I Kings

When Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had put all the prophetsaall the prophets Of Baal; see 18.40. to the sword,

Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “Thus and more may the gods dobThus and more may the gods do A formula of imprecation. Many Heb. mss. and Septuagint add “to me.” if by this time tomorrow I have not made you like one of them.”

Frightened,cFrightened So many Heb. mss. and Septuagint; most mss., and the editions, read “And he saw, and.” he fled at once for his life. He came to Beer-sheba, which is in Judah, and left his servant there;

he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush and sat down under it, and prayed that he might die. “Enough!” he cried. “Now, O ETERNAL One, take my life, for I am no better than my predecessors.”dpredecessors Lit. “fathers.”

He lay down and fell asleep under a broom bush. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.”

He looked about; and there, beside his head, was a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water! He ate and drank, and lay down again.

The angel of GOD came a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.”

He arose and ate and drank; and with the strength from that meal he walked forty days and forty nights as far as the mountain of God at Horeb.

There he went into a cave, and there he spent the night.Then the word of GOD came to him: “Why are you here, Elijah?”

He replied, “I am moved by zeal for the ETERNAL, the God of Hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and put Your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they are out to take my life.”

“Come out,” He called, “and stand on the mountain before GOD.”And lo, GOD passed by. There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks by GOD’s power; but GOD was not in the wind. After the wind—an earthquake; but GOD was not in the earthquake.

After the earthquake—fire; but GOD was not in the fire. And after the fire—a soft murmuring sound.ea soft murmuring sound In contrast to others “a still, small voice.”

When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his mantle about his face and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice addressed him: “Why are you here, Elijah?”

He answered, “I am moved by zeal for the ETERNAL, the God of Hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and have put Your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they are out to take my life.”

GOD said to him, “Go back by the way you came, [and] on to the wilderness of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael as king of Aram.

Also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet.

Whoever escapes the sword of Hazael shall be slain by Jehu, and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu shall be slain by Elisha.

I will leave in Israel only seven thousand—every knee that has not knelt to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

He set out from there and came upon Elisha son of Shaphat as he was plowing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah came over to him and threw his mantle over him.

He left the oxen and ran after Elijah, saying: “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by, and I will follow you.” And he answered him, “Go back. What have I done to you?”fWhat have I done to you? I.e., I am not stopping you.

He turned back from him and took the yoke of oxen and slaughtered them; he boiled their meatgtheir meat Lit. “them, the flesh.” with the gearhwith the gear I.e., using it as firewood; cf. 2 Sam. 24.22. of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and became his attendant.