "Pick up your son."37And she came and fell at his feet and bowed to the ground; and she picked up her son and departed.