1 Kings 17

Chapter 17

Elijah Fed by Ravens

1 Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”
2 Then the LORD said to Elijah,3 “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River.

4 Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”
5 So Elijah did as the LORD told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan.6 The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook.

7 But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.

The Widow at Zarephath

8 Then the LORD said to Elijah,

9 “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”
10 So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?”

11 As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.”

12 But she said, “I swear by the LORD your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”
13 But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son.

14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the LORD sends rain and the crops grow again!”
15 So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days.

16 There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah.
17 Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died.

18 Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?”
19 But Elijah replied, “Give me your son.” And he took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and laid the body on his bed.

20 Then Elijah cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?”
21 And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this child’s life return to him.”22 The LORD heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived!

23 Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!”

24 Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the LORD truly speaks through you.”

1 KINGS 17

Elijah Stops the Rain

1  t Elijah was a prophet from Tishbe in Gilead.t One day he went to King Ahab and said, “I'm a servant of the living [Lord], the God of Israel. And I swear in his name that it won't rain until I say so. There won't even be any dew on the ground.”
2 Later, the [Lord] said to Elijah, 3 “Leave and go across the Jordan River so you can hide near Cherith Creek.

4 You can drink water from the creek, and eat the food I've told the ravens to bring you.”
5 Elijah obeyed the [Lord] and went to live near Cherith Creek. 6 Ravens brought him bread and meat twice a day, and he drank water from the creek.

7 But after a while, it dried up because there was no rain.

Elijah Helps a Widow //in Zarephath

9 t “Go to the town of Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I've told a widow in that town to give you food.”
10 When Elijah came near the town gate of Zarephath, he saw a widow gathering sticks for a fire. “Would you please bring me a cup of water?” he asked.

11 As she left to get it, he asked, “Would you also please bring me a piece of bread?”

12 The widow answered, “In the name of the living [Lord] your God, I swear that I don't have any bread. All I have is a handful of flour and a little olive oil. I'm on my way home now with these few sticks to cook what I have for my son and me. After that, we will starve to death.”
13 Elijah said, “Everything will be fine. Do what you said. Go home and fix something for you and your son. But first, please make a small piece of bread and bring it to me.

14 The [Lord] God of Israel has promised that your jar of flour won't run out and your bottle of oil won't dry up before he sends rain for the crops.”
15 The widow went home and did exactly what Elijah had told her. She and Elijah and her family had enough food for a long time.

16 The [Lord] kept the promise that his prophet Elijah had made, and she did not run out of flour or oil.

Elijah Brings a Boy //Back to Life

17 Several days later, the son of the woman who owned the houset got sick, and he kept getting worse, until finally he died.

18 The woman shouted at Elijah, “What have I done to you? I thought you were God's prophet. Did you come here to cause the death of my son as a reminder that I've sinned against God?”t
19 “Bring me your son,” Elijah said. Then he took the boy from her arms and carried him upstairs to the room where he was staying. Elijah laid the boy on his bed 20 and prayed, “[Lord] God, why did you do such a terrible thing to this woman? She's letting me stay here, and now you've let her son die.”

21 t Elijah stretched himself out over the boy three times, while praying, “[Lord] God, bring this boy back to life!”
22 The [Lord] answered Elijah's prayer, and the boy started breathing again.

23 Elijah picked him up and carried him downstairs. He gave the boy to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive.”
24 “You are God's prophet!” the woman replied. “Now I know that you really do speak for the [Lord].”