1 Kings 17 - International Standard Version (ISV)

Elijah Calls for a Drought

17 Elijah the foreigner,[a] who was an alien resident from Gilead, told Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, in whose presence I’m standing, there will be neither dew nor rain these next several years, except when I say so.”

2 Later, this message came to him from the Lord: 3 “Leave here and go into hiding at the Wadi[b] Cherith, where it enters the Jordan River.[c] 4 You will be able to drink from that brook, and I’ve commanded some crows to sustain you there.”

5 So Elijah[d] left and did exactly what the Lord had told him to do—he went to live near the Wadi[e] Cherith, where it enters the Jordan River. 6 Crows would bring him bread and meat both in the morning and in the evening, and he would drink from the brook. 7 But after a while,[f] the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.

Elijah Visits the Widowed Mother of Zarephath

8 Then this message came to him from the Lord: 9 “Get up, move to Zarephath in Sidon, and stay there. Look! I’ve commanded a widow to sustain you there.”

10 So he got up and went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the entrance to the city, a widow was there gathering sticks. So he asked her, “Please, may I have some water in a cup so I can have a drink.” 11 While she was on her way to get the water, he called out to her, “Would you please also bring me a piece of bread while you’re at it?”[g]

12 “As the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have so much as a muffin, just a handful of flour in a bowl and some oil left in a bottle. Now I’m going to find some sticks so I can cook a last meal for my son and for me. Then we’re going to eat it and die.”

13 But Elijah told her, “You can stop being afraid. Go and do what you said, but first make me a muffin and bring it to me. Then make a meal for yourself and for your son, 14 because this is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘That jar of flour will not run out, nor will that bottle of oil become empty until the very day that the Lord sends rain on the surface of the ground.’”

15 So she went out and did precisely what Elijah told her to do. As a result, Elijah,[h] the widow,[i] and her son[j] were fed for days. 16 The jar of flour never ran out and the bottle of oil never became empty, just as the Lord had promised[k] through[l] Elijah.

Elijah Restores the Widow’s Son

17 Sometime later, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. In fact, his illness became so severe that he died.[m] 18 “What do we have in common, you man of God?” she accused Elijah. “You came to me so you could uncover my guilt! And you’re responsible for the death of my son!”

19 “Give me your son,” he replied. Then he took him from her lap, carried him upstairs to the room where he lived, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he called out to the Lord and asked him, “Lord my God, have you also brought evil to this dear widow with whom I am living as her guest? Have you caused the death of her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, please cause the soul of this little boy to return to him.”

22 The Lord listened to Elijah, and the soul of the little boy returned to him, and he revived. 23 Then Elijah took the little boy downstairs from the upper chamber back into the main house and delivered him to his mother. “Look,” Elijah told her, “your son is alive.”

24 The woman responded to Elijah, “Now at last I’ve really learned that you are a man of God and that what you have to say about the Lord[n] is the truth.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 17:1 Lit. Tishbite; or sojourner
  2. 1 Kings 17:3 I.e. a seasonal stream or river that channels water during rain seasons but is dry at other times
  3. 1 Kings 17:3 The Heb. lacks River; and so throughout the chapter
  4. 1 Kings 17:5 Lit. he
  5. 1 Kings 17:5 I.e. a seasonal stream or river that channels water during rain seasons but is dry at other times
  6. 1 Kings 17:7 Lit. But at the end of days
  7. 1 Kings 17:11 Lit. bread in your hand
  8. 1 Kings 17:15 Lit. he
  9. 1 Kings 17:15 Lit. she
  10. 1 Kings 17:15 Lit. household
  11. 1 Kings 17:16 Lit. spoken
  12. 1 Kings 17:16 Lit. through the hand of
  13. 1 Kings 17:17 Lit. that no breath remained in him
  14. 1 Kings 17:24 Lit. that the word of the Lord in your mouth

You Might Also Like:

1 Kings 17 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

17 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, saith unto Ahab, `Jehovah, God of Israel, liveth, before whom I have stood, there is not these years dew and rain, except according to my word.' 2 And the word of Jehovah is unto him, saying, 3 `Go from this [place]; and thou hast turned for ...
Read More

1 Kings 17 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

17 And Elijah (the) Tishbite, of the dwellers of Gilead, said to Ahab, (As) The Lord God of Israel liveth, in whose sight I stand, dew and rain shall not be in these years, no but by the words of my mouth. 2 And the word of the Lord was made to him, and said, 3 Go thou away from hence, and go agains...
Read More

1 Kings 17 - World English Bible (WEB)

17 Elijah the Tishbite, who was one of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” 2 Then Yahweh’s word came to him, saying, 3 “Go away from here, turn eastward, and hide you...
Read More

1 Kings 17 - The Voice (VOICE)

17 Elijah the Tishbite, one of the Gilead settlers, spoke to Ahab.Slowly the Israelite kings are drifting further and further away from God’s laws. Hoping to remedy this, the Lord sends a prophet to guide the kings. That prophet, Elijah, certainly lives up to his name, proclaiming his God (Eli) is t...
Read More

1 Kings 17 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Elijah Proclaims Famine17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, one of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab: “As Adonai God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be no dew or rain these years, except at my word.”[a] 2 Then the word of Adonai came to him saying: 3 “Leave this place, turn eastward, an...
Read More

1 Kings 17 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Elijah Predicts a Drought17 [a]Now Eli′jah the Tishbite, of Tishbe[b] in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 2 And the word of the Lord came to him, 3 “Depart from here and turn eastwa...
Read More

1 Kings 17 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Elijah Predicts a Drought17 Now Eli′jah the Tishbite, of Tishbe[a] in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 2 And the word of the Lord came to him, 3 “Depart from here and turn eastward,...
Read More

1 Kings 17 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Elijah Predicts a Drought17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe[a] in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.’ 2 The word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 ‘Go from here and turn eastwards,...
Read More

1 Kings 17 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Elijah Predicts a Drought17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe[a] in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”(A)2 The word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 “Go from here and turn eastward, ...
Read More

1 Kings 17 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Elijah Fed by Ravens17 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...
Read More

1 Kings 17 - New Life Version (NLV)

Elijah Fed by Ravens17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of the people who were staying in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before Whom I stand, for sure there will be no rain or water on the grass in the early morning these years, except by my word.” 2 And the word of the Lord ca...
Read More

1 Kings 17 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Elijah Proclaims a Drought17 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 ...
Read More

1 Kings 17 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Elijah announces a great drought17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe[a] in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.’ Elijah fed by ravens2 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: 3 ‘L...
Read More

1 Kings 17 - New International Version (NIV)

Elijah Announces a Great Drought17 Now Elijah(A) the Tishbite, from Tishbe[a] in Gilead,(B) said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain(C) in the next few years except at my word.” Elijah Fed by Ravens2 Then the word of the Lord came to Elij...
Read More

1 Kings 17 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Elijah Announces No Dew or Rain17 Elijah was from Tishbe in the land of Gilead. He said to Ahab, “I serve the Lord. He is the God of Israel. You can be sure that he lives. And you can be just as sure that there won’t be any dew or rain on the whole land. There won’t be any during the next few years....
Read More

1 Kings 17 - New English Translation (NET)

Elijah Visits a Widow in Sidonian Territory17 Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As certainly as the Lord God of Israel lives (whom I serve),[a] there will be no dew or rain in the years ahead unless I give the command.”[b] 2 The Lord’s message came to him: 3 “Leave here an...
Read More