"So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was 130 there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand." In this poverty-stricken home the famine pressed sore, and the pitifully meager fare seemed about to fail. The coming of Elijah on the very day when the widow feared that she must give up the struggle to sustain life tested to the utmost her faith in the power of the living God to provide for her necessities. But even in her dire extremity she bore witness to her faith by a compliance with the request of the stranger who was asking her to share her last morsel with him.

"Så begav han sig til Zarepta, og da han kom til byens port, fik han øje på en enke, som var ved at sanke brænde, og råbte til hende: "Hent mig lidt vand i et kar, for at jeg kan drikke!" og da hun gik bort for at hente det, råbte han efter hende: "Tag også et stykke brød med til mig!" Hungersnøden var trykkende i dette fattige hjem, og det så ud, som om de knappe forråd snart ville slippe op. Enkens tro på, at den levende Gud formåede at dække hendes fornødenheder, blev prøvet til det yderste, fordi Elias kom netop den dag, da hun frygtede for, at hun måtte opgive kampen for eksistensen. Men selv i denne krise fornægtede hendes tro sig ikke, og da den fremmede bad hende dele sit sidste stykke brød med ham, efterkom hun hans anmodning.