The prophets

The Widow of Zarephath

During the great drought, God sends the prophet Elijah to a poor widow in Zarephath. She shares her last flour and oil with him, and as the Lord promised, neither the jar of flour nor the jug of oil runs out.

1 Kings 17,8-16

8Then the word of the LORD came to him:
וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֥יו לֵאמֹֽר׃ ‬
9"Get up and go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. I have commanded a widow there to feed you."
ק֣וּם לֵ֤ךְ צָרְפַ֙תָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְצִיד֔וֹן וְיָשַׁבְתָּ֖ שָׁ֑ם הִנֵּ֨ה צִוִּ֥יתִי שָׁ֛ם אִשָּׁ֥ה אַלְמָנָ֖ה לְכַלְכְּלֶֽךָ׃ ‬
10So he got up and went to Zarephath. When he came to the entrance of the town, there was a widow gathering sticks. He called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a jar, so I may drink."
וַיָּ֣קָם ׀ וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ צָרְפַ֗תָה וַיָּבֹא֙ אֶל־פֶּ֣תַח הָעִ֔יר וְהִנֵּֽה־שָׁ֛ם אִשָּׁ֥ה אַלְמָנָ֖ה מְקֹשֶׁ֣שֶׁת עֵצִ֑ים וַיִּקְרָ֤א אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר קְחִי־נָ֨א לִ֧י מְעַט־מַ֛יִם בַּכְּלִ֖י וְאֶשְׁתֶּֽה׃ ‬
11As she went to get it, he called after her and said, "Please bring me a piece of bread as well."
וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ לָקַ֑חַת וַיִּקְרָ֤א אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר לִֽקְחִי־נָ֥א לִ֛י פַּת־לֶ֖חֶם בְּיָדֵֽךְ׃ ‬
12But she answered, "As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a couple of sticks now, and I will go in and prepare it for myself and my son, and we will eat it and die."
וַתֹּ֗אמֶר חַי־יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אִם־יֶשׁ־לִ֣י מָע֔וֹג כִּ֣י אִם־מְלֹ֤א כַף־קֶ֙מַח֙ בַּכַּ֔ד וּמְעַט־שֶׁ֖מֶן בַּצַּפָּ֑חַת וְהִנְנִ֨י מְקֹשֶׁ֜שֶׁת שְׁנַ֣יִם עֵצִ֗ים וּבָ֙אתִי֙ וַעֲשִׂיתִ֙יהוּ֙ לִ֣י וְלִבְנִ֔י וַאֲכַלְנֻ֖הוּ וָמָֽתְנוּ׃ ‬
13Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid. Go and do as you have said, but first make me a small loaf from what you have and bring it out to me. Then make something for yourself and your son,
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלֶ֤יהָ אֵלִיָּ֙הוּ֙ אַל־תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י בֹּ֖אִי עֲשִׂ֣י כִדְבָרֵ֑ךְ אַ֣ךְ עֲשִׂי־לִֽ‪[t]‬י־מִ֠שָּׁם עֻגָ֨ה קְטַנָּ֤ה בָרִאשֹׁנָה֙ וְהוֹצֵ֣אתְ לִ֔י וְלָ֣ךְ וְלִבְנֵ֔ךְ תַּעֲשִׂ֖י בָּאַחֲרֹנָֽה׃ ס ‬
14for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not run out, and the jug of oil will not run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the face of the ground.'"
כִּ֣י כֹה֩ אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כַּ֤ד הַקֶּ֙מַח֙ לֹ֣א תִכְלָ֔ה וְצַפַּ֥חַת הַשֶּׁ֖מֶן לֹ֣א תֶחְסָ֑ר עַ֠ד י֧וֹם *תתן־**תֵּת־יְהוָ֛ה גֶּ֖שֶׁם עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ ‬
15She went and did as Elijah had said, and she and Elijah and her household ate for many days.
וַתֵּ֥לֶךְ וַתַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה כִּדְבַ֣ר אֵלִיָּ֑הוּ וַתֹּ֧אכַל *הוא־*והיא **הִֽיא־**וָה֛וּא וּבֵיתָ֖הּ יָמִֽים׃ ‬
16The jar of flour did not run out, and the jug of oil did not run dry, just as the LORD had spoken through Elijah.
כַּ֤ד הַקֶּ֙מַח֙ לֹ֣א כָלָ֔תָה וְצַפַּ֥חַת הַשֶּׁ֖מֶן לֹ֣א חָסֵ֑ר כִּדְבַ֤ר יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֖ר בְּיַ֥ד אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃ פ ‬