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Elijah Runs Away

19 King Ahab told Jezebel every thing Elijah had done and how Elijah had killed all the prophets with a sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods ·punish me terribly [deal severely with me, and worse; L do to me, and even more] if by this time tomorrow I don’t ·kill you just as you killed those prophets [L make your life like the life of one of them].”

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life, taking his servant with him. When they came to Beersheba in Judah, Elijah left his servant there. Then Elijah ·walked [journeyed] for a whole day into the ·desert [wilderness]. He sat down under a ·bush [juniper/broom tree] and asked to die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he prayed. “·Let me die [L Take my life]. I am no better than my ·ancestors [fathers; C that is, he is as good as dead, as they already are].” Then he lay down under the tree and slept.

Suddenly an ·angel [messenger] came to him and touched him. “Get up and eat,” the angel said. Elijah saw near his head a loaf baked over ·coals [hot stones] and a jar of water, so he ate and drank. Then he ·went back to sleep [L lay down again].

The Lord’s ·angel [messenger] came to him a second time. The angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat. If you don’t, the journey will be too ·hard [much] for you.” So Elijah got up and ate and drank. The food made him strong enough to walk for forty days and nights to Mount ·Sinai [L Horeb; Ex. 3:1, 17:6; 19:18], the mountain of God. There Elijah went into a cave and stayed all night.

Then the ·Lord spoke his word to [word of the Lord came to] him: “Elijah! ·Why are you [What are you doing] here?”

10 He answered, “Lord God ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], I have ·always served you as well as I could [been very zealous for you]. But the ·people [L sons; T children] of Israel have ·broken [abandoned; forsaken] their ·agreement [covenant; solemn pact] with you, ·destroyed [torn down] your altars, and killed your prophets with swords. I ·am the only prophet [alone am] left, and now they ·are trying to kill me [seek my life], too.”

11 The Lord said to Elijah, “Go, stand ·in front of [before] me on the mountain, ·and I will pass by you [for the Lord is about to pass by].” Then a very strong wind ·blew until it caused the mountains to fall apart and large rocks to break in front of [tore apart the mountain 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. 12 After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was ·a quiet, gentle sound [the sound of a gentle whisper/blowing/wind; or a brief sound of silence; T a still small voice]. 13 When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “Elijah! ·Why are you [What are you doing] here?”

14 He answered, “Lord God ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], I have ·always served you as well as I could [been very zealous for you]. But the ·people [L sons; T children] of Israel have ·broken [abandoned; forsaken] their ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with you, ·destroyed [torn down] your altars, and killed your prophets with swords. I ·am the only prophet [alone am] left, and now they ·are trying to kill me [seek my life], too.”

15 The Lord said to him, “Go back on the road that leads to the ·desert [wilderness] around Damascus. Enter that city, and ·pour olive oil on [L anoint] Hazael to make him king over Aram [2 Kin. 8:7–15]. 16 Then ·pour oil on [L anoint] Jehu son of Nimshi to make him king over Israel [2 Kin. 9:1–13]. Next, ·pour oil on [L anoint] Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to ·make him a prophet in your place [succeed you as prophet; 2 Kin. 2:1–18]. 17 Jehu will kill anyone who escapes from Hazael’s sword, and Elisha will kill anyone who escapes from Jehu’s sword. 18 I ·have left [or will preserve/spare/leave] seven thousand people in Israel who have never bowed down before Baal and whose mouths have never kissed ·his idol [L him].”

Elisha Becomes a Prophet

19 So Elijah left that place and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field with ·a team of oxen. He owned twelve teams of oxen and was plowing with the twelfth team [or twelve teams of oxen, and he with the twelfth]. Elijah came up to Elisha, took off his ·coat [T mantle], and put it on Elisha. 20 Then Elisha left his oxen and ran to follow Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and my mother good-bye,” Elisha said. “Then I will go with you.”

Elijah answered, “Go back. ·It does not matter to me [For what have I done to you?; or But consider what I have done to you].”

21 So Elisha went back and took his pair of oxen and ·killed [slaughtered; sacrificed] them. He used ·their wooden yoke [the plowing gear] for a fire [C symbolizing his turning from farming to a new calling as a prophet]. Then he cooked the meat and gave it to the people. After they ate it, Elisha left and followed Elijah and became his ·helper [servant; assistant].

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