In very truth I tell you there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were closed for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land;

He went on board one of the boats which belonged to Simon, and asked him to push out a little way from land. Then he sat down and continued to teach the crowd from the boat.

So when they had brought their boats to land they left everything and followed him.

"And if you lend to those from whom you are hoping to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so as to get as much back.

"But you must love even your enemies and be kind to them, And lend, despairing of no man. Then your reward will be great, And you will be the sons of the Most High; For he is kind even to the ungrateful and to the evil.

He also said to them. "Suppose you have a friend and you go to him, 'My friend, lend me three loaves of bread,

"It is fit neither for the land nor the dung-hill; men cast it out. He who has ears to hear let him listen to this!"

"After he had spent everything there came a terrible famine in the land, and he began to be in want.

"So he went and hired to one of the citizens of that land, who sent him out into the fields to feed swine.

"Woe to women with child and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For sore anguish will come upon the land, and wrath upon all his people.

It was now about the sixth hour, and a darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.