2 Reis 4

Elisha and the Widow’s Oil

1 Now the wife of one of the *See ch. 2:3sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, *[Lev. 25:39-41;1 Sam. 22:2;Neh. 5:5;Matt. 18:25]but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves." 2 And Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?" And she said, "Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil." 3 Then he said, "Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. 4 Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside." 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." And he said to her, "There is not another." Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She came and told the *See Deut. 33:1man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest."