Elisha and the Widow’s Oil(A)

A certain woman of the wives of (B)the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming (C)to take my two sons to be his slaves.”

So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; (D)do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”

So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.”

And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

Elisha Raises the Shunammite’s Son(E)

Now it happened one day that Elisha went to (F)Shunem, where there was a [a]notable woman, and she [b]persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. And she said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. 10 Please, let us make [c]a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.”

11 And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there. 12 Then he said to (G)Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite woman.” When he had called her, she stood before him. 13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?’ ”

She answered, “I dwell among my own people.”

14 So he said, “What then is to be done for her?”

And Gehazi answered, “Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.”

15 So he said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16 Then he said, [d]“About this time next year you shall embrace a son.”

And she said, “No, my lord. Man of God, (H)do not lie to your maidservant!”

17 But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 4:8 Lit. great
  2. 2 Kings 4:8 Lit. laid hold on him
  3. 2 Kings 4:10 Or a small walled upper chamber
  4. 2 Kings 4:16 Lit. About this season, as the time of life

有 一 個 先 知 門 徒 的 妻 哀 求 以 利 沙 說 : 你 僕 人 ─ 我 丈 夫 死 了 , 他 敬 畏 耶 和 華 是 你 所 知 道 的 。 現 在 有 債 主 來 , 要 取 我 兩 個 兒 子 作 奴 僕 。

以 利 沙 問 他 說 : 我 可 以 為 你 做 甚 麼 呢 ? 你 告 訴 我 , 你 家 裡 有 甚 麼 ? 他 說 : 婢 女 家 中 除 了 一 瓶 油 之 外 , 沒 有 甚 麼 。

以 利 沙 說 : 你 去 , 向 你 眾 鄰 舍 借 空 器 皿 , 不 要 少 借 ;

回 到 家 裡 , 關 上 門 , 你 和 你 兒 子 在 裡 面 將 油 倒 在 所 有 的 器 皿 裡 , 倒 滿 了 的 放 在 一 邊 。

於 是 , 婦 人 離 開 以 利 沙 去 了 , 關 上 門 , 自 己 和 兒 子 在 裡 面 ; 兒 子 把 器 皿 拿 來 , 他 就 倒 油 。

器 皿 都 滿 了 , 他 對 兒 子 說 : 再 給 我 拿 器 皿 來 。 兒 子 說 : 再 沒 有 器 皿 了 。 油 就 止 住 了 。

婦 人 去 告 訴 神 人 , 神 人 說 : 你 去 賣 油 還 債 , 所 剩 的 你 和 你 兒 子 可 以 靠 著 度 日 。

一 日 , 以 利 沙 走 到 書 念 , 在 那 裡 有 一 個 大 戶 的 婦 人 強 留 他 吃 飯 。 此 後 , 以 利 沙 每 從 那 裡 經 過 就 進 去 吃 飯 。

婦 人 對 丈 夫 說 : 我 看 出 那 常 從 我 們 這 裡 經 過 的 是 聖 潔 的 神 人 。

10 我 們 可 以 為 他 在 牆 上 蓋 一 間 小 樓 , 在 其 中 安 放 床 榻 、 桌 子 、 椅 子 、 燈 臺 , 他 來 到 我 們 這 裡 , 就 可 以 住 在 其 間 。

11 一 日 , 以 利 沙 來 到 那 裡 , 就 進 了 那 樓 躺 臥 。

12 以 利 沙 吩 咐 僕 人 基 哈 西 說 : 你 叫 這 書 念 婦 人 來 。 他 就 把 婦 人 叫 了 來 , 婦 人 站 在 以 利 沙 面 前 。

13 以 利 沙 吩 咐 僕 人 說 : 你 對 他 說 : 你 既 為 我 們 費 了 許 多 心 思 , 可 以 為 你 做 甚 麼 呢 ? 你 向 王 或 元 帥 有 所 求 的 沒 有 ? 他 回 答 說 : 我 在 我 本 鄉 安 居 無 事 。

14 以 利 沙 對 僕 人 說 : 究 竟 當 為 他 做 甚 麼 呢 ? 基 哈 西 說 : 他 沒 有 兒 子 , 他 丈 夫 也 老 了 。

15 以 利 沙 說 : 再 叫 他 來 。 於 是 叫 了 他 來 , 他 就 站 在 門 口 。

16 以 利 沙 說 : 明 年 到 這 時 候 , 你 必 抱 一 個 兒 子 。 他 說 : 神 人 , 我 主 啊 , 不 要 那 樣 欺 哄 婢 女 。

17 婦 人 果 然 懷 孕 , 到 了 那 時 候 , 生 了 一 個 兒 子 , 正 如 以 利 沙 所 說 的 。

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The Widow’s Olive Oil

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.”

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)

Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”

But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

She went and told the man of God,(D) and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

The Shunammite’s Son Restored to Life

One day Elisha went to Shunem.(E) And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay(F) there whenever he comes to us.”

11 One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.”(G) So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’”

She replied, “I have a home among my own people.”

14 “What can be done for her?” Elisha asked.

Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.”

15 Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 “About this time(H) next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.”

“No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!”

17 But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.

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