1 Kings 19

1Ahab informed Jezebel everything Elijah had accomplished and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.

2Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "Thus let the gods do to me, and thus let them add, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the life of one of them."

3He saw that, arose, and went to save his life, coming to Beersheba in Judah and leaving his servant there.

4He went a day's journey into the wilderness, came, and sat down under a solitary juniper tree. He asked that his life might end, and said, "Enough! Now, Yahweh, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers."

5He lay down under one juniper tree and slept, and an angel touched him and said to him, "Get up and eat!"

6He looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals and a jug of water. He ate and drank, then lay down again.

7The angel of Yahweh returned a second time, touched him, and said, "Arise, eat, because the way is too great for you."

8He arose, ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mountain of God.

9He came there to the cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10And he said, "With fervent zeal I have been zealous for Yahweh, God of Hosts, because the sons of Israel have forsaken your covenant, demolished your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I alone remain while they seek my life to take it."

11He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before Yahweh." Behold, Yahweh passed by, and a great and powerful wind rent the mountains and shattered the rocks before Yahweh; but Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake; but Yahweh was not in the earthquake.

12After the earthquake a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire; and after the fire a quiet, faint voice.

13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, went out, and stood at the entrance of the cave. Behold, a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

14He said, "I have been greatly jealous for Yahweh, God of hosts, because the sons of Israel have abandoned your covenant, demolished your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword; I alone remain, and they seek my life to take it."

15Yahweh said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Aram."

16You shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah prophet in your place.

17It will be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.

18I have left seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.

19He went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, he himself with the twelfth; Elijah passed over to him and threw his cloak upon him.

20He abandoned the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you." He said to him, "Go back, for what have I done to you?"

21He returned from following him, took a pair of the oxen and slaughtered them, boiled their flesh using the oxen’s gear, gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose, went after Elijah, and served him.