Chapter 19

Elijah Flees from Jezebel

1 Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and 1ahow he had killed all the prophets with the sword.

2 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.”

3 And he 1was afraid and arose and ran for his 2life and came to aBeersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

4 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.”

5 He lay down and slept under a 1juniper tree; and behold, there was aan angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat.”

6 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.

7 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.”

8 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.

Elijah at Horeb

9 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?”

10 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.”

11 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.

12 After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire aa sound of a gentle blowing.

13 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?”

14 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.”

15 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;

16 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.

17 “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.

18 “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.”

19 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.

20 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?”

21 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.