₈Then the LORD said to Elijah, ₉“Now go to the town of Zarephath, near Sidon, and stay there. I have commanded a widow who lives there to feed you.” ₁₀So Elijah went to Zarephath, and as he came to the gate of the town, he saw a widow gathering firewood. “Please bring me a drink of water,” he said to her. ₁₁And as she was going to get it, he called out, “And please bring me some bread, too.”

₁₂She answered, “By the living LORD your God I swear that I haven't got any bread. All I have is a handful of flour in a bowl and a drop of olive oil in a jar. I came here to gather some firewood to take back home and prepare what little I have for my son and me. That will be our last meal, and then we will starve to death.”

₁₃“Don't worry,” Elijah said to her. “Go ahead 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. ₁₄For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The bowl will not run out of flour or the jar run out of oil before the day that I, the LORD, send rain.’ ”

₁₅The widow went and did as Elijah had told her, and all of them had enough food for many days. ₁₆As the LORD had promised through Elijah, the bowl did not run out of flour nor did the jar run out of oil.