1. Elijah was a prophet from Tishbe in Gilead. One day he went to King Ahab and said, “I'm a servant of the living Lord, the God of Israel. And I swear in his name that it won't rain until I say so. There won't even be any dew on the ground.”
2. Later, the Lord said to Elijah,
3. “Leave and go across the River Jordan so you can hide near Cherith Brook.
4. You can drink water from the brook, and eat the food I've told the ravens to bring you.”
5. Elijah obeyed the Lord and went to live near Cherith Brook.
6. Ravens brought him bread and meat twice a day, and he drank water from the brook.
7. But after a while, it dried up because there was no rain.
8. The Lord told Elijah,
9. “Go to the town of Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I've told a widow in that town to give you food.”
10. When Elijah came near the town gate of Zarephath, he saw a widow gathering sticks for a fire. “Would you please bring me a cup of water?” he asked.
11. As she left to get it, he asked, “Would you also please bring me a piece of bread?”
12. The widow answered, “In the name of the living Lord your God, I swear that I don't have any bread. All I have is a handful of flour and a little olive oil. I'm on my way home now with these few sticks to cook what I have for my son and me. After that, we will starve to death.”
13. Elijah said, “Everything will be fine. Do what you said. Go home and prepare something for yourself and your son. But first, please make a small piece of bread and bring it to me.
14. The Lord God of Israel has promised that your jar of flour won't run out and your bottle of oil won't dry up before he sends rain for the crops.”
15. The widow went home and did exactly what Elijah had told her. She and Elijah and her family had enough food for a long time.
16. The Lord kept the promise that his prophet Elijah had made, and she did not run out of flour or oil.