17. But, as Elisha had said, at about that time the following year she gave birth to a son.
18. Some years later, at harvest time, the boy went out one morning to join his father, who was in the field with the harvest workers.
19. Suddenly he cried out to his father, “My head hurts! My head hurts!”“Carry the boy to his mother,” the father said to a servant.
20. The servant carried the boy back to his mother, who held him in her lap until noon, at which time he died.
21. She carried him up to Elisha's room, put him on the bed and left, closing the door behind her.
22. Then she called her husband and said to him, “Send a servant here with a donkey. I need to go to the prophet Elisha. I'll be back as soon as I can.”
23. “Why do you have to go today?” her husband asked. “It's neither a Sabbath nor a New Moon Festival.”“Never mind,” she answered.
24. Then she had the donkey saddled, and ordered the servant, “Make the donkey go as fast as it can, and don't slow down, unless I tell you to.”
25. So she set out, and went to Mount Carmel, where Elisha was.Elisha saw her coming while she was still some distance away, and said to his servant Gehazi, “Look — there comes the woman from Shunem!
26. Hurry to her and find out if everything is all right with her, her husband, and her son.”She told Gehazi that everything was all right,
27. but when she came to Elisha she bowed down before him and took hold of his feet. Gehazi was about to push her away, but Elisha said, “Leave her alone. Can't you see she's deeply distressed? And the Lord has not told me a thing about it.”
28. The woman said to him, “Sir, did I ask you for a son? Didn't I tell you not to raise my hopes?”
29. Elisha turned to Gehazi and said, “Hurry! Take my stick and go. Don't stop to greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, don't take time to answer. Go straight to the house and hold my stick over the boy.”
30. The woman said to Elisha, “I swear by my loyalty to the living Lord and to you that I will not leave you!” So the two of them started back together.