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2 Kings 4:1-3
New English Translation
2 Kings 4:1-3
New English Translation
Elisha Helps a Widow and Her Sons
4 Now a wife of one of the prophets[a] appealed[b] to Elisha for help, saying, “Your servant, my husband is dead. You know that your servant was a loyal follower of the Lord.[c] Now the creditor is coming to take away my two boys to be his servants.” 2 Elisha said to her, “What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a small jar of olive oil.” 3 He said, “Go and ask all your neighbors for empty containers.[d] Get as many as you can.[e]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Kings 4:1 tn Heb “a wife from among the wives of the sons of the prophets.”
- 2 Kings 4:1 tn Or “cried out.”
- 2 Kings 4:1 tn Heb “your servant feared the Lord.” “Fear” refers here to obedience and allegiance, the products of healthy respect for the Lord’s authority.
- 2 Kings 4:3 tn Heb “Go, ask for containers from outside, from all your neighbors, empty containers.”
- 2 Kings 4:3 tn Heb “Do not borrow just a few.”
2 Kings 4:1-3
New International Version
2 Kings 4:1-3
New International Version
The Widow’s Olive Oil
4 The wife of a man from the company(A) of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor(B) is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”
2 Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”
“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”(C)
3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.
New English Translation (NET)
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