CHAPTER 19
Now Ahab
told
Jezebel
everything
that
Elijah
had done
and how
he had killed
all
the prophets
with the sword.
So Jezebel
sent
a messenger
to
Elijah,
saying,
“May the gods
deal with me,
and ever so
severely,
if
by this time
tomorrow
I do not make
your life
like the lives
of those you killed!”
And Elijah was afraid
and ran
for
his life.
When he came
to Beersheba
in Judah,
he left
his servant
there,
while he himself
traveled on
a day’s
journey
into the wilderness.
He sat down
under
a
broom tree
and prayed
that he
might die.
“I have had enough,
LORD,”
he said.
“Take
my life,
for
I am
no
better
than my fathers.”
Then he lay down
under
the broom tree
and fell asleep.
Suddenly
an angel
touched
him
and said,
“Get up
and eat.”
And he looked around,
and there
by his head
was a cake of bread
baked over hot coals,
and a jar
of water.
So he ate
and drank
and lay down
again.
A second time
the angel
of the LORD
returned
and touched
him,
saying,
“Get up
and eat,
or the journey
will be too much
for you.”
So he got up
and ate
and drank.
And strengthened
by that
food,
he walked
forty
days
and forty
nights
until he reached
Horeb,
the mountain
of God.
There
Elijah entered
a cave
and spent the night.
And the word
of the LORD
came to him,
saying,
“What
are you doing here,
Elijah?”
“I have been very zealous
for the LORD,
the God
of Hosts,”
he replied,
“but
the Israelites
have forsaken
Your covenant,
torn down
Your altars,
and killed
Your prophets
with the sword.
I
am the only one
left,
and they are seeking
my life as well.”
Then the LORD said,
“Go out
and stand
on the mountain
before
the LORD.
Behold,
the LORD
is about to pass by.”
And a great
and mighty
wind
tore into
the mountains
and shattered
the rocks
before
the LORD,
but the LORD
was not
in the wind.
After
the wind
there was an earthquake,
but the LORD
was not
in the earthquake.
After
the earthquake
there was a fire,
but the LORD
was not
in the fire.
And after
the fire
came a still,
small
voice.
When Elijah
heard it,
he wrapped
his face
in his cloak
and went out
and stood
at the mouth
of the cave.
Suddenly
a voice came
to him
and said,
“What
are you doing here,
Elijah?”
“I have been very zealous
for the LORD,
the God
of Hosts,”
he replied,
“but
the Israelites
have forsaken
Your covenant,
torn down
Your altars,
and killed
Your prophets
with the sword.
I
am the only one
left,
and they are seeking
my life as well.”
Then the LORD
said
to him,
“Go
back
by the way you came,
to the Desert
of Damascus.
When you arrive,
you are to anoint
Hazael
as king
over
Aram.
You are also to anoint
Jehu
son
of Nimshi
as king
over
Israel
and Elisha
son
of Shaphat
from Abel-meholah
to succeed you
as prophet.
Then
Jehu
will put to death
whoever escapes
the sword
of Hazael,
and Elisha
will put to death
whoever escapes
the sword
of Jehu.
Nevertheless, I have reserved
seven
thousand
in Israel—
all
whose
knees
have not
bowed
to Baal
and whose
mouths
have not
kissed
him.”
So Elijah departed
and found
Elisha
son
of Shaphat.
He
was plowing
with twelve
teams
of oxen,
and he
was with the twelfth team.
Elijah
passed
by him
and threw
his cloak
around him.
So Elisha left
the oxen,
ran
after
Elijah,
and said,
“Please
let me kiss
my father
and mother goodbye,
and then I will follow
you.”
“Go on
back,”
Elijah replied,
“for
what
have I done
to you?”
So Elisha turned back
from him,
took
his pair
of oxen,
and slaughtered them.
With the oxen’s
equipment,
he cooked
the meat
and gave
it to the people,
and they ate.
Then he set out
to follow
and serve
Elijah.