1 Kings 19:11–18

¹¹The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain^r in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”^s

Then a great and powerful wind^t tore the mountains apart and shattered^u 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. ¹²After the earthquake came a fire,^v but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.^{w 13}When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face^x and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁴He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left,^y and now they are trying to kill me too.”

¹⁵The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael^z king over Aram. ¹⁶Also, anoint^a Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha^b son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah^c to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁷Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael,^d and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.^{e 18}Yet I reserve^f seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed^g him.”