1 Kings 19:8–18

⁸So he got up, ate, and drank. Then on the strength from that food, he walked forty days and forty nights^ai to Horeb, the mountain of God.^{aj 9}He entered a cave^ak there and spent the night.

ELIJAH’S ENCOUNTER WITH THE LORD

Suddenly, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”^al

¹⁰He replied, “I have been very zealous^am for the Lord God of Armies, but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant,^an torn down your altars,^ao and killed your prophets^a with the sword. I alone am left,^b and they are looking for me to take my life.”^c

¹¹Then he said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.”^d

At that moment, the Lord passed by.^e A great and mighty wind^f was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake,^g but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹²After the earthquake there was a fire,^h but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper.^{i 13}When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle^j and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁴“I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies,” he replied, “but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they’re looking for me to take my life.”^k

¹⁵Then the Lord said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael^l as king over Aram. ¹⁶You are to anoint Jehu^m son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elishaⁿ son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. ¹⁷Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael,^o and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.^{p 18}But I will leave seven thousand in Israel^q—every knee that has not bowed to Baal^r and every mouth that has not kissed him.”^s