The Widow’s Son Raised

17 After this, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. His illness got worse until he stopped breathing.(A) 18 She said to Elijah, “Man of God,(B) what do you have against me?(C) Have you come to call attention to my iniquity(D) so that my son is put to death?”

19 But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, brought him up to the upstairs room(E) where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord(F) and said, “Lord my God, have you also brought tragedy on the widow I am staying with by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times.(G) He cried out to the Lord and said, “Lord my God, please let this boy’s life come into him again!”

22 So the Lord listened to Elijah, and the boy’s life came into him again, and he lived.(H) 23 Then Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upstairs room into the house, and gave him to his mother.(I) Elijah said, “Look, your son is alive.”

24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know you are a man of God(J) and the Lord’s word from your mouth is true.”(K)

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17 It happened after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; and his illness was very severe until there was no breath left in him. 18 She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me,[a] O man of God, that you have come to me to make known my guilt and to cause my son to die?” 19 Then he said to her, “Give me your son.” He took him from her lap and carried him up to the upper room where he was staying, and he laid him on his bed. 20 Then he called to Yahweh and said, “O Yahweh my God, are you also causing evil to come upon the widow with whom I am dwelling as an alien by causing her son to die?” 21 He stretched himself out on the child three times and called to Yahweh and said, “O Yahweh my God, please let the life of this child return within him.” 22 Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned within him, and he lived. 23 Elijah then took the child and brought him down from the upper room to the house and gave him to his mother. Elijah said, “Look, your son is alive.” 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now this I know, that you are a man of God and the word of Yahweh in your mouth is truth.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 17:18 Literally “What for me and for you”