Elijah And The Widows Son

When Asa had been ruler of Judah for thirty-one years Omri became ruler

over Israel, and he ruled twelve years. He bought the hill Samaria from

Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built a city on the hill and

named it Samaria, after Shemer, the owner of the hill.



When Omri died, Ahab his son ruled in his place. But Ahab displeased

Jehovah more than all the kings who had ruled before him. He married

J zebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and then began

to worship the Phoenician god Baal. He also built an altar for Baal

in the temple of Baal, which he built in Samaria.



Then Elijah from Tishbe in Gilead said to Ahab, "As surely as Jehovah

the God of Israel lives, whom I serve, there shall be no dew nor rain

for years except as I announce it."



Then this message from Jehovah came to Elijah: "Go from here and hide

yourself near the Brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. You shall

drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you

there."



So he obeyed the command of Jehovah and lived near the Brook Cherith.

The ravens brought him bread every morning and meat every evening, and

he drank from the brook. But after a while the brook dried up, for there

had been no rain in the land.



Then this message from Jehovah came to him, "Arise, go to Zarephath

which belongs to Sidon, and live there. I have commanded a widow there

to provide for you." So he went to Zarephath.



When he came to the gate of the city, a widow was there gathering

sticks. Calling to her, he said, "Bring me, I beg of you, a little water

in a vessel, that I may drink." As she was going to get it, he called

after her, "Bring also a bit of bread with you." She replied, "As surely

as Jehovah your God lives, I have nothing baked, and only one handful of

meal in the jar and a little oil in the jug. Now I am gathering a few

sticks, that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we

may eat it and die." Elijah said to her, "Fear not; go and do as you

have said, but first bake for me a little dough and bring it to me.

Afterward make some for yourself and your son. For Jehovah the God of

Israel declares: 'The jar of meal shall not be empty, nor the jug of oil

fail, until Jehovah sends rain upon the earth.'"



So she did as Elijah directed; and she and her child, as well as Elijah,

had food to eat. From that day the jar of meal was never empty and the

jug of oil did not fail, as Jehovah had said through Elijah.



Now after this the woman's son fell sick; and his sickness was so severe

that he stopped breathing. So she said to Elijah, "What have I to do

with you, O man of God? You have come to me to remind me of my sin by

taking the life of my son!" He said to her, "Give me your son." So he

took him out of her arms and carried him up into the upper room where he

was staying and laid him on his own bed. Then he prayed earnestly to

Jehovah and said, "O Jehovah, my God, hast thou also brought misfortune

upon this widow, with whom I am staying, by taking the life of her son?"

And he stretched himself upon the child three times and prayed to

Jehovah and said, "O Jehovah, my God, I pray thee, give back this

child's life to him again."



So Jehovah listened to Elijah's prayer; and the life of the child came

back to him, and he sat up. Then Elijah took the child and brought him

down from the upper room into the house and gave him to his mother; and

said, "See, your son lives!" The woman said to him, "Now I know that you

are a man of God and that the message of Jehovah that you speak is

true."