1 Kings 17 (Melachim Alef) in Hebrew and English
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Text (469) 608-99441 Kings, Chapter 17
Eliyahu the Tishbi tells Achav that there shall be neither dew nor rain; Hashem sends him to the brook Kerit, where the ravens feed him, and then to a widow of Tzarfat whose meal and oil do not fail, and he brings her son back to life.
17:1And Eliyahu (Elijah) the Tishbi (Tishbite), who was of the inhabitants of Gil’ad (Gilead), said unto Achav (Ahab), “As Hashem God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”
אוַיֹּאמֶר֩ אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּ֜י מִתֹּשָׁבֵ֣י גִלְעָד֮ אֶל־אַחְאָב֒ חַי־יְהוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָמַ֣דְתִּי לְפָנָ֔יו אִם־יִהְיֶ֛ה הַשָּׁנִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה טַ֣ל וּמָטָ֑ר כִּ֖י אִם־לְפִ֥י דְבָרִֽי׃
17:2And the word of Hashem came unto him, saying,
בוַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֥יו לֵאמֹֽר׃
17:3“Get you hence, and turn you eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Kerit (Cherith), that is before Yarden (Jordan).
גלֵ֣ךְ מִזֶּ֔ה וּפָנִ֥יתָ לְּךָ֖ קֵ֑דְמָה וְנִסְתַּרְתָּ֙ בְּנַ֣חַל כְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃
17:4And it shall be, that you shall drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
דוְהָיָ֖ה מֵהַנַּ֣חַל תִּשְׁתֶּ֑ה וְאֶת־הָעֹרְבִ֣ים צִוִּ֔יתִי לְכַלְכֶּלְךָ֖ שָֽׁם׃
17:5So he went and did according unto the word of Hashem: for he went and dwelt by the brook Kerit, that is before Yarden.
הוַיֵּ֥לֶךְ וַיַּ֖עַשׂ כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ וַיֵּ֨שֶׁב֙ בְּנַ֣חַל כְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃
17:6And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
ווְהָעֹרְבִ֗ים מְבִיאִ֨ים ל֜וֹ לֶ֤חֶם וּבָשָׂר֙ בַּבֹּ֔קֶר וְלֶ֥חֶם וּבָשָׂ֖ר בָּעָ֑רֶב וּמִן־הַנַּ֖חַל יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃
17:7And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
זוַיְהִ֛י מִקֵּ֥ץ יָמִ֖ים וַיִּיבַ֣שׁ הַנָּ֑חַל כִּ֛י לֹֽא־הָיָ֥ה גֶ֖שֶׁם בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
17:8And the word of Hashem came unto him, saying,
חוַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֥יו לֵאמֹֽר׃
17:9“Arise, get you to Tzarfat (Zarephath), which belongs to Tzidon (Zidon), and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain you.”
טק֣וּם לֵ֤ךְ צָרְפַ֨תָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְצִיד֔וֹן וְיָשַׁבְתָּ֖ שָׁ֑ם הִנֵּ֨ה צִוִּ֥יתִי שָׁ֛ם אִשָּׁ֥ה אַלְמָנָ֖ה לְכַלְכְּלֶֽךָ׃
17:10So he arose and went to Tzarfat. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, “Fetch me, I pray you, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.”
יוַיָּ֣קָם ׀ וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ צָרְפַ֗תָה וַיָּבֹא֙ אֶל־פֶּ֣תַח הָעִ֔יר וְהִנֵּֽה־שָׁ֛ם אִשָּׁ֥ה אַלְמָנָ֖ה מְקֹשֶׁ֣שֶׁת עֵצִ֑ים וַיִּקְרָ֤א אֵלֶ֨יהָ֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר קְחִי־נָ֨א לִ֧י מְעַט־מַ֛יִם בַּכְּלִ֖י וְאֶשְׁתֶּֽה׃
17:11And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, “Bring me, I pray you, a morsel of bread in your hand.”
יאוַתֵּ֖לֶךְ לָקַ֑חַת וַיִּקְרָ֤א אֵלֶ֨יהָ֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר לִֽקְחִי־נָ֥א לִ֛י פַּת־לֶ֖חֶם בְּיָדֵֽךְ׃
17:12And she said, “As Hashem your God lives, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
יבוַתֹּ֗אמֶר חַי־יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ אִם־יֶשׁ־לִ֣י מָע֔וֹג כִּ֣י אִם־מְלֹ֤א כַף־קֶ֨מַח֙ בַּכַּ֔ד וּמְעַט־שֶׁ֖מֶן בַּצַּפָּ֑חַת וְהִנְנִ֨י מְקֹשֶׁ֜שֶׁת שְׁנַ֣יִם עֵצִ֗ים וּבָ֨אתִי֙ וַעֲשִׂיתִ֨יהוּ֙ לִ֣י וְלִבְנִ֔י וַאֲכַלְנֻ֖הוּ וָמָֽתְנוּ׃
17:13And Eliyahu said unto her, “Fear not; go and do as you have said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for you and for your son.
יגוַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלֶ֤יהָ אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ֙ אַל־תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י בֹּ֖אִי עֲשִׂ֣י כִדְבָרֵ֑ךְ אַ֣ךְ עֲשִׂי־לִ֣י מִ֠שָּׁם עֻגָ֨ה קְטַנָּ֤ה בָרִאשֹׁנָה֙ וְהוֹצֵ֣אתְ לִ֔י וְלָ֣ךְ וְלִבְנֵ֔ךְ תַּעֲשִׂ֖י בָּאַחֲרֹנָֽה׃
17:14For thus says Hashem God of Israel, ‘The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that Hashem sends rain upon the earth.’”
ידכִּ֣י כֹה֩ אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כַּ֤ד הַקֶּ֨מַח֙ לֹ֣א תִכְלָ֔ה וְצַפַּ֥חַת הַשֶּׁ֖מֶן לֹ֣א תֶחְסָ֑ר עַ֠ד י֧וֹם תֵּת (כתיב תתן)־יְהוָ֛ה גֶּ֖שֶׁם עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃
17:15And she went and did according to the saying of Eliyahu: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
טווַתֵּ֥לֶךְ וַתַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה כִּדְבַ֣ר אֵלִיָּ֑הוּ וַתֹּ֧אכַל הִֽיא־וָה֛וּא (כתיב הוא־והיא) וּבֵיתָ֖הּ יָמִֽים׃
17:16And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of Hashem, which He spoke by Eliyahu.
טזכַּ֤ד הַקֶּ֨מַח֙ לֹ֣א כָלָ֔תָה וְצַפַּ֥חַת הַשֶּׁ֖מֶן לֹ֣א חָסֵ֑ר כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֖ר בְּיַ֥ד אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃
17:17And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
יזוַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה חָלָ֕ה בֶּן־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה בַּעֲלַ֣ת הַבָּ֑יִת וַיְהִ֤י חָלְיוֹ֙ חָזָ֣ק מְאֹ֔ד עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־נֽוֹתְרָה־בּ֖וֹ נְשָׁמָֽה׃
17:18And she said unto Eliyahu, “What have I to do with you, O you man of God? are you come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?”
יחוַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אֶל־אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ מַה־לִּ֥י וָלָ֖ךְ אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים בָּ֧אתָ אֵלַ֛י לְהַזְכִּ֥יר אֶת־עֲוֺנִ֖י וּלְהָמִ֥ית אֶת־בְּנִֽי׃
17:19And he said unto her, “Give me your son.” And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
יטוַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלֶ֖יהָ תְּנִֽי־לִ֣י אֶת־בְּנֵ֑ךְ וַיִּקָּחֵ֣הוּ מֵחֵיקָ֗הּ וַֽיַּעֲלֵ֨הוּ֙ אֶל־הָעֲלִיָּ֗ה אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב שָׁ֔ם וַיַּשְׁכִּבֵ֖הוּ עַל־מִטָּתֽוֹ׃
17:20And he cried unto Hashem, and said, “O Hashem my God, have You also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?”
כוַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י הֲ֠גַם עַל־הָאַלְמָנָ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֨י מִתְגּוֹרֵ֥ר עִמָּ֛הּ הֲרֵע֖וֹתָ לְהָמִ֥ית אֶת־בְּנָֽהּ׃
17:21And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto Hashem, and said, “O Hashem my God, I pray You, let this child’s soul come into him again.”
כאוַיִּתְמֹדֵ֤ד עַל־הַיֶּ֨לֶד֙ שָׁלֹ֣שׁ פְּעָמִ֔ים וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י תָּ֥שָׁב נָ֛א נֶֽפֶשׁ־הַיֶּ֥לֶד הַזֶּ֖ה עַל־קִרְבּֽוֹ׃
17:22And Hashem heard the voice of Eliyahu; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
כבוַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע יְהוָ֖ה בְּק֣וֹל אֵלִיָּ֑הוּ וַתָּ֧שָׁב נֶֽפֶשׁ־הַיֶּ֛לֶד עַל־קִרְבּ֖וֹ וַיֶּֽחִי׃
17:23And Eliyahu took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Eliyahu said, “See, your son lives.”
כגוַיִּקַּ֨ח אֵלִיָּ֜הוּ אֶת־הַיֶּ֗לֶד וַיֹּרִדֵ֤הוּ מִן־הָעֲלִיָּה֙ הַבַּ֔יְתָה וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖הוּ לְאִמּ֑וֹ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ רְאִ֖י חַ֥י בְּנֵֽךְ׃
17:24And the woman said to Eliyahu, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of Hashem in your mouth is truth.”
כדוַתֹּ֤אמֶר הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֶל־אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ עַתָּה֙ זֶ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתִּי כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ אֱלֹהִ֖ים אָ֑תָּה וּדְבַר־יְהוָ֥ה בְּפִ֖יךָ אֱמֶֽת׃
Sources & method
- Hebrew text
- The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. A paragraph mark (ס or פ) inside a verse is shown in small type.
- English translation
- The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the King James spelling in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Yehudah (Judah)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem”; “God” (Elohim) is unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
- Verse numbers
- Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In 1 Kings they differ from most English Bibles in chapters 4–5 (4:21–34 there is 5:1–14 here), 18 and 20 (where a sentence is divided at a different place) and 22; a note under the summary on those pages explains how.
- Hebrew font
- SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.