Israel’s King Ahab

²⁹ Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Judah’s King Asa; Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria 22 years. ³⁰ But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight more than all who were before him.^{(A) 31} Then, as if following the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat were a trivial matter, he married Jezebel,^(B) the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians,^(C) and then proceeded to serve Baal and worship him.^{(D) 32} He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal^(E) that he had built in Samaria. ³³ Ahab also made an Asherah pole.^(F) Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.^(G)

³⁴ During his reign, Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho. At the cost of Abiram his firstborn, he laid its foundation, and at the cost of Segub his youngest, he set up its gates, according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through Joshua son of Nun.^(H)

Elijah Announces Famine

17 Now Elijah^(I) the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers,^[a](J) said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives,^(K) I stand before Him, and there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!”^(L)

² Then a revelation from the Lord came to him: ³ “Leave here, turn eastward, and hide^(M) yourself at the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan. ⁴ You are to drink from the wadi. I have commanded the ravens^(N) to provide for you there.”

⁵ So he did what the Lord commanded. Elijah left and lived by the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan. ⁶ The ravens kept bringing him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening,^(O) and he drank from the wadi. ⁷ After a while, the wadi dried up because there had been no rain in the land.

Elijah and the Widow

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to him: ⁹ “Get up, go to Zarephath^(P) that belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there.” ¹⁰ So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow woman gathering wood. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink.”^{(Q) 11} As she went to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”

¹² But she said, “As the Lord your God lives,^(R) I don’t have anything baked—only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil^(S) in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.”^(T)

¹³ Then Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid; go and do as you have said. But first make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterward, you may make some for yourself and your son, ¹⁴ for this is what the Lord God of Israel says, ‘The flour jar will not become empty and the oil jug will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the surface of the land.”^(U)

¹⁵ So she proceeded to do according to the word of Elijah. Then the woman, Elijah, and her household ate for many days.^{(V) 16} The flour jar did not become empty, and the oil jug did not run dry, according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through^[b] Elijah.