1 Kings 17

Elijah Predicts a Drought

1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the a inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, b "As the LORD God of Israel lives, c before whom I stand, d there shall not be dew nor rain e these years, except at my word." 2 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 3 "Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 4 "And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the f ravens to feed you there." 5 So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. 7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

The Widow of Zarephath

8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9 "Arise, go to g Zarephath, which belongs to h Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink." 11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." 12 So she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a 1 jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and i die." 13 And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 14 "For thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.' " 15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.

Elijah Raises the Widow's Son

17 Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so 2 serious that 3 there was no breath left in him. 18 So she said to Elijah, j "What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?" 19 And he said to her, "Give me your son." So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?" 21 k And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, I pray, let this child's soul come back to him." 22 Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he l revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, "See, your son lives!" 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now by this m I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth."

  1. Cross References
    Judges 12:4
    Now Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, "You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites.
  2. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:10
    As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you; and when they said, ' He is not here, ' he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they could not find you.
    1 Kings 22:14
    And Micaiah said, " As the LORD lives, whatever the LORD says to me, that I will speak.
    2 Kings 3:14
    And Elisha said, " As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you.
    2 Kings 5:20
    But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, "Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the LORD lives, I will run after him and take something from him.
  3. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 10:8
    At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day.
  4. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:1
    And it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.
    James 5:17
    Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
  5. Cross References
    Luke 4:25
    But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land.
  6. Cross References
    Job 38:41
    Who provides food for the raven, When its young ones cry to God, And wander about for lack of food?
  7. Cross References
    Luke 4:25
    But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land.
    Luke 4:26
    But to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
  8. Cross References
    2 Samuel 24:6
    Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi; they came to Dan Jaan and around to Sidon.
  9. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 28:23
    And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron.
    Deuteronomy 28:24
    The LORD will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed.
  10. Cross References
    Luke 5:8
    When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!
  11. Cross References
    2 Kings 4:34
    And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm.
    2 Kings 4:35
    He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
    Acts 20:10
    But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, "Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.
  12. Cross References
    Luke 7:14
    Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise.
    Luke 7:15
    So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.
    Hebrews 11:35
    Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
  13. Cross References
    John 2:11
    This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
    John 3:2
    This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.
    John 16:30
    "Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God."
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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