1 Kings 19
19
Elijah Runs Away to Mount Horeb
1Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done. He told her how Elijah had killed all the prophets of Baal with his sword. 2So Jezebel sent a message to Elijah. She said, “You can be sure that I will kill you, just as I killed the other prophets. I’ll do it by this time tomorrow. If I don’t, may the gods punish me greatly.”
3Elijah was afraid. So he ran for his life. He came to Beersheba in Judah. He left his servant there. 4Then he traveled for one day into the desert. He came to a small bush. He sat down under it. He prayed that he would die. “Lord, I’ve had enough,” he said. “Take my life. I’m no better than my people of long ago.” 5Then he lay down under the bush. And he fell asleep.
Suddenly an angel touched him. The angel said, “Get up and eat.” 6Elijah looked around. Near his head he saw some bread. It had been baked over hot coals. A jar of water was also there. So Elijah ate and drank. Then he lay down again.
7The angel of the Lord came to him a second time. He touched him and said, “Get up and eat. Your journey will be long and hard.” 8So he got up. He ate and drank. The food gave him new strength. He traveled for 40 days and 40 nights. He kept going until he arrived at Horeb. It was the mountain of God. 9There he went into a cave and spent the night.
The Lord Appears to Elijah
A message came to Elijah from the Lord. He said, “Elijah, what are you doing here?”
10He replied, “Lord God who rules over all, I’ve been very committed to you. The Israelites have turned their backs on your covenant. They have torn down your altars. They’ve put your prophets to death with their swords. I’m the only one left. And they are trying to kill me.”
11The Lord said, “Go out. Stand on the mountain in front of me. I am going to pass by.”
As the Lord approached, a very powerful wind tore the mountains apart. It broke up the rocks. But the Lord wasn’t in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake. But the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake. 12After the earthquake a fire came. But the Lord wasn’t in the fire. And after the fire there was only a gentle whisper. 13When Elijah heard it, he pulled his coat over his face. He went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “Elijah, what are you doing here?”
14He replied, “Lord God who rules over all, I’ve been very committed to you. The Israelites have turned their backs on your covenant. They have torn down your altars. They’ve put your prophets to death with their swords. I’m the only one left. And they are trying to kill me.”
15The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came. Go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16Also anoint Jehu as king over Israel. He is the son of Nimshi. And anoint Elisha from Abel Meholah as the next prophet after you. He is the son of Shaphat. 17Jehu will put to death anyone who escapes Hazael’s sword. And Elisha will put to death anyone who escapes Jehu’s sword. 18But I will keep 7,000 people in Israel for myself. They have not bowed down to Baal. And they have not kissed him.”
The Lord Chooses Elisha
19Elijah left Mount Horeb. He saw Elisha, the son of Shaphat. Elisha was plowing in a field. He was driving the last of 12 pairs of oxen. Elijah went up to him. He threw his coat around him. 20Then Elisha left his oxen. He ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said. “Then I’ll come with you.”
“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”
21So Elisha left him and went back. He got his two oxen and killed them. He burned the plow to cook the meat. He gave it to the people, and they ate it. Then he started to follow Elijah. He became Elijah’s servant.
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1 Kings 19: NIrV
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1 Kings 19
19
Elijah’s Journey to Horeb
1Ahab told Jezebel#1Kg 16:31; 18:4,14 everything that Elijah had done#1Kg 18:30–38 and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.#1Kg 18:40 2So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods punish me and do so severely#1Sm 3:17; 1Kg 20:10; 2Kg 6:31 if I don’t make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow!”
3Then Elijah became afraid#19:3 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss read He saw#Pr 29:25 and immediately ran for his life.#Gn 31:21 When he came to Beer-sheba#Gn 21:31; Jdg 20:1 that belonged to Judah, he left his servant there,#Gn 22:5; Mt 14:23; 26:36 4but he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree#Jb 30:4 and prayed that he might die. He said, “I have had enough! Lord, take my life,#Nm 11:15; Jnh 4:3,8 for I’m no better than my ancestors.” 5Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree.
Suddenly, an angel touched him.#Gn 28:11–16 The angel told him, “Get up and eat.” 6Then he looked, and there at his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones, and a jug of water.#1Kg 17:10–11 So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7Then the angel of the Lord#Gn 16:7,9,11 returned for a second time and touched him. He said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” 8So he got up, ate, and drank. Then on the strength from that food, he walked forty days and forty nights#Ex 24:18; Mt 4:2 to Horeb, the mountain of God.#Ex 3:1; 4:27 9He entered a cave#Ex 33:22 there and spent the night.
Elijah’s Encounter with the Lord
Suddenly, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” #Gn 3:9
10He replied, “I have been very zealous#Nm 25:13; Ac 22:3 for the Lord God of Armies, but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant,#Dt 31:16 torn down your altars,#1Kg 18:30 and killed your prophets#1Kg 18:4,13; Ac 7:52 with the sword. I alone am left,#1Kg 18:22 and they are looking for me to take my life.”#1Kg 19:2,14; Rm 11:3
11Then he said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.”#Ex 19:20
At that moment, the Lord passed by.#Ex 33:21–22 A great and mighty wind#Ezk 1:4; Ac 2:2 was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake,#Am 1:1; Rv 6:12; 16:18 but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12After the earthquake there was a fire,#Ex 3:2 but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper.#Zch 4:6,10 13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle#Ex 3:6 and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14“I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies,” he replied, “but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they’re looking for me to take my life.”#1Kg 19:10; Rm 11:3
15Then the Lord said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael#2Kg 8:8–15 as king over Aram. 16You are to anoint Jehu#2Kg 19:1–10 son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha#1Kg 19:19 son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael,#2Kg 9:14–10:25 and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.#2Kg 2:24; 8:1 18But I will leave seven thousand in Israel#Rm 11:4 — every knee that has not bowed to Baal#1Kg 16:31 and every mouth that has not kissed him.”#Hs 13:2
Elisha’s Appointment as Elijah’s Successor
19Elijah left there and found Elisha#1Kg 19:16–17 son of Shaphat as he was plowing. Twelve teams of oxen were in front of him, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah walked by him and threw his mantle over him.#2Kg 2:8,13–14 20Elisha left the oxen, ran to follow Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you.”#Mt 8:21–22
“Go on back,” he replied, “for what have I done to you?”
21So he turned back from following him, took the team of oxen, and slaughtered#19:21 Or sacrificed them. With the oxen’s wooden yoke and plow,#1Sm 6:14; 2Sm 24:22 he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he left, followed Elijah, and served him.#Lk 14:26,33
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