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Read 1 Kings Chapter 17

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1And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

2And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

3Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

4And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

5So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

6And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

7And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

8And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

9Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

10So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

11And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

12And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

13And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

14For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.

15And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

17And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.

18And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?

19And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.

20And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?

21And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.

22And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.

23And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.

24And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.

You are readingKing James Version

Explanation

1 Kings 17

In short

The prophet Elijah announces a drought to King Ahab, then God protects him in two places: first at a brook where ravens feed him, then with a poor widow whose flour and oil never run out. When the widow's son dies, Elijah prays and brings him back to life, and the widow comes to believe in God.

What the text says

Verse 1: Elijah tells Ahab that no rain will fall except when he says so. Verses 2-4: God tells Elijah to hide by a brook east of the Jordan where ravens will feed him. Verse 5-6: He does this, and the ravens bring him bread and meat twice daily while he drinks from the brook. Verse 7: The brook dries up because there is no rain in the land. Verses 8-9: God sends him to a widow in Zarephath and says he has already told her to feed him. Verses 10-12: Elijah meets her gathering sticks; she admits she has almost nothing left, only a handful of flour and a little oil, and was about to cook a final meal before she and her son starve. Verses 13-14: Elijah asks her to feed him first, promising that God will keep her flour and oil from running out until rain comes. Verses 15-16: She obeys, and the food indeed does not run out. Verses 17-20: Her son becomes very ill and dies; she blames Elijah, asking if he came to punish her sin. Elijah takes the boy upstairs and prays to God. Verses 21-22: He stretches himself over the child three times, praying that the boy's life return, and God hears him. Verses 23-24: The boy revives; Elijah brings him to his mother and says he is alive. The widow then declares she knows Elijah is truly God's prophet and that God's word through him is truth.

Takeaways

  • God provides for his prophet and for those who trust him, even in scarcity.
  • Signs and answered prayers move people from doubt to faith in God.
  • Elijah acts as God's messenger, and the widow's faith in God's promise through him is what matters.

Explanation written with the help of AI. The Bible text above is not changed. Context and interpretation are flagged as such; always come back to the text itself.