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
1 AHAB TOLD Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had slain all the prophets [of Baal] with the sword.
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.
3 Then he was afraid and arose and went for his life and came to Beersheba of Judah [over eighty miles, and out of Jezebel's realm] and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a lone broom or juniper tree and asked that he might die. He said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am no better than my fathers.
5 As he lay asleep under the broom or juniper tree, behold, an angel touched him and said to him, Arise and eat.
6 He looked, and behold, there was a cake baked on the coals, and a bottle of water at his head. And he ate and drank and lay down again.
7 The angel of the Lord came the second time and touched him and said, Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.
8 So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah?
10 He replied, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I, I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
11 And He said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;
12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a sound of gentle stillness and] a still, small voice.
13 When Elijah heard the voice, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, What are you doing here, Elijah?
14 He said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, because the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars, and slain Your prophets with the sword. And I, I only, am left, and they seek my life, to destroy it.
15 And the Lord said to him, Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.
16 And anoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah to be prophet in your place.
17 And him who escapes from the sword of Hazael Jehu shall slay, and him who escapes the sword of Jehu Elisha shall slay.
18 Yet I will leave Myself 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.
19 So Elijah left there and found Elisha son of Shaphat, whose plowing was being done with twelve yoke of oxen, and he drove the twelfth. Elijah crossed over to him and cast his mantle upon him.
20 He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, Let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you. And he [testing Elisha] said, Go on back. What have I done to you? [Settle it for yourself.]
21 So Elisha went back from him. Then he took a yoke of oxen, slew them, boiled their flesh with the oxen's yoke [as fuel], and gave to the people, and they ate. Then he arose, followed Elijah, and served him. [II Kings 3:11.]
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