1 Kings 17
Modern English Version
Elijah’s Prediction of Drought
17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was one of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives before whom I stand, there will not be dew or rain these years except by my word.”
2 The word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 “Go from here and turn eastward and hide by the Kerith brook, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and lived by the Kerith brook, which is east of 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.
The Widow of Zarephath
7 After some time, the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 The word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there. I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 10 So he got up and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and said, “Please get a small cup of water for me to drink.” 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”
12 She said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, but only a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a jar. I am gathering two sticks, that I can go in and make it for me and my son, so we may eat it and die.”
13 Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make a little cake for me first, and bring it to me, and afterward, make some for your son and you, 14 for thus says the Lord God of Israel: The barrel of meal will not run out, nor will the jar of oil empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.”
15 She went and did what Elijah told her to do, and she, he, and her household ate many days. 16 The barrel of meal did not run out, nor did the jar of oil empty, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke by Elijah.
17 Later on, the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became terribly sick, so much so that he had no breath left in him. 18 She said to Elijah, “What do I have to do with you, O you man of God? Have you come to remind me of my sin and to kill my son?”
19 And he said to her, “Give me your son,” and he took him out of her arms and carried him up to a loft where he slept and laid him on his own bed. 20 He cried to the Lord and said, “O Lord, my God, have You brought tragedy upon the widow with whom I live by killing her son?” 21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord and said, “O Lord, my God, I pray that You let this child’s soul come into him again.”
22 The Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he was revived. 23 Elijah took the child and brought him down out of the chamber into the house and returned him to his mother, and Elijah said, “See, your son lives!”
24 The woman said to Elijah, “Now, because of this, I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth!”
1 Kings 17
21st Century King James Version
17 And 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, except according to my word.”
2 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
3 “Get thee hence and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the Brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.
4 And it shall be that thou shalt drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.”
5 So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord; for he went and dwelt by the Brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank from the brook.
7 And it came to pass after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
9 “Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.”
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, “Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.”
11 And 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.”
12 And she said, “As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a 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.”
13 And 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 afterward make for thee and for thy son.
14 For 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.’”
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah, and she and he and her house ate for many days.
16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.
17 And 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.
18 And 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?”
19 And 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.
20 And 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?”
21 And 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!”
22 And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 And 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.”
24 And 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.”
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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