1 Kings 19

When Ahab got home, he told his wife Jezebel everything that Elijah had done on Mount Carmel. He told her specifically that Elijah had commanded the people to execute all the prophets of Baal.

Then Jezebel sent a messenger to tell Elijah on her behalf, “I am going to have someone kill you by this time tomorrow, just as you killed all those prophets of Baal! If I do not do that, I hope the gods will kill me and do other terrible things to me.”

When Elijah received her message, he realized he could not stay safely within the kingdom of Israel. So {he took his servant with him} and fled {far to the south} to Beersheba in the kingdom of Judah. He left his servant there. \*

Then he walked for a whole day into the desolate area {south of Beersheba}. He came to a juniper tree and sat down {in its shade}. Then he prayed that God would allow him to die. He said, “God, I cannot endure anymore. So please allow me to die, just as my ancestors died.”

Then Elijah lay down under that juniper tree and fell asleep. While he was sleeping, an angel tapped him {and woke him up} and said to him, “{You need to} get up and eat some food.”

Elijah looked around and saw some bread nearby that someone had baked on hot stones. He also saw a jar of water. So he ate the bread and drank some water, then he lay down to sleep again. \*

Then the angel representing God came back and tapped him again {to wake him up}. The angel said, “You need more strength to go on a long journey, so get up and eat some more food.”

So Elijah got up and ate more food and drank more water. That made him strong enough to travel for 40 days and nights all the way to Mount Horeb, where God had appeared to the Israelites. \*

He went into a cave there and slept in it. During that night, God spoke to him and asked, “Elijah, why are you here?”

Elijah replied, “God, commander of the heavenly armies, I have desperately wanted the Israelites to worship only you. But they have rejected the agreement that they made with you. They have torn down your altars, and they have killed your prophets. I am the only prophet whom they have not killed yet, and they are trying to kill me, too.” \*

God told him, “Go out and stand on this mountain where I can meet with you. I will be coming very soon!” As God approached, a strong windstorm struck the mountain, and it loosened rocks {so that they fell down the mountainside}. But God was not in the wind. Then there was an earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake.

Then there was a fire, but God was not in the fire. Then Elijah heard what sounded like someone whispering quietly. \*

When Elijah heard that, he covered his face with his cloak. Then he went and stood at the entrance of the cave. {God,} the person who had been whispering, asked him, “Elijah, why are you here?”

He replied again, “God, commander of the heavenly armies, I have desperately wanted the Israelites to worship only you. But they have rejected the agreement that they made with you. They have torn down your altars, and they have killed your prophets. I am the only prophet whom they have not killed yet, and they are trying to kill me, too.” \*

Then God told him, “Go back the way you came to the wilderness near Damascus. When you arrive there, pour olive oil on the head of {the royal official} Hazael to appoint him to be the next king of Aram.

I also want you to pour olive oil on the head of Jehu son of Nimshi to appoint him as the next king of Israel. And I want you to pour olive oil on the head of Elisha son of Shaphat from city of Abel Meholah to appoint him as a prophet who will succeed you. \*

Hazael’s soldiers will kill many people. Some people will escape from them, but Jehu’s soldiers will kill many of those. Some people will even escape from them, but Elisha will kill them.

But no one will kill the 7,000 people in Israel who have never bowed down to worship Baal or reverently kissed his idol.” \*

So Elijah went {to Abel Meholah} and found Elisha. He was plowing a field with a pair of oxen. He was also supervising the work of eleven other men who were plowing with pairs of oxen in the same field. Elijah went over to Elisha. He took off his own coat and put it on Elisha {to show that he wanted Elisha to take his place as a prophet, and then he started to walk away}.

Elisha left the oxen standing there and ran after Elijah. He told him, “I will go with you, but I would like to say goodbye to my parents first.” Elijah replied, “Very well, go home and say goodbye to them. I have not asked you to leave without doing that.” \*

So Elisha left Elijah and went back home. He killed his oxen and cut them in pieces and used the wood from the plow to build a fire to boil the meat. He distributed the meat to his family and friends, and they had a farewell feast. Then he left and went with Elijah and became his helper. \*