ELIJAH 


RAISES THE WIDOW'S SON.



WHEN Elijah came near the gate of the city, the woman was there gathering sticks, and he asked her to give him some water, and some bread. Then she told him that she had nothing but a handful of meal, and a little oil in a cruse, just enough to make one more cake, and was now gathering sticks to bake that; and that when it was eaten, she and her son must die. Elijah told her to go, and bake a cake for him first, and afterward some for herself and her son, saying that the Lord had said, "The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah; and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah."

Finally the woman's son was taken sick and died, and she said unto Elijah, "Art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?" Then Elijah took the child to his own chamber, and laid him upon his own bed, where he stretched himself upon the child three times, and prayed that the Lord would bring him to life. And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the child's breath came into him, and he lived again. Then Elijah took the child to his mother, and said, "See, thy son liveth." And she said, "By this I know that thou art a man of God."

After many days the word of the Lord came unto Elijah, saying, ''Go, show thyself unto 

Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth. "When Ahab saw Elijah, he said unto him, "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" But Elijah answered, "I have not troubled Israel; but thou and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim. Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the grove four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table."

When all the people and false prophets were gathered together, Elijah said to the people, "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 

Let them therefore give us two bullocks, and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under; and call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken."