1 Kings 19
19
Elijah Runs Away from Ahab and Jezebel
1Ahab told his wife Jezebel what Elijah had done and that he had killed the prophets. 2She sent a message to Elijah: “You killed my prophets. Now I'm going to kill you! I pray that the gods will punish me even more severely if I don't do it by this time tomorrow.”
3Elijah was afraid when he got her message, and he ran to the town of Beersheba in Judah. He left his servant there, 4#Jon 4.3. then walked another whole day into the desert. Finally, he came to a large bush and sat down in its shade. He begged the Lord, “I've had enough. Just let me die! I'm no better off than my ancestors.” 5Then he lay down in the shade and fell asleep.
Suddenly an angel woke him up and said, “Get up and eat.” 6Elijah looked around, and by his head was a jar of water and some baked bread. He sat up, ate and drank, then lay down and went back to sleep.
7Soon the Lord's angel woke him again and said, “Get up and eat, or else you'll get too tired to travel.” 8So Elijah sat up and ate and drank.
The food and water made him strong enough to walk 40 more days. At last, he reached Mount Sinai,#19.8 Sinai: Hebrew “Horeb.” the mountain of God, 9and he spent the night there in a cave.
The Lord Appears to Elijah
While Elijah was on Mount Sinai, the Lord asked, “Elijah, why are you here?”
10 #
Ro 11.3. He answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I've always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!”
11“Go out and stand on the mountain,” the Lord replied. “I want you to be there when I pass by.”
All at once, a strong wind shook the mountain and shattered the rocks. But the Lord was not in the wind. Next, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12Then there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
Finally, there was a gentle breeze,#19.12 a gentle breeze: Or “a soft whisper” or “hardly a sound.” 13and when Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat. He went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.
A voice asked, “Elijah, why are you here?”
14Elijah answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I've always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!”
15 #
2 K 8.7-13. The Lord said:
Elijah, you can go back to the desert near Damascus. And when you get there, appoint#19.15 appoint: This would have included a ceremony in which olive oil would be poured on his head to show that he was now king. Hazael to be king of Syria. 16#2 K 9.1-6. Then appoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat#19.16 Shaphat: Hebrew “Shaphat from Abel-Meholah.” to take your place as my prophet.
17Hazael will start killing the people who worship Baal. Jehu will kill those who escape from Hazael, and Elisha will kill those who escape from Jehu.
18 #
Ro 11.4. But 7,000 Israelites have refused to worship Baal, and they will live.
Elisha Becomes Elijah's Assistant
19Elijah left and found Elisha plowing a field with a pair of oxen. There were eleven other men in front of him, and each one was also plowing with a pair of oxen. Elijah went over and put his own coat on Elisha.#19.19 put … Elisha: This was a sign that Elijah wanted Elisha to follow him and become a prophet.
20Elisha stopped plowing and ran after him. “Let me kiss my parents goodbye, then I'll go with you,” he said.
“You can go,” Elijah said. “But remember what I've done for you.”
21Elisha left and took his oxen with him. He killed them and boiled them over a fire he had made with the wood from his plow. He gave the meat to the people who were with him, and they ate it. Then he left with Elijah and became his assistant.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
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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