« | 2 Kings 4 | » |
1 Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead, and thou know that thy servant feared LORD, and the creditor has come to take my two children to him to be bondmen.
2 And Elisha said to her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what have thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid has not anything in the house except a pot of oil.
3 Then he said, Go, borrow for thee vessels abroad from all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
4 And thou shall go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels, and thou shall set aside that which is full.
5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons. They brought the vessels to her, and she poured out.
6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said to her, There is no more a vessel. And the oil halted.
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 sons from the rest.
8 And it fell on a day that Elisha passed to Shunem where there was a prominent woman. And she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as often as he passed by he turned in there to eat bread.
9 And she said to her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God who passes by us continually.
10 Let us make, I pray thee, a little chamber on the wall. And let us set a bed for him there, and a table, and a seat, and a candlestick. And it shall be, when he comes to us, that he shall turn in there.
11 And it fell on a day that he came there, and he turned into the chamber and lay there.
12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.
13 And he said to him, Say now to her, Behold, thou have been caring for us with all this care. What is to be done for thee? Would thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the army? And she answered, I dwell among my own people.
14 And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Truly she has no son, and her husband is old.
15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.
16 And he said, At this season, when the time comes round, thou shall embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie to thy handmaid.
17 And the woman conceived, and bore a son at that season, when the time came round, as Elisha had said to her.
18 And when the child was grown, it fell on a day that he went out to his father to the reapers.
19 And he said to his father, My head, my head. And he said to his servant, Carry him to his mother.
20 And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
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.
22 And she called to her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the servants, and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.
23 And he said, Why will thou go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.
24 Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward. Do not restrain my riding unless I bid thee.
25 So she went, and came to 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 the Shunammite.
26 Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say to her, Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well.
27 And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to thrust her away, but the man of God said, Let her alone, for her soul is vexed within her, and LORD has hid it from me, and has not told me.
28 Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? Did I not say, do not deceive me?
29 Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go thy way. If thou meet any man, do not salute him, and if any salute thee, do not answer him again. And lay my staff upon the face of the child.
30 And the mother of the child said, As LORD lives, and as thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.
31 And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child, but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Therefore he returned to meet him, and told him, saying, The child has not awakened.
32 And when Elisha came into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.
33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon the two of them, and prayed to LORD.
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 he stretched himself upon him, and the flesh of the child grew warm.
35 Then he returned, and walked in the house once to and fro, and went up, and stretched himself upon him. And the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
36 And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, Take up thy son.
37 Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground. And she took up her son, and went out.
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 to his servant, Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets.
39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered wild gourds from it, his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage, for they did not know them.
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 man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat of it.
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.
42 And a man came from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And he said, Give to the people that they may eat.
43 And his servant said, What, should I set this before a hundred men? But he said, Give to the people that they may eat, for thus says LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave of it.
44 So he set it before them, and they ate, and left of it according to the word of LORD.
A Conservative Version (ACV)
A Conservative Version (ACV) of the Bible is a translation that aims to provide a conservative and literal interpretation of the biblical texts. Developed with a focus on maintaining fidelity to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts, the ACV emphasizes a word-for-word translation methodology. The goal is to preserve the subtleties and nuances of the original languages as accurately as possible. This approach results in a version of the Bible that seeks to remain true to the text's original meaning and context, appealing to readers who prioritize precision and doctrinal integrity.
The text of the Old Testament for A Conservative Version (ACV) came from the American Standard Version published in 1901. The main changes done for the ACV were the replacement of archaic words with more modern ones, except for the old English pronouns, which were kept because they are more communicative. The New Testament was translated from, The New Testament in the Original Greek According to the Byzantine-Majority Text form. That edition was compiled by Maurice A. Robinson and William G. Pierpont, and is of the Textus Receptus tradition from which came the King James Version.
The ACV was created in response to what its translators saw as a trend toward more liberal or dynamic-equivalence translations that prioritize readability over literal accuracy. The translators aimed to produce a text that adheres closely to the original languages, even if this makes the translation more challenging for contemporary readers. This reflects their belief in the importance of preserving the exact words and phrases used in the original scriptures. The ACV also employs traditional theological terminology and phrasing, avoiding modern slang and colloquial expressions in favor of language that conveys the gravity and solemnity of the biblical message.
While the ACV has found appreciation among conservative circles, it has faced criticism for its perceived rigidity and difficulty. Critics argue that its strict adherence to a word-for-word translation can make the text less readable and accessible, potentially alienating readers unfamiliar with the original languages or who prefer a more fluid translation. Despite these criticisms, the ACV remains a valued translation for those who prioritize a conservative and literal approach to Bible interpretation, supporting their doctrinal views with a text they believe closely reflects the original scriptures.