2 Kings 4:1-7
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] 4 Go and close the door behind you and your sons. Pour the olive oil into all the containers;[f] set aside each one when you have filled it.” 5 So she left him and closed the door behind her and her sons. As they were bringing the containers to her, she was pouring the olive oil. 6 When the containers were full, she said to one of her sons,[g] “Bring me another container.” But he answered her, “There are no more.” Then the olive oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told the prophet.[h] He said, “Go, sell the olive oil. Repay your creditor, and then you and your sons can live off the rest of the profit.”
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 4:4 tn Heb “all these vessels.”
- 2 Kings 4:6 tn Heb “to her son.”
- 2 Kings 4:7 tn Heb “man of God” (also in vv. 16, 22, 25, 27 [twice]).
2 Kings 4:1-7
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Elisha and the Widow’s Oil
4 Now the wife of a member of the company of prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but a creditor has come to take my two children as slaves.”(A) 2 Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” 3 He said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels—and not just a few. 4 Then go in, shut the door behind you and your children, and start pouring into all these vessels; when each is full, set it aside.” 5 So she left him and shut the door behind her and her children; they kept bringing vessels to her, and she kept pouring. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” But he said to her, “There are no more.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your children can live on the rest.”(B)
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