王下4:1-7

遊花園式結構:
1->2->3->3'->2'->1'

有一個女人，是先知弟子之妻，前來哀求以利沙說：「你僕人我丈夫過身了，他敬畏耶和華你是知道的。1如今債主臨門，要帶走我兩個兒子為奴抵債。」

以利沙問她：「那我能為你做甚麼？告訴我，你家裡還有甚麼？」女人答道：「奴婢家中甚麼也沒有，除了一瓶香膏油。」以利沙說：「2去吧，向四鄰八舍都借些器皿，要空的，多多益善。3然後回家關上門，跟兒子在裡面 把油斟到所有器皿裡，滿了的放一旁。」

3'於是那女人告辭，回去關上門，跟兒子在裡面——兒子一直給她遞器皿，她就一直斟個不停。2'器皿都裝滿了，他對兒子說：「另一個！」兒子答道：「沒有了。」油也再斟不出來。

1'女人回來告訴神人，神人答道：「去吧，把油賣了還債；剩下的，你和兒子可賴以維生。」

（據NJPS修訂, 參和合本及思高本. 第二段多多益善一詞, NRSV/NJB作 not just a few/not too few, 別借得太少）

另見：郭秀娟，誰是真正的英雄？
郭文說那女人回去後的確依神人吩咐, 借來了器皿, 只是經文尚簡潔, 省略了. 我覺得這說法實在教人生疑.

NJPS:

A certain woman, the wife of one of the disciples of the prophets, cried out to Elisha: “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know how your servant revered the Lord. And now a creditor is coming to seize my two children as slaves.” 2Elisha said to her, “What can I do for you? Tell me, what have you in the house?” She replied, “Your maidservant has nothing at all in the house, except a jug of oil.” 3“Go,” he said, “and borrow vessels outside, from all your neighbors, empty vessels, as many as you can. 4Then go in and shut the door behind you and your children, and pour [oil] into all those vessels, removing each one as it is filled.”

5She went away and shut the door behind her and her children. They kept bringing [vessels] to her and she kept pouring. 6When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” He answered her, “There are no more vessels”; and the oil stopped. 7She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your children can live on the rest.”