1 Kings 17 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Elijah was a prophet from the town of Tishbe in Gilead. Elijah said to King Ahab, “I serve the Lord God of Israel. By his power, I promise that no dew or rain will fall during the next few years. The rain will fall only if I command it to fall.”

² Then the Lord said to Elijah,

³ “Leave this place and go east. Hide near Kerith Ravine. This ravine is east of the Jordan River.

⁴ You can drink from that stream. I have commanded ravens [193] to bring food to you in that place.”

⁵ So Elijah did what the Lord told him to do. He went to live near Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan River.

⁶ Ravens brought Elijah food every morning and every evening. Elijah drank water from that stream.

⁷ There was no rain, so after a time the stream became dry.

⁸ Then the Lord said to Elijah,

⁹ “Go to Zarephath in Sidon. Live there. There is a woman whose husband is dead that lives in that place. I have commanded her to give you food.”

¹⁰ So Elijah went to Zarephath. He went to the town gate and saw a woman there. Her husband was dead. The woman was gathering wood for a fire. Elijah said to her, “Will you bring me a little water in a cup so I can drink?”

¹¹ The woman was going to get his water, and Elijah said, “Bring me a piece of bread too, please.”

¹² The woman answered, “I promise you before the Lord your God that I have no bread. I have only a little flour in a jar. And I have only a little olive oil in a jug. I came to this place to gather a couple of pieces of wood for a fire. I will take it back home and cook our last meal. My son and I will eat it and then die from hunger.”

¹³ Elijah said to the woman, “Don’t worry. Go home and cook your food as you said. But first make a small loaf of bread from the flour that you have. Bring that bread to me. Then cook for yourself and your son.

¹⁴ The Lord God of Israel says, ‘That jar of flour will never become empty. The jug will always have oil in it. This will continue until the day the Lord sends rain to the land.’”

¹⁵ So the woman went to her home. She did what Elijah told her to do. Elijah, the woman, and her son had enough food for many days.

¹⁶ The jar of flour and the jug of oil were never empty. This happened just like the Lord said it would. The Lord spoke through Elijah.

¹⁷ Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He became more and more sick. Finally the boy stopped breathing.

¹⁸ And the woman said to Elijah, “You are a man of God. [194] Can you help me? Or did you come here only to cause me to remember all of my sins? Did you come here only to cause my son to die?”

¹⁹ Elijah said to her, “Give your son to me.” Elijah took the boy from her and carried him upstairs. He laid him on the bed in the room where he was staying.

²⁰ Then Elijah prayed, “Lord my God. This widow [195] is letting me stay in her house. Will you do this bad thing to her? Will you cause her son to die?

²¹ Then Elijah lay on top of the boy three times. Elijah prayed, “Lord my God. Allow this boy to live again!”

²² The Lord answered Elijah’s prayer. The boy began breathing again. He was alive!

²³ Elijah carried the boy downstairs. Elijah gave the boy to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”

²⁴ The woman answered, “Now I know that you really are a man from God. I know that the Lord truly speaks through you!”