1 Kings 19
1 And Ahab told Jezebel, all that Elijah had done, —and withal, how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
When Ahab got home, he told [his wife] Jezebel what Elijah had done. He told her that Elijah had killed all the prophets of Baal.
2 Then sent Jezebel a messenger unto Elijah, saying, —So, let the gods do, and, so, let them add, if, by this time to-morrow, I make not thy life as the life of one of them.
So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “By this time tomorrow I will have [killed] you, just like you [killed all those prophets of Baal]. If I do not do that, I hope the gods will kill me.”
3 And, when he saw [that], he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, —and left his servant there.
When Elijah received [her message], he was afraid. So [taking his servant with him], he fled in order that he would not be killed. He went [far south] to Beersheba, in Judah. He left his servant there.
4 But, he himself, went into the wilderness a day’s journey, and came and sat down under a certain shrub, —and asked for his life, that he might die, and said—Enough, now, O Yahweh! take away my life, for, no better, am, I, than, my fathers.
Then he went by himself further [south] into the desert. He walked all day. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that [Yahweh] would allow him to die. He said, “Yahweh, I’ve had enough. So allow me to die, because for me to live is no better than [being with] my ancestors [who have died].”
5 And, as he lay, and slept, under a certain shrub, lo! a messenger, touching him, who said to him—Rise, eat.
Then he lay down under the broom tree and slept. But while he was sleeping, an angel touched him and [woke him up and] said to him, “Get up and eat some food!”
6 So he looked about, and lo! at his head, a cake baked on hot stones, and a cruse of water, —and he did eat and drink, and then went back and lay down.
Elijah looked around and saw some bread which had been baked on hot stones, and he also saw a jar of water. So he ate some bread and drank some water and lay down [to sleep] again.
7 And the messenger of Yahweh came again a second time, and touched him, and said—Rise, eat, —because, too much for thee, is the journey.
Then the angel [who had been sent by] Yahweh came again and touched him, and said, “Get up and eat some [more] food, because you need [more strength] to go on a long journey.”
8 So he arose, and did eat and drink, —and journeyed, in the strength of that eating, forty days and forty nights, as far as the mountain of God—Horeb.
So he got up and ate and drank some more, and because of doing that, he got enough strength to enable him to travel for forty days and nights to Sinai Mountain, the mountain [that was dedicated to] God.
9 And he entered, there, into a cave, and lodged there, —and lo! the word of Yahweh [came] unto him, and said to him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
He went into a cave there and slept there that night. [The next morning, ] Yahweh said to him “Elijah, why are you here?”
10 And he said—Very jealous, have I been, for Yahweh, God of hosts, because the sons of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thine altars, have they thrown down, thy prophets, also have they slain with the sword, —and, I alone, am left, and they have sought my life, to take it.
Elijah replied, “I have zealously served you, Yahweh, God Almighty. But the Israeli people have broken the agreement that they made with you. They have torn down your altars, and they have killed all of your prophets. I am the only one whom they have not killed, and now they are trying to kill me, too. [So I am running away from them].”
11 And he said—Go forth to-morrow, and stand in the mountain, before Yahweh. And lo! Yahweh, passing by, and a great and strong wind—rending the mountains, and breaking in pieces the crags, before Yahweh, Not, in the wind, was, Yahweh, —And, after the wind, an, earthquake, Not, in the earthquake, was, Yahweh;
Yahweh said to him, “Go out and stand in front of me on this mountain while I pass by.” [Suddenly] a strong windstorm struck the mountain. As a result, rocks were loosened from the mountainside. But Yahweh was not in the wind. Then there was an earthquake, but Yahweh was not in the earthquake.
12 And, after the earthquake, a, fire, Not, in the fire, was, Yahweh, —And, after the fire, the voice of a gentle whisper.
Then there was a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire. Then there was a sound like someone whispering quietly.
13 And it came to pass, when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went forth, and stood at the entrance of the cave, —and lo! unto him, a voice; and it said—What doest thou here, Elijah?
When Elijah heard that, he wrapped his cloak around his face. He went out of the cave and stood at its entrance. And he heard Yahweh speaking to him, saying again, “Elijah, why are you here?”
14 And he said—Very jealous, have I been, for Yahweh, God of hosts, because the sons of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thine altars, have they thrown down, thy prophets also, have they slain with the sword, —and, I alone, am left, and they rove sought my life, to take it.
He replied again, “I have zealously served you, Yahweh, God Almighty. But the Israeli people have broken the agreement that they made with you. They have torn down your altars, and they have killed all of your prophets. I am the only one whom they have not killed, and now they are trying to kill me, too. [So I am running away from them].”
15 And Yahweh said unto him, Go, return to thy way, towards the wilderness of Damascus, —and, when thou enterest, then shalt thou anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;
Then Yahweh told him, “Go back to the desert near Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint [with olive oil] a man named Hazael, [to appoint him] to be the king of Syria.
16 And, Jehu son of Minshi, shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel, —and, Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy stead:
Then anoint Jehu, the son of Nimshi, to be the king of Israel, and also anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat, from Abel-Meholah [town], to become my prophet after you are dead.
17 Then shall it come to pass, that—him that escapeth the sword of Hazael, shall, Jehu, slay, —and, him that escapeth the sword of Jehu, shall, Elisha, slay;
Hazael’s army [will kill many people, and] those who escape from [being killed by] his army will be killed by Jehu’s [army], and those who escape from [being killed by] Jehu’s army will be killed by Elisha.
18 Yet will I leave remaining in Israel, seven thousand, —all knees which have not bowed to Baal, and all mouths which have not kissed to him.
But [you need to know that] there are still 7,000 people in Israel who have never bowed to [worship] Baal or kissed his [idol].”
19 So he departed from thence, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, as he was plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, he being with the twelfth, —so Elijah crossed over unto him, and cast his mantle towards him;
So Elijah went [to Syria] and found Elisha as he was plowing a field with a team of oxen. There were eleven other men who were in front of him, plowing with teams of oxen in the same field. Elijah went to Elisha, and took off his own coat and put it on Elisha, [to show Elisha that he wanted him to take his place as a prophet. Then he started to walk away].
20 and he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said—Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, that I may follow thee. And he said unto him, —Go, turn back, for what have I done to thee?
Elisha left the oxen standing there and ran after Elijah, and said to him, “I will go with you, but first let me kiss my parents goodbye.” Elijah replied, “Okay, go home. But do not forget why I have [given my cloak] to you!”
21 So he turned back from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and sacrificed them, and, with the implements of the oxen, boiled their flesh, and gave unto the people, and they did eat, —then he arose, and followed Elijah, and ministered unto him.
So Elisha went back [to his oxen]. He killed them [and cut them in pieces] and used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast the meat. He distributed the meat to the other people [in his town], and they all ate some. Then he went with Elijah and became his helper.
