1 Kings 19
Elijah Flees from Jezebel
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done, and ▼▼Lit all that he had
,
bhow he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “ cSo may the gods do to me and more so, if by about this time tomorrow I do not make your ▼▼Lit soul
life like the ▼▼Lit soul
life of one of them.” 3And he ▼▼Reading of many mss; MT may read saw
was afraid, and got up and ran for his ▼▼Lit soul
life and came to hBeersheba, which belongs to Judah; and he left his servant there. 4But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree; and ihe asked for himself to die, and said, “Enough! Now, Lord, take my ▼▼Lit soul
life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5Then he lay down and fell asleep under a broom tree; but behold, there was kan angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat!” 6And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a round loaf of bread baked on hot coals, and a pitcher of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7But the angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him, and said, “Arise, eat; because the journey is too long for you.” 8So he arose and ate and drank, and he journeyed in the strength of that food for lforty days and forty nights to mHoreb, the mountain of God. Elijah at Horeb
9 Then he came there to a cave and spent the night there; and behold, nthe word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10And he said, “ oI have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have abandoned Your covenant, ptorn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And qI alone am left; and they have sought to take my life.”11 So He said, “ rGo out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And sa great and powerful wind was tearing out the mountains and breaking the rocks in pieces before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12And after the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire, ta sound of a gentle blowing. 13When Elijah heard it, uhe wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, va voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14Then he said, “ wI have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they have sought to take my life.”
15 The Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when you have arrived, xyou shall anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16You shall also anoint yJehu the son of Nimshi king over Israel; and you shall anoint zElisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17And it shall come about that the aaone who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu abshall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. 18 acYet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not adkissed him.”
19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat while he was plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah came over to him and threw aehis cloak on him. 20Then he left the oxen behind and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please aflet me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back, for ▼
▼I.e., so as to influence Elisha’s decision
what have I done to you?” 21So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them, and ahcooked their meat with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he got up and followed Elijah and served him.
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