1 Kings 19
1 And Ahab declares to Jezebel all that Elijah did, and all of how he slew all the prophets by the sword,
Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and that he had killed all the prophets of Baal with the sword.
2 and Jezebel sends a messenger to Elijah, saying, “Thus the gods do, and thus do they add—surely about this time tomorrow, I make your life as the life of one of them.”
Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods do as much to me and more if by tomorrow I haven't made your life like the lives of those you killed!”
3 And he fears, and rises, and goes for his life, and comes to Beer-Sheba, that [is] Judah’s, and leaves his young man there,
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he arrived in Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there
4 and he himself has gone a day’s journey into the wilderness, and comes and sits under a certain broom tree, and desires his soul to die, and says, “Enough, now, O YHWH, take my soul, for I [am] not better than my fathers.”
and traveled another day's journey into the desert. He sat down under a broom tree and asked to die. “I've had enough now, Lord,” he said. “Take my life! I'm no better than my forefathers.”
5 And he lies down and sleeps under a certain broom tree, and behold, a messenger is reaching toward him and says to him, “Rise, eat”;
He lay down and fell asleep under the broom tree. All of a sudden an angel touched him and said, “Get up, and eat.”
6 and he looks attentively, and behold, at his bolster [is] a cake [on] burning stones, and a dish of water, and he eats, and drinks, and turns, and lies down.
He looked around, and there beside his head was some bread baking over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and lay down again.
7 And the messenger of YHWH turns back a second time, and is reaching toward him, and says, “Rise, eat, for the way is too great for you”;
The angel of the Lord returned a second time and touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.”
8 and he rises, and eats, and drinks, and goes in the power of that food [for] forty days and forty nights, to the mountain of God—Horeb.
So he got up and ate and drank, and with the strength the food gave him he was able to walk forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God.
9 And he comes in there, to the cave, and lodges there, and behold, the word of YHWH [is] to him, and says to him, “What are you [doing] here, Elijah?”
There he entered a cave and spent the night. The Lord spoke to Elijah, and asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 And he says, “I have been very zealous for YHWH, God of Hosts, for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant—they have thrown down Your altars, and they have slain Your prophets by the sword, and I am left, I, by myself, and they seek my life—to take it.”
“I have worked passionately for the Lord God Almighty,” he replied. “But the Israelites have abandoned your agreement, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I am the only one who's left, and they are trying to kill me as well.”
11 And He says, “Go out, and you have stood on the mountain before YHWH.” And behold, YHWH is passing by, and a wind—great and strong—is tearing mountains, and shattering rocks before YHWH, [but] YHWH [is] not in the wind; and after the wind [is] a shaking, [but] YHWH [is] not in the shaking;
Then the Lord told him, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” Right then the Lord passed by. A tremendously powerful wind ripped into the mountains and smashed rocks before the Lord, but the Lord wasn't in the wind. After the wind there came an earthquake, but the Lord wasn't in the earthquake.
12 and after the shaking [is] a fire, [but] YHWH [is] not in the fire; and after the fire [is] a voice [like] a small whisper;
After the earthquake there came a fire, but the Lord wasn't in the fire. And after the fire came a voice speaking in a gentle whisper.
13 and it comes to pass, at Elijah’s hearing [it], that he wraps his face in his robe, and goes out, and stands at the opening of the cave, and behold, a voice [speaks] to him, and it says, “What are you [doing] here, Elijah?”
When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his cloak around his face and went out and stood at the cave entrance. Immediately a voice spoke to him and asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 And he says, “I have been very zealous for YHWH, God of Hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, they have thrown down Your altars, and they have slain Your prophets by the sword, and I am left, I, by myself, and they seek my life—to take it.”
“I have worked passionately for the Lord God Almighty,” he replied. “But the Israelites have abandoned your agreement, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I am the only one who's left, and they are trying to kill me as well.”
15 And YHWH says to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and you have gone in, and anointed Hazael for king over Aram,
The Lord told him, “Go back the way you came to the desert of Damascus. When you get there, go and anoint Hazael king of Aram.
16 and you anoint Jehu son of Nimshi for king over Israel, and you anoint Elisha son of Shaphat, of Abel-Meholah, for prophet in your stead.
Also anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, king of Israel and Elisha, son of Shaphat, from Abel-meholah, to take over from you as prophet.
17 And it has been, he who has escaped from the sword of Hazael, Jehu puts to death, and he who has escaped from the sword of Jehu, Elisha puts to death;
Jehu will execute anyone who escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will execute anyone who escapes the sword of Jehu.
18 and I have left in Israel seven thousand—all the knees that have not bowed to Ba‘al, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
I still have seven thousand left in Israel, all those who have not bowed their knees to worship and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
19 And he goes there, and finds Elisha son of Shaphat, and he is plowing; twelve yoke [are] before him, and he [is] with the twelfth; and Elijah passes over to him, and casts his robe at him,
So Elijah left, and went and found Elisha, son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen, and he was with the twelfth pair. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak around him.
20 and he forsakes the ox, and runs after Elijah, and says, “Please let me give a kiss to my father and to my mother, and I go after you.” And he says to him, “Go, turn back, for what have I done to you?”
Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me go and kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on home,” Elijah replied. “I've never done anything for you.”
21 And he turns back from after him, and takes the yoke of the ox, and sacrifices it, and with [the] instruments of the ox he has boiled its flesh, and gives to the people, and they eat, and he rises, and goes after Elijah, and serves him.
Elisha left him, took his pair of oxen, and slaughtered them. Using the wood of the oxen's yoke as fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate it. Then he left to follow and serve Elijah.
