1 Kings 19
19
Elijah Runs for His Life
1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, including a detailed account of how he killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this warning,#tn Heb “saying.” “May the gods judge me severely#tn Heb “So may the gods do to me, and so may they add.” if by this time tomorrow I do not take your life as you did theirs!”#tn Heb “I do not make your life like the life of one of them.”
3 Elijah was afraid,#tc The MT has “and he saw,” but some medieval Hebrew mss as well as several ancient versions support the reading “he was afraid.” The consonantal text (וַיַּרְא, vayyar’) is ambiguous and can be vocalized וַיַּרְא (from רָאָה, ra’ah, “to see”) or וַיִּרָא (vayyira’, from יָרֵא, yare’, “to fear”). so he got up and fled for his life to Beer Sheba in Judah. He left his servant there, 4 while he went a day’s journey into the desert. He went and sat down under a shrub#tn Or “broom tree” (also in v. 5). and asked the Lord to take his life:#tn Heb “and asked with respect to his life to die.” “I’ve had enough! Now, O Lord, take my life. After all, I’m no better than my ancestors.”#tn Heb “fathers.” 5 He stretched out#tn Or “lay down.” and fell asleep under the shrub. All of a sudden an angelic messenger#tn Heb “Look, a messenger.” touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked and right there by his head was a cake baking on hot coals and a jug of water. He ate and drank and then slept some more.#tn Heb “and again lay down” 7 The Lord’s angelic messenger came back again, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, for otherwise you won’t be able to make the journey.”#tn Heb “for the journey is too great for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. That meal gave him the strength to travel forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
9 He went into a cave there and spent the night. All of a sudden the Lord spoke to him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” 10 He answered, “I have been absolutely loyal#tn Or “very zealous.” The infinitive absolute preceding the finite verb emphasizes the degree of his zeal and allegiance. to the Lord, the sovereign God,#tn Traditionally, “the God of hosts.” even though the Israelites have abandoned the agreement they made with you,#tn Heb “abandoned your covenant.” torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life.”#tn Heb “and they are seeking my life to take it.” 11 The Lord#tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity. said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord. Look, the Lord is ready to pass by.”
A very powerful wind went before the Lord, digging into the mountain and causing landslides,#tn Heb “tearing away the mountains and breaking the cliffs” (or perhaps, “breaking the stones”). but the Lord was not in the wind. After the windstorm 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 soft whisper.#tn Heb “a voice, calm, soft.” 13 When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. All of a sudden#tn Heb “look.” a voice asked him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” 14 He answered, “I have been absolutely loyal#tn Or “very zealous.” The infinitive absolute preceding the finite verb emphasizes the degree of his zeal and allegiance. to the Lord, the sovereign God,#tn Traditionally, “the God of hosts.” even though the Israelites have abandoned the agreement they made with you,#tn Heb “abandoned your covenant.” torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life.”#tn Heb “and they are seeking my life to take it.” 15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came and then head for the Desert of Damascus. Go and anoint Hazael king over Syria. 16 You must anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to take your place as prophet. 17 Jehu will kill anyone who escapes Hazael’s sword, and Elisha will kill anyone who escapes Jehu’s sword. 18 I still have left in Israel seven thousand followers who have not bowed their knees to Baal or kissed the images of him.”#tn Heb “I have kept in Israel seven thousand, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and all the mouths that have not kissed him.”
19 Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen; he was near the twelfth pair. Elijah passed by him and threw his robe over him. 20 He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, then I will follow you.” Elijah#tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity. said to him, “Go back! Indeed, what have I done to you?” 21 Elisha#tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity. went back and took his pair of oxen and slaughtered them. He cooked the meat over a fire that he made by burning the harness and yoke.#tn Heb “and with the equipment of the oxen he cooked them, the flesh.” He gave the people meat and they ate. Then he got up and followed Elijah and became his assistant.
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1 Kings 19
19
1Now Ahab tolde Iezebel all that Eliiah had done, and how he had slaine all the prophets with the sword. 2Then Iezebel sent a messenger vnto Eliiah, saying, The gods doe so to me and more also, if I make not thy life like one of their liues by to morowe this time. 3When he sawe that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which is in Iudah, and left his seruant there. 4But he went a dayes iourney into the wildernesse, and came and sate downe vnder a iuniper tree, and desired that he might die, and sayde, It is now ynough: O Lord, take my soule, for I am no better then my fathers. 5And as he lay and slept vnder the iuniper tree, behold now, an Angel touched him, and said vnto him, Vp, and eate. 6And when he looked about, behold, there was a cake baken on the coles, and a pot of water at his head: so he did eate and drinke, and returned and slept. 7And the Angel of the Lord came againe the second time, and touched him, and sayd, Vp, and eate: for thou hast a great iourney. 8Then he arose, and did eate and drinke, and walked in the strength of that meate fourtie dayes and fourtie nights, vnto Horeb the mount of God. 9And there he entred into a caue, and lodged there: and beholde, the Lord spake to him, and said vnto him, What doest thou here, Eliiah? 10And he answered, I haue bene very ielous for the Lord God of hostes: for the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenant, broken downe thine altars, and slayne thy Prophets with the sword, and I onely am left, and they seeke my life to take it away. 11And he saide, Come out, and stand vpon the mount before the Lord. And beholde, the Lord went by, and a mightie strong winde rent the mountaines, and brake the rockes before the Lord: but the Lord was not in the winde: and after the wind came an earthquake: but the Lord was not in the earthquake: 12And after the earthquake came fire: but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire came a still and soft voyce. 13And when Eliiah heard it, he couered his face with his mantel, and went out, and stoode in the entring in of ye caue: and behold, there came a voyce vnto him, and sayd, What doest thou here, Eliiah? 14And he answered, I haue bene very ielous for the Lord God of hostes, because the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenant, cast downe thine altars, and slayne thy Prophets with the sworde, and I onely am left, and they seeke my life to take it away. 15And the Lord said vnto him, Goe, returne by the wildernes vnto Damascus, and when thou commest there, anoint Hazael King ouer Aram. 16And Iehu the sonne of Nimshi shalt thou anoynt King ouer Israel: and Elisha the sonne of Shaphat of Abel Meholah shalt thou anoynt to be Prophet in thy roume. 17And him that escapeth from the sworde of Hazael, shall Iehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Iehu, shall Elisha slay. 18Yet wil I leaue seuen thousand in Israel, euen all the knees that haue not bowed vnto Baal, and euery mouth that hath not kissed him. 19So he departed thence, and found Elisha the sonne of Shaphat who was plowing with twelue yoke of oxen before him, and was with the twelft: and Eliiah went towards him, and cast his mantel vpon him. 20And he left the oxen, and ran after Eliiah, and sayde, Let mee, I pray thee, kisse my father and my mother, and then I wil follow thee. Who answered him, Go, returne: for what haue I done to thee? 21And when he went backe againe from him, he tooke a couple of oxen, and slewe them, and sod their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gaue vnto the people, and they did eate: then he arose and went after Eliiah, and ministred vnto him.
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