1 Kings 19

Elijah Escapes from Jezebel

1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword.2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.4 But he himself went a days journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, Arise and eat.6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.7 And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah?10 So he said, I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.

Gods Revelation to Elijah

11 Then He said, Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, What are you doing here, Elijah?14 And he said, I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.15 Then the Lord said to him: Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.16 Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.17 It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.

Elisha Follows Elijah

19 So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him.20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you. And he said to him, Go back again, for what have I done to you?21 So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxens equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.

1 KINGS 19

Elijah Runs Away //from Ahab and Jezebel

1 Ahab told his wife Jezebel what Elijah had done and that he had killed the prophets.

2 She sent a message to Elijah: “You killed my prophets. Now I'm going to kill you! I pray that the gods will punish me even more severely if I don't do it by this time tomorrow.”
3 Elijah was afraid when he got her message, and he ran to the town of Beersheba in Judah. He left his servant there, 4 t then walked another whole day into the desert. Finally, he came to a large bush and sat down in its shade. He begged the [Lord], “I've had enough. Just let me die! I'm no better off than my ancestors.”

5 Then he lay down in the shade and fell asleep.
Suddenly an angel woke him up and said, “Get up and eat.”

6 Elijah looked around, and by his head was a jar of water and some baked bread. He sat up, ate and drank, then lay down and went back to sleep.
7 Soon the [Lord]'s angel woke him again and said, “Get up and eat, or else you'll get too tired to travel.”

8 So Elijah sat up and ate and drank.
The food and water made him strong enough to walk 40 more days. At last, he reached Mount Sinai, t the mountain of God,

9 and he spent the night there in a cave.

The [Lord] Appears //to Elijah

10  t He answered, “[Lord] God All-Powerful, I've always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!”

11 “Go out and stand on the mountain,” the [Lord] replied. “I want you to be there when I pass by.”
All at once, a strong wind shook the mountain and shattered the rocks. But the [Lord] was not in the wind. Next, there was an earthquake, but the [Lord] was not in the earthquake.

12 Then there was a fire, but the [Lord] was not in the fire.
Finally, there was a gentle breeze, t

13 and when Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat. He went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.
A voice asked, “Elijah, why are you here?”

14 Elijah answered, “[Lord] God All-Powerful, I've always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!”

15  t The [Lord] said:
Elijah, you can go back to the desert near Damascus. And when you get there, appointt Hazael to be king of Syria.

16 t Then appoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphatt to take your place as my prophet.

17 Hazael will start killing the people who worship Baal. Jehu will kill those who escape from Hazael, and Elisha will kill those who escape from Jehu.

18  t But 7,000 Israelites have refused to worship Baal, and they will live.

Elisha //Becomes Elijah's Assistant

19 Elijah left and found Elisha plowing a field with a pair of oxen. There were eleven other men in front of him, and each one was also plowing with a pair of oxen. Elijah went over and put his own coat on Elisha.t

20 Elisha stopped plowing and ran after him. “Let me kiss my parents goodbye, then I'll go with you,” he said.
“You can go,” Elijah said. “But remember what I've done for you.”
21 Elisha left and took his oxen with him. He killed them and boiled them over a fire he had made with the wood from his plow. He gave the meat to the people who were with him, and they ate it. Then he left with Elijah and became his assistant.