1 Kings 19
Elijah Flees from Jezebel
2So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I have not made your life like the lives of those you killed!”
2And Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “Thus may do the gods, and thus may they add, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life as the life of one of them.”
4while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
4And he went into the wilderness a journey of a day, and he came and sat down under a certain broom tree, and he prayed for himself that he might die, and he said, “Enough now, YHWH, take my life; for I am no better than my fathers.”
The LORD Speaks to Elijah at Horeb
10“I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.”a
10And he said, “I have been extremely zealous for YHWH, God of Hosts. For the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant; they have torn down Your altars and have killed Your prophets with the sword, and I am left alone, and they are seeking my life, to take it.”
11Then the LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Behold, the LORD is about to pass by.”
And a great and mighty wind tore into the mountains and shattered the rocks 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.
11And He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the face of YHWH, and behold, YHWH is about to pass by.” And a wind great and mighty tore into the mountains, and broke in pieces the cliffs before the face of YHWH—YHWH was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake—YHWH was not in the earthquake.
13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
13And it came to pass when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, to him was a voice, and it said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14“I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.”
14And he said, “I have been extremely zealous for YHWH, God of Hosts, for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant. They have torn down Your altars and have killed Your prophets with the sword. And I am left alone, and they are seeking my life to take it.”
The Call of Elisha
19So Elijah departed and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak around him.
19And he departed from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat, and he was plowing with twelve yoke before his face, and he was with the twelfth. And Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak on him.
20So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.”
“Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?”
20And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and he said, “Let me kiss, please, my father and my mother, and I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go, turn back, for what have I done to you?”
21So Elisha turned back from him, took his pair of oxen, and slaughtered them. Using the oxen’s equipment for fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow and serve Elijah.
21And he turned back from him and took the yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. And with the instruments of oxen he cooked their flesh and gave it to the people, and they ate. And he arose and followed after Elijah and became his servant.