Elijah on Mount Sinai
1 King Ahab told his wife Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had put all the prophets of Baal to death. 2 She sent a message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me dead if by this time tomorrow I don't do the same thing to you that you did to the prophets.” 3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life; he took his servant and went to Beersheba in Judah.
Leaving the servant there, 4 Elijah walked a whole day into the wilderness. He stopped and sat down in the shade of a tree and wished he would die. “It's too much, Lord,” he prayed. “Take away my life; I might as well be dead!”
5 He lay down under the tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said, “Wake up and eat.” 6 He looked around and saw a loaf of bread and a jar of water near his head. He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 The Lord's angel returned and woke him up a second time, saying, “Get up and eat, or the trip will be too much for you.” 8 Elijah got up, ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to walk forty days to Sinai, the holy mountain. 9 There he went into a cave to spend the night.
Suddenly the Lord spoke to him, “Elijah, what are you doing here?”
10 He answered, “Lord God Almighty, I have always served you—you alone. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed all your prophets. I am the only one left—and they are trying to kill me!”
11 “Go out and stand before me on top of the mountain,” the Lord said to him. Then the Lord passed by and sent a furious wind that split the hills and shattered the rocks—but the Lord was not in the wind. The wind stopped blowing, and then there was an earthquake—but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake there was a fire—but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the soft whisper of a voice.
13 When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, “Elijah, what are you doing here?”
14 He answered, “Lord God Almighty, I have always served you—you alone. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed all your prophets. I am the only one left—and they are trying to kill me.”
15 The Lord said, “Return to the wilderness near Damascus, then enter the city and anoint Hazael as king of Syria; 16 anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Anyone who escapes being put to death by Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and anyone who escapes Jehu will be killed by Elisha. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand people alive in Israel—all those who are loyal to me and have not bowed to Baal or kissed his idol.”
The Call of Elisha
19 Elijah left and found Elisha plowing with a team of oxen; there were eleven teams ahead of him, and he was plowing with the last one. Elijah took off his cloak and put it on Elisha. 20 Elisha then left his oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you.”
Elijah answered, “All right, go back. I'm not stopping you!”
21 Then Elisha went to his team of oxen, killed them, and cooked the meat, using the yoke as fuel for the fire. He gave the meat to the people, and they ate it. Then he went and followed Elijah as his helper.
1 Now Ahab tolde Iezebel all that Eliiah had done, and how he had slaine all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Iezebel sent a messenger vnto Eliiah, saying, The gods doe so to me and more also, if I make not thy life like one of their liues by to morowe this time. 3 When he sawe that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which is in Iudah, and left his seruant there. 4 But he went a dayes iourney into the wildernesse, and came and sate downe vnder a iuniper tree, and desired that he might die, and sayde, It is now ynough: O Lord, take my soule, for I am no better then my fathers. 5 And as he lay and slept vnder the iuniper tree, behold now, an Angel touched him, and said vnto him, Vp, and eate. 6 And when he looked about, behold, there was a cake baken on the coles, and a pot of water at his head: so he did eate and drinke, and returned and slept. 7 And the Angel of the Lord came againe the second time, and touched him, and sayd, Vp, and eate: for thou hast a great iourney. 8 Then he arose, and did eate and drinke, and walked in the strength of that meate fourtie dayes and fourtie nights, vnto Horeb the mount of God. 9 And there he entred into a caue, and lodged there: and beholde, the Lord spake to him, and said vnto him, What doest thou here, Eliiah? 10 And he answered, I haue bene very ielous for the Lord God of hostes: for the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenant, broken downe thine altars, and slayne thy Prophets with the sword, and I onely am left, and they seeke my life to take it away. 11 And he saide, Come out, and stand vpon the mount before the Lord. And beholde, the Lord went by, and a mightie strong winde rent the mountaines, and brake the rockes before the Lord: but the Lord was not in the winde: and after the wind came an earthquake: but the Lord was not in the earthquake: 12 And after the earthquake came fire: but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire came a still and soft voyce. 13 And when Eliiah heard it, he couered his face with his mantel, and went out, and stoode in the entring in of ye caue: and behold, there came a voyce vnto him, and sayd, What doest thou here, Eliiah? 14 And he answered, I haue bene very ielous for the Lord God of hostes, because the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenant, cast downe thine altars, and slayne thy Prophets with the sworde, and I onely am left, and they seeke my life to take it away. 15 And the Lord said vnto him, Goe, returne by the wildernes vnto Damascus, and when thou commest there, anoint Hazael King ouer Aram. 16 And Iehu the sonne of Nimshi shalt thou anoynt King ouer Israel: and Elisha the sonne of Shaphat of Abel Meholah shalt thou anoynt to be Prophet in thy roume. 17 And him that escapeth from the sworde of Hazael, shall Iehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Iehu, shall Elisha slay. 18 Yet wil I leaue seuen thousand in Israel, euen all the knees that haue not bowed vnto Baal, and euery mouth that hath not kissed him. 19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the sonne of Shaphat who was plowing with twelue yoke of oxen before him, and was with the twelft: and Eliiah went towards him, and cast his mantel vpon him. 20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Eliiah, and sayde, Let mee, I pray thee, kisse my father and my mother, and then I wil follow thee. Who answered him, Go, returne: for what haue I done to thee? 21 And when he went backe againe from him, he tooke a couple of oxen, and slewe them, and sod their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gaue vnto the people, and they did eate: then he arose and went after Eliiah, and ministred vnto him.