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Monday, August 25th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

1 Kings 17:13

Elijah said to her, "Don't worry about a thing. Go ahead and do what you've said. But first make a small biscuit for me and bring it back here. Then go ahead and make a meal from what's left for you and your son. This is the word of the God of Israel: ‘The jar of flour will not run out and the bottle of oil will not become empty before God sends rain on the land and ends this drought.'"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blessing;   Elijah;   Faith;   Frugality;   Hospitality;   Minister, Christian;   Miracles;   Oil;   Poor;   Readings, Select;   Self-Denial;   Women;   Zarephath;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Claim's, God's;   Discouragement-Encouragement;   Divine;   Faith;   Fear;   Fear Nots;   First Claims;   Giving;   God;   God's;   Hindrances;   Home;   Ownership, Divine;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Priority of God's Claims;   Prophet's;   Religion;   Sacrificial Giving;   Seven;   Stewardship-Ownership;   Stories for Children;   Tested;   Tests, Spiritual;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Bread;   Self-Denial;   Widows;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Elijah;   Zarephath;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Food;   Oil;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Baking;   Barrel;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Oil;   Zarephath;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ahab;   Haggai;   Zarephath;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Bread;   Feeding the Multitudes;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elijah;   Zarephath;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Baking Bread;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Elisha;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Amittai;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid; go and do as you have said. But first make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterward, you may make some for yourself and your son,
Hebrew Names Version
Eliyah said to her, Don't be afraid; go and do as you have said; but make me of it a little cake first, and bring it forth to me, and afterward make for you and for your son.
King James Version
And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
English Standard Version
And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son.
New Century Version
"Don't worry," Elijah said to her. "Go home and cook your food as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread from the flour you have, and bring it to me. Then cook something for yourself and your son.
New English Translation
Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go and do as you planned. But first make a small cake for me and bring it to me; then make something for yourself and your son.
Amplified Bible
Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said. Just make me a little bread from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son.
New American Standard Bible
However, Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go, do as you have said. Just make me a little bread loaf from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Eliiah said vnto her, Feare not, come, do as thou hast sayd, but make me thereof a litle cake first of all, and bring it vnto mee, and afterward make for thee, and thy sonne.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son.
Contemporary English Version
Elijah said, "Everything will be fine. Do what you said. Go home and fix something for you and your son. But first, please make a small piece of bread and bring it to me.
Complete Jewish Bible
Eliyahu said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go; and do what you said; but first, use a little of it to make me a small loaf of bread; and bring it out to me. After that, make food for yourself and your son.
Darby Translation
And Elijah said to her, Fear not; go, do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first; and bring it to me; and afterwards make for thee and for thy son.
Easy-to-Read Version
Elijah said to the woman, "Don't worry. Go home and cook your food as you said. But first make a small piece of bread from the flour that you have and bring it to me. Then cook some for yourself and your son.
George Lamsa Translation
And Elijah said to her, Fear not; go and do as you have said; but first make a little cake and bring it to me, and afterward make for yourself and your son.
Good News Translation
"Don't worry," Elijah said to her. "Go on and prepare your meal. But first make a small loaf from what you have and bring it to me, and then prepare the rest for you and your son.
Lexham English Bible
Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go and do according to your word; only make for me a small bread cake from it first, and bring it out to me. Make it for yourself and for your son afterward.
Literal Translation
And Elijah said to her, Do not fear, go, do according to your word, only first make me a little cake of it, and bring to me and afterward prepare for you and for your son.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Elias sayde vnto her: Feare not, go thy waye, & do as thou hast sayde: yet make me first a morsell of bred therof, & brynge it me forth: & afterwarde shalt thou make it for ye & thy sonne.
American Standard Version
And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it forth unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son.
Bible in Basic English
And Elijah said to her, Have no fear; go and do as you have said, but first make me a little cake of it and come and give it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Elias saide vnto her, Feare not, go, and do as thou hast saide: but make me thereof a litle cake first of all, & bring it vnto me, and afterward make for thee and thy sonne.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Elijah said unto her: 'Fear not; go and do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it forth unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son.
King James Version (1611)
And Eliiah said vnto her, Feare not, goe, and doe as thou hast said: but make mee thereof a little cake first, and bring it vnto mee, and after make for thee, and for thy sonne.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Eliu said to her, Be of good courage, go in and do according to thy word: but make me thereof a little cake, and thou shalt bring it out to me first, and thou shalt make some for thyself and thy children last.
English Revised Version
And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it forth unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son.
Berean Standard Bible
"Do not be afraid," Elijah said to her. "Go and do as you have said. But first make me a small cake of bread from what you have, and bring it out to me. Afterward, make some for yourself and your son,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Elie seide to hir, Nyle thou drede, but go, and make as thou seidist; netheles make thou firste to me of that litil mele a litil loof, bakun vndur the aischis, and brynge thou to me; sotheli thou schalt make afterward to thee and to thi sone.
Young's Literal Translation
And Elijah saith unto her, `Fear not, go, do according to thy word, only make for me thence a little cake, in the first place, and thou hast brought out to me; and for thee and for thy son make -- last;
Update Bible Version
And Elijah said to her, Don't be afraid; go and do as you have said; but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it forth to me, and afterward make for yourself and for your son.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Elijah said to her, Fear not; go [and] do as thou hast said: but make me of it a little cake first, and bring [it] to me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son.
World English Bible
Elijah said to her, Don't be afraid; go and do as you have said; but make me of it a little cake first, and bring it forth to me, and afterward make for you and for your son.
New King James Version
And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.
New Living Translation
But Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you've said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what's left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son.
New Life Bible
Elijah said to her, "Have no fear. Go and do as you have said. But make me a little loaf of bread from it first, and bring it out to me. Then you may make one for yourself and for your son.
New Revised Standard
Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Elijah said unto her - Do not fear, go in - make ready according to thy word, - howbeit, make me thereof a little cake, first, and bring it out to me, and, for thyself and thy son, make ready, afterwards.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Elias said to her: Fear not; but go, and do as thou hast said but first make for me of the same meal a little hearth cake, and bring it to me, and after make for thyself and thy son.
Revised Standard Version
And Eli'jah said to her, "Fear not; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make for yourself and your son.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son.

Contextual Overview

10So he got up and went to Zarephath. As he came to the entrance of the village he met a woman, a widow, gathering firewood. He asked her, "Please, would you bring me a little water in a jug? I need a drink." As she went to get it, he called out, "And while you're at it, would you bring me something to eat?" 12 She said, "I swear, as surely as your God lives, I don't have so much as a biscuit. I have a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a bottle; you found me scratching together just enough firewood to make a last meal for my son and me. After we eat it, we'll die." 13Elijah said to her, "Don't worry about a thing. Go ahead and do what you've said. But first make a small biscuit for me and bring it back here. Then go ahead and make a meal from what's left for you and your son. This is the word of the God of Israel: ‘The jar of flour will not run out and the bottle of oil will not become empty before God sends rain on the land and ends this drought.'" 15And she went right off and did it, did just as Elijah asked. And it turned out as he said—daily food for her and her family. The jar of meal didn't run out and the bottle of oil didn't become empty: God 's promise fulfilled to the letter, exactly as Elijah had delivered it!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Fear not: Exodus 14:13, 2 Kings 6:16, 2 Chronicles 20:17, Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 41:13, Matthew 28:5, Acts 27:24

make me thereof: Genesis 22:1, Genesis 22:2, Judges 7:5-7, Matthew 19:21, Matthew 19:22, Hebrews 11:17, 1 Peter 1:7

first: Proverbs 3:9, Malachi 3:10, Matthew 6:33, Matthew 10:37

Reciprocal: Matthew 1:20 - fear not John 2:7 - Fill John 4:50 - Go Revelation 2:20 - that woman

Cross-References

Genesis 37:36
In Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, manager of his household affairs.
Genesis 39:1
After Joseph had been taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelites, Potiphar an Egyptian, one of Pharaoh's officials and the manager of his household, bought him from them.
Exodus 21:2
"When you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve six years. The seventh year he goes free, for nothing. If he came in single he leaves single. If he came in married he leaves with his wife. If the master gives him a wife and she gave him sons and daughters, the wife and children stay with the master and he leaves by himself. But suppose the slave should say, ‘I love my master and my wife and children—I don't want my freedom,' then his master is to bring him before God and to a door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl, a sign that he is a slave for life.
Exodus 21:16
"If someone kidnaps a person, the penalty is death, regardless of whether the person has been sold or is still held in possession.
Nehemiah 5:8
The "Great Protest" A great protest was mounted by the people, including the wives, against their fellow Jews. Some said, "We have big families, and we need food just to survive." Others said, "We're having to mortgage our fields and vineyards and homes to get enough grain to keep from starving." And others said, "We're having to borrow money to pay the royal tax on our fields and vineyards. Look: We're the same flesh and blood as our brothers here; our children are just as good as theirs. Yet here we are having to sell our children off as slaves—some of our daughters have already been sold—and we can't do anything about it because our fields and vineyards are owned by somebody else." I got really angry when I heard their protest and complaints. After thinking it over, I called the nobles and officials on the carpet. I said, "Each one of you is gouging his brother." Then I called a big meeting to deal with them. I told them, "We did everything we could to buy back our Jewish brothers who had to sell themselves as slaves to foreigners. And now you're selling these same brothers back into debt slavery! Does that mean that we have to buy them back again?" They said nothing. What could they say?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Elijah said unto her, fear not,.... That she and her son should die, it would not be the case:

go and do as thou hast said: mix her meal and her oil, and make a cake thereof, and bake it:

but make thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son: which was not said from a selfish spirit of the prophet, but to try the faith of the woman; and besides, as Abarbinel observes, the prophet was not only hungry and thirsty through his journey, and so required to be served first, but it was for the sake of his sustenance, that the Lord would command a blessing on the meal and oil; wherefore, if she dressed it for herself and her son first, there would have been none left for the divine blessing to descend upon.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 17:13. But make me thereof a little cake first — This was certainly putting the widow's faith to an extraordinary trial: to take and give to a stranger, of whom she knew nothing, the small pittance requisite to keep her child from perishing, was too much to be expected.


 
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