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19 And Ach’av told Izevel all that Eliyahu had done, and how he had slain kol haNevi’im with the cherev.

Then Izevel sent a malach unto Eliyahu, saying, So let elohim do to me, and more also, if I make not thy nefesh as the life of one of them by this time makhar (tomorrow).

And when he saw that, he arose, and fled for his nefesh, and came to Be’er Sheva, which belongeth to Yehudah, and left his na’ar (servant) there.

But he himself went derech yom (a day’s journey) into the midbar, and came and sat down under a broom tree; and he requested for his nefesh to die; and said, It is enough; now, O Hashem, take away my nefesh; for I am no better than my avot.

And as he lay and slept under a broom tree, hinei, then a malach touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

And he looked, and, hinei, there at his rosh was an oogah (disk or cake of bread) baked on hot coals, and a jar of mayim. And he did eat and drink, and returned to lie down again.

And the Malach Hashem came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the derech is too great for thee.

And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the ko’ach ha’achilah hahi (strength of that food) arba’im yom v’arba’im lailah unto Chorev the Har HaElohim.

And he came there unto hame’arah (the cave), and lodged there; and, hinei, the Devar Hashem came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Eliyahu?

10 And he said, I have been very kina (jealous, zealous) for Hashem Elohei Tzivos; for the Bnei Yisroel have forsaken Thy Brit (Covenant, i.e., Sinai Covenant), thrown down Thine mizbechot, and slain Thy nevi’im with the cherev; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my nefesh, to take it away.

11 And He said, Go forth, and stand upon the Har before Hashem. And, hinei, Hashem passed by, and a ruach gedolah v’chazak rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the sela’im (rocks) before Hashem; but Hashem was not in the ruach; and after the ruach, a ra’ash (earthquake); but Hashem was not in the ra’ash;

12 And after the ra’ash an eish; but Hashem was not in the eish; and after the eish a kol demamah dakkah (a quiet, gentle voice).

13 And it was so, when Eliyahu heard it, that he wrapped his face in his aderet (cloak, mantle), and went out, and stood in the mouth of the me’arah. And, hinei, there came a kol (voice) unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Eliyahu?

14 And he said, I have been very kina for Hashem Elohei Tzivos; because the Bnei Yisroel have forsaken Thy Brit (Covenant, i.e., Sinai Covenant), thrown down Thine mizbechot, and slain Thy nevi’im with the cherev; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my nefesh, to take it away.

15 And Hashem said unto him, Go, shuv (return) on thy derech to the midbar of Damascus; and when thou comest, anoint Chatzael to be Melech over Syria;

16 And Yehu ben Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be Melech over Yisroel; and Elishah ben Shaphat of Avel Mecholah shalt thou anoint to be navi in thy place.

17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the cherev of Chatzael shall Yehu slay; and him that escapeth from the cherev of Yehu shall Elishah slay.

18 Yet I have left me shivat alafim in Yisroel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Ba’al, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

19 So he departed from there, and found Elishah ben Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth; and Eliyahu passed by him, and cast his aderet (cloak, mantle) upon him.

20 And he left the bakar (oxen), and ran after Eliyahu, and said, Let me now kiss Avi and Immi, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Shuv (go back again): for what have I done to thee?

21 And he returned from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them, and boiled their basar with the equipment of the oxen, and gave unto the Am, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Eliyahu, and ministered unto him.

Elijah Flees to Horeb

19 Now Ahab told Jezebel(A) everything Elijah had done and how he had killed(B) all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely,(C) if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”(D)

Elijah was afraid[a] and ran(E) for his life.(F) When he came to Beersheba(G) in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush,(H) sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life;(I) I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.(J)

All at once an angel(K) touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty(L) days and forty nights until he reached Horeb,(M) the mountain of God. There he went into a cave(N) and spent the night.

The Lord Appears to Elijah

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”(O)

10 He replied, “I have been very zealous(P) for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant,(Q) torn down your altars,(R) and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left,(S) and now they are trying to kill me too.”

11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain(T) in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”(U)

Then a great and powerful wind(V) tore the mountains apart and shattered(W) 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. 12 After the earthquake came a fire,(X) but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.(Y) 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face(Z) and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left,(AA) and now they are trying to kill me too.”

15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael(AB) king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint(AC) Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha(AD) son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah(AE) to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael,(AF) and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.(AG) 18 Yet I reserve(AH) seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed(AI) him.”

The Call of Elisha

19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak(AJ) around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,”(AK) he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen(AL) and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.(AM)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 19:3 Or Elijah saw