1 Kings 19

1Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done, and also that he had killed all the prophets of Baal with a sword.

2Then Jezebel sent a message to Elijah and said: I promise that by this time tomorrow, you will be just as dead as those prophets. If I don’t succeed, may the gods do the same or worse to me.

3When Elijah heard this, he was afraid. So he ran away to save his life. He took his servant with him, and they went to Beersheba in Judah. Then Elijah left his servant in Beersheba

4Then Elijah went on alone. He walked for a day into the desert. He stopped and sat down in the shade of a juniper tree, and he wished that he was dead. He said: Lord, this is enough. Let me die because I am not better than my grandfathers.

5Then Elijah lay down under the juniper tree and he slept there. Later an angel came to him and touched him and said: Get up and eat.

6Elijah looked around, and by his head there was a cake that had been baked over coals and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then went back to sleep.

7Later the angel of the Lord touched him again and said: Get up and eat. If you do not eat, you will not be strong enough to go all the way.

8Elijah got up and he started to eat and drink. And that food made him so strong that he walked for 40 days and 40 nights to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God.

9There he went into a cave, to sleep. Elijah heard the Lord talking to him. The Lord asked him: Elijah, what are you doing here?

10Elijah answered, Lord God, I have always served you the best I can, but the Israelites have broken their agreement with you. They destroyed your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. I am the only prophet left alive, and now they are trying to kill me!

11Then the Lord said to Elijah: Go out and stand before Me on the mountain. Then the Lord went past him. There was a very strong wind, so strong that the mountain shook and the rocks broke off before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake.

12And after the earthquake there was a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. Then after the fire Elijah heard something. It was like someone talking very softly.

13When he heard this, he covered his face with his robe. He went out of the cave and he stood there. Then he heard the voice of God saying: Elijah, what are you doing here?

14Elijah said, Lord God I have always served you the best that I can, but the Israelites broke their agreement with you. They destroyed your altars and killed your prophets. I am the only prophet left alive, and now they are trying to kill me.

15Then the Lord said to Elijah: Go back the same way that you came. You must go into the desert of Damascus, and when you get there you must anoint Hazael to be king of the Syrian people.

16And you must anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, to be king of Israel. And you must anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat, from the town of AbelMeholah, to be a prophet after you.

17Hazael will start killing people and if there are some people who flee from Hazael, then Jehu will kill them. And if there are some people who flee away from Jehu, then Elisha will kill them.

18But there are still 7 000 people left in the land of Israel who did not bow before Baal. They have not worshipped or kissed him.

19Elijah went from Mount Horeb to look for Elisha, son of Shaphat. Elisha was busy ploughing with 12 pairs of oxen, and Elisha was with the last pair, at the back. When Elijah came to him, he threw his robe over Elisha.

20Elisha left the oxen, and he ran after Elijah and said to him: I first want to go to my father and mother and say goodbye, then I will go with you. Elijah said to him: You may go. I will not stop you.

21When Elisha came back, he killed 2 oxen, and He took the wooden yokes and made a fire and then he cooked the meat and gave the meat to his people. When they had finished eating Elisha went with Elijah. Elisha became Elijah’s helper.