Now Ahab told
Jezebel
all
that Elijah
had done
, and 1 ahow
he had killed
all
the prophets
with the sword
.
Then Jezebel sent
a messenger
to Elijah
, saying
, " aSo
may the gods
do
to me and even
more
, if
I do not make
your 1life
as the 1life
of one
of them by tomorrow
about this time
."
And he 1was afraid and arose
and ran
for his 2life
and came
to aBeersheba
, which
belongs to Judah
, and left
his servant
there
.
But he himself went
a day's
journey
into the wilderness
, and came
and sat
down
under
a 1juniper
tree
; and ahe requested
for himself
that he might die
, and said
, "It is enough
; now
, O LORD
, take
my 2life
, for I am not better
than
my fathers
."
He lay down
and slept
under
a 1juniper
tree
; and behold
, there
was aan angel
touching
him, and he said
to him, "Arise
, eat
."
Then he looked and behold
, there was at his head
a bread
cake
baked on hot
stones
, and a jar
of water
. So he ate
and drank
and lay
down
again
.
The angel of the LORD
came
again
a second
time
and touched
him and said
, "Arise
, eat
, because
the journey
is too
great
for you."
So he arose and ate
and drank
, and went
in the strength
of that food
aforty
days
and forty
nights
to bHoreb
, the mountain
of God
.
Then he came there
to a cave
and lodged
there
; and behold
, athe word
of the LORD
came to him, and He said
to him, "What
are you doing here
, Elijah
?"
He said, " aI have been
very
zealous
for the LORD
, the God
of hosts
; for the sons
of Israel
have forsaken
Your covenant
, btorn
down
Your altars
and killed
Your prophets
with the sword
. And cI alone
am left
; and they seek
my life
, to take
it away."
So He said, " aGo
forth
and stand
on the mountain
before
the LORD
." And behold
, the LORD
was passing
by! And ba great
and strong
wind
was rending
the mountains
and breaking
in pieces
the rocks
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
.
After the earthquake
a fire
, but the LORD
was not in the fire
; and after
the fire
aa sound
of a gentle
blowing
.
When Elijah heard
it, ahe wrapped
his face
in his mantle
and went
out and stood
in the entrance
of the cave
. And behold
, ba voice
came to him and said
, "What
are you doing here
, Elijah
?"
Then he said, " aI have been
very
zealous
for the LORD
, the God
of hosts
; for the sons
of Israel
have forsaken
Your covenant
, torn
down
Your altars
and killed
Your prophets
with the sword
. And I alone
am left
; and they seek
my life
, to take
it away."
The LORD said
to him, "Go
, return
on your way
to the wilderness
of Damascus
, and when you have arrived
, ayou shall anoint
Hazael
king
over
Aram
;
and aJehu the son
of Nimshi
you shall anoint
king
over
Israel
; and bElisha
the son
of Shaphat
of Abel-meholah
you shall anoint
as prophet
in your place
.
"It shall come about, the aone who escapes
from the sword
of Hazael
, Jehu
bshall put
to death
, and the one who escapes
from the sword
of Jehu
, Elisha
shall put
to death
.
" aYet I will leave 7,000
in Israel
, all
the knees
that have not bowed
to Baal
and every
mouth
that has not bkissed
him."
So he departed from there
and found
Elisha
the son
of Shaphat
, while he was plowing
with twelve
pairs
of oxen before
him, and he with the twelfth
. And Elijah
passed
over
to him and threw
ahis mantle
on him.
He left the oxen
and ran
after
Elijah
and said
, "Please
alet me kiss
my father
and my mother
, then I will follow
you." And he said
to him, "Go
back
again
, for what
have I done
to you?"
So he returned from following
him, and took
the pair
of oxen
and sacrificed
them and aboiled
their flesh
with the implements
of the oxen
, and gave
it to the people
and they ate
. Then he arose
and followed
Elijah
and ministered
to him.