1 Kings 19

19 ¹ Ahab told Jezebel all Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. ² Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah: "May the gods do so to me, and more, if by this time tomorrow I haven't made your life like one of the prophets'."

³ Afraid, Elijah got up and ran for his life, reached Beersheba in Judah, and left his servant there, ⁴ He went a day's journey into the wilderness, sat under a lone broom tree, and asked to die. "Enough, my Father," he said. "Take my life; I'm no better than my fathers."

⁵ He lay down and slept under a broom tree. An angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat."

⁶ He looked, and by his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and lay down again. ⁷ The angel of our Father returned a second time, touched him, and said, "Get up and eat—the journey is too much for you."

⁸ So he got up, ate and drank, and strengthened by that food traveled forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of our Father.

The Father's Gentle Whisper

⁹ There he went into a cave to spend the night. Then the word of our Father came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

¹⁰ He replied, "I have been very passionate for the Father of heaven's armies. Israel has abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and now they seek my life, to take it."

¹¹ Our Father said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before me; I am about to pass by." A great, powerful wind tore into the mountains and shattered rocks before our Father, but he was not in the wind. After the wind an earthquake, but he was not in the earthquake.

¹² After the earthquake, a fire, but our Father was not in the fire. After the fire, the sound of a gentle whisper.

¹³ Hearing it, Elijah wrapped his face in his cloak, went out, and stood at the cave's entrance. A voice came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

¹⁴ He replied, "I have been very passionate for the Father of heaven's armies. The people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and now they seek my life, to take it."

¹⁵ Our Father said, "Go back the way you came, to the wilderness of Damascus. There anoint Hazael king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah prophet in your place. ¹⁷ Whoever escapes Hazael's sword, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes Jehu's sword, Elisha will kill. ¹⁸ Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel — every knee that has not bowed to Baal, every mouth that has not kissed him."

The Father Calls Elisha

¹⁹ So Elijah left and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, himself driving the twelfth. Elijah went over and threw his cloak around him. ²⁰ Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, then I'll follow you." "Go back," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?"

²¹ So Elisha went back, took his yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them. Using the plowing gear as fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he followed Elijah and served him.