a morsel of bread in thine hand." And she said, "As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in, and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it and die." And Elijah said unto her, "Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth." And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah. وو And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, "What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?" And he said unto her, "Give me thy son.' And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried unto the Lord, and said, "O Lord my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?" And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, “O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again." And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, "See, thy son liveth." And the woman said to Elijah, "Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth. The Story of the Mantle of Elijah and the Chariot of Fire (From the 2d Chapter of 2 KINGS.) AND it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah and Elisha went forth together. And twice as they went by the way, Elijah said unto Elisha, "Tarry here I pray thee while I go whither the Lord hath sent me." But Elisha would not leave Elijah: and twice the sons of the prophets came forth and said unto Elisha, "Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thee to day?" And he said, "Yea, I know it; hold your peace." And again a third time, Elijah said, "Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee, for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan." But Elisha said, "As the Lord liveth, and as my soul liveth, I will not leave thee." And they two went on. And fifty of the sons of the prophets went and stood to view afar off. And they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle and wrapped it together and smote the waters and they were divided hither and thither so that they two went over on dry THE MANTLE OF ELIJAH AND CHARIOT OF FIRE. 137 ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, chat Elijah said unto Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from thee;" and Elisha said, "I pray thee let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me." And Elisha said, "Thou hast asked a hard thing; nevertheless if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not it shall not be so." And it came to pass as they still went on, and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up in a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof!" And he saw him no more; and he took hold of his own clothes and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters and said, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither; and Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets saw it, they said, "The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha." And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him. The Story of Elisha and the Widow's Cruse of Oil. (From the 4th Chapter of 2 KINGS.) Now there cried unto Elisha a certain woman, saying, "My husband is dead, and his creditor is come to take my two sons to be bondsmen." And Elisha said unto her, "What shall I do for you? What hast thou in the house?" And she said, Nothing but a pot of oil." Then he said unto her, "Go, borrow vessels of thy neighbors, and when thou art come in thine house, shut the door and pour out into all the vessels and set aside those which are full." 66 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and her sons who brought the vessels unto her; and she poured out. 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 in the house more." And the oil stayed. 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 on the rest." 66 |