Old Testament · 1 Kings 17:1–16
Elijah and the Ravens — Bible Story for Kids
During a long time with no rain, God sent ravens to bring Elijah bread and meat, and then took care of him through a poor widow.
This is a retelling for children, written by BibleKenya from the Bible passages shown on each picture. It is not a Bible translation.
was God's . He told King , "There will be no rain until God says so."
the Tishbite said to King , "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word."
Bible explorer Ahab was a king who worshipped the idol Baal (1 Kings 16:30-33).
God told , "Go and hide by the brook. Drink from the brook. I have told the ravens to feed you there."
The word of the LORD came to : "Go and hide yourself by the brook Cherith. You shall drink from the brook. I have commanded the ravens to feed you there."
Every morning and every evening the ravens brought bread and meat!
did as the LORD said. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
Bible explorer Ravens are not usually known for sharing food, which makes this even more surprising.
The brook dried up. God sent to a widow in Zarephath. She had only a little flour and oil left.
After a while the brook dried up because there was no rain. God sent to Zarephath, where a widow would feed him. She was gathering sticks. She said, "I have only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jar. I am making a last meal for my son and me."
said, "Don't be afraid. Make me a little bread first. God says the flour and oil will not run out." And they didn't!
said, "Don't be afraid. Make me a little cake first. For the LORD says, 'The jar of meal will not run out, and the jar of oil will not fail, until the day the LORD sends rain.'" She did, and she, Elijah and her household ate for many days. The flour and oil did not run out.
Bible explorer Jesus mentioned this widow in Luke 4:25-26.
The end of the story
Read it in the Bible
This is the Bible text itself, from the version shown. Scripture in WEBWorld English Bible — Protestant Edition
1 Kings 17:1–16 WEB
1Elijah the Tishbite, who was one of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” 2Then the LORD’s word came to him, saying, 3“Go away from here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan. 4You shall drink from the brook. I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5So he went and did according to the LORD’s word, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith that is before the Jordan. 6The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. 7After a while, the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. 8The LORD’s word came to him, saying, 9“Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you.” 10So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.” 11As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12She said, “As the LORD your God lives, I don’t have anything baked, but only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jar. Behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 13Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go and do as you have said; but make me a little cake from it first, and bring it out to me, and afterward make some for you and for your son. 14For the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of meal will not run out, and the jar of oil will not fail, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth.’” 15She went and did according to the saying of Elijah; and she, he, and her household ate many days. 16The jar of meal didn’t run out and the jar of oil didn’t fail, according to the LORD’s word, which he spoke by Elijah.
Who is in the story?
Words to learn
- Famine
- A famine is a time when there is not enough food. When famine came, God used Joseph to save food for many people.
- Idol
- An idol is a statue that people pray to as if it were God. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not bow down to the king's golden statue.
- Prophet
- A prophet is someone who tells people God's message. Samuel was a prophet; God called him when he was a boy.
What can we learn from this passage?
God provided for Elijah in surprising ways, first by ravens and then through a poor widow. She trusted God's word and shared what little she had, and God kept his promise. 1 Kings 17:41 Kings 17:15–16