Neltje Blanchan et al - "Wild Flowers Worth Knowing"

William Shakespeare - "The Merry Wives of Windsor"

William Shakespeare - "The Tragedy of Othello, Moor of Venice"

Kathleen Norris - "Saturday's Child"

The King James Bible

K >> King James >> The King James Bible




3:13 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with
thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of
thy mother.

And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called
these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

3:14 And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I
stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat
the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.

3:15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the
minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.

3:16 And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of
ditches.

3:17 For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye
see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may
drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.

3:18 And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will
deliver the Moabites also into your hand.

3:19 And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and
shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every
good piece of land with stones.

3:20 And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was
offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the
country was filled with water.

3:21 And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to
fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armour,
and upward, and stood in the border.

3:22 And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the
water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as
blood: 3:23 And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain,
and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.

3:24 And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up
and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went
forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.

3:25 And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land
cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the
wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth
left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and
smote it.

3:26 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for
him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break
through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not.

3:27 Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his
stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there
was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and
returned to their own land.

4:1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the
prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou
knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come
to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

4:2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what
hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any
thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

4:3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy
neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

4:4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and
upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou
shalt set aside that which is full.

4:5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her
sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.

4:6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said
unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is
not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

4:7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the
oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

4:8 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 thither to eat bread.

4:9 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is
an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.

4:10 Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, 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 cometh to us, that he shall turn
in thither.

4:11 And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into
the chamber, and lay there.

4:12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when
he had called her, she stood before him.

4:13 And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been
careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee?
wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the
host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.

4:14 And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi
answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.

4:15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in
the door.

4:16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life,
thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God,
do not lie unto thine handmaid.

4:17 And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that
Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.

4:18 And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out
to his father to the reapers.

4:19 And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a
lad, Carry him to his mother.

4:20 And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat
on her knees till noon, and then died.

4:21 And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and
shut the door upon him, and went out.

4:22 And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee,
one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man
of God, and come again.

4:23 And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither
new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.

4:24 Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go
forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.

4:25 So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it
came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to
Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: 4:26 Run now, I
pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it
well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It
is well: 4:27 And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she
caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And
the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her:
and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.

4:28 Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do
not deceive me? 4:29 Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and
take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man,
salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay
my staff upon the face of the child.

4:30 And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy
soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.

4:31 And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the
face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore
he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not
awaked.

4:32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was
dead, and laid upon his bed.

4:33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and
prayed unto the LORD.

4:34 And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon
his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands:
and stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed
warm.

4:35 Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went
up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times,
and the child opened his eyes.

4:36 And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he
called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy
son.

4:37 Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the
ground, and took up her son, and went out.

4:38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the
land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he
said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for
the sons of the prophets.

4:39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild
vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and
shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.

4:40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as
they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou
man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.

4:41 But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he
said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no
harm in the pot.

4:42 And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of
God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears
of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that
they may eat.

4:43 And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred
men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus
saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.

4:44 So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof,
according to the word of the LORD.

5:1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great
man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given
deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was
a leper.

5:2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away
captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on
Naaman's wife.

5:3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the
prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

5:4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the
maid that is of the land of Israel.

5:5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter
unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten
talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of
raiment.

5:6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when
this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my
servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.

5:7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter,
that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make
alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his
leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a
quarrel against me.

5:8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king
of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying,
Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he
shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

5:9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at
the door of the house of Elisha.

5:10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in
Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou
shalt be clean.

5:11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought,
He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the
LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the
leper.

5:12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all
the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he
turned and went away in a rage.

5:13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My
father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou
not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash,
and be clean? 5:14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times
in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh
came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

5:15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and
came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there
is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee,
take a blessing of thy servant.

5:16 But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will
receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

5:17 And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to
thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will
henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods,
but unto the LORD.

5:18 In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master
goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my
hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself
in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.

5:19 And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a
little way.

5:20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold,
my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his
hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after
him, and take somewhat of him.

5:21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running
after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is
all well? 5:22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me,
saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two
young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a
talent of silver, and two changes of garments.

5:23 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him,
and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of
garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them
before him.

5:24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and
bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.

5:25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto
him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no
whither.

5:26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man
turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive
money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and
sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? 5:27 The leprosy
therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for
ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

6:1 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the
place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.

6:2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a
beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he
answered, Go ye.

6:3 And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants.
And he answered, I will go.

6:4 So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down
wood.

6:5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water:
and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.

6:6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the
place.

And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did
swim.

6:7 Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand,
and took it.

6:8 Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel
with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.

6:9 And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware
that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come
down.

6:10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God
told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor
twice.

6:11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for
this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye
not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? 6:12 And one of
his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that
is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest
in thy bedchamber.

6:13 And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch
him.

And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

6:14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host:
and they came by night, and compassed the city about.

6:15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone
forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and
chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we
do? 6:16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more
than they that be with them.

6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes,
that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he
saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire
round about Elisha.

6:18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and
said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote
them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

6:19 And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this
the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But
he led them to Samaria.

6:20 And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that
Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And
the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in
the midst of Samaria.

6:21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My
father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? 6:22 And he answered,
Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast
taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water
before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

6:23 And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten
and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the
bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

6:24 And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria
gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

6:25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they
besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of
silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of
silver.

6:26 And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there
cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.

6:27 And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help
thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? 6:28 And the
king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman
said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will
eat my son to morrow.

6:29 So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the
next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.

6:30 And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman,
that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the
people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

6:31 Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of
Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

6:32 But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the
king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he
said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to
take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door,
and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master's feet
behind him? 6:33 And while he yet talked with them, behold, the
messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the
LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer? 7:1 Then Elisha
said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow
about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel,
and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

7:2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God,
and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this
thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but
shalt not eat thereof.

7:3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate:
and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? 7:4 If we
say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and
we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now
therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they
save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

7:5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the
Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of
Syria, behold, there was no man there.

7:6 For the LORD had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of
chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and
they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us
the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come
upon us.

7:7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their
tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and
fled for their life.

7:8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they
went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver,
and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and
entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid
it.

7:9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day
of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning
light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we
may go and tell the king's household.

7:10 So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they
told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold,
there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and
asses tied, and the tents as they were.

7:11 And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house
within.

7:12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I
will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we
be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves
in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch
them alive, and get into the city.

7:13 And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray
thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city,
(behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it:
behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites
that are consumed:) and let us send and see.

7:14 They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after
the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.

7:15 And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was
full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their
haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.

7:16 And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So
a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of
barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

7:17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have
the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and
he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down
to him.

7:18 And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king,
saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine
flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of
Samaria: 7:19 And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now,
behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing
be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt
not eat thereof.

7:20 And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the
gate, and he died.

8:1 Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to
life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn
wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine;
and it shall also come upon the land seven years.

8:2 And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God:
and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the
Philistines seven years.

8:3 And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman
returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry
unto the king for her house and for her land.

8:4 And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God,
saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath
done.

8:5 And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had
restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he
had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her
land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is
her son, whom Elisha restored to life.

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