₁King Ahab told his wife Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had put all the prophets of Baal to death. ₂She sent a message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me dead if by this time tomorrow I don't do the same thing to you that you did to the prophets.” ₃Elijah was afraid, and fled for his life; he took his servant and went to Beersheba in Judah.

Leaving the servant there, ₄Elijah walked a whole day into the wilderness. He stopped and sat down in the shade of a tree and wished he would die. “It's too much, LORD,” he prayed. “Take away my life; I might as well be dead!”

₅He lay down under the tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said, “Wake up and eat.” ₆He looked round, and saw a loaf of bread and a jar of water near his head. He ate and drank, and lay down again. ₇The LORD's angel returned and woke him up a second time, saying, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.”

₈Elijah got up, ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to walk forty days to Sinai, the holy mountain. ₉There he went into a cave to spend the night.

Suddenly the LORD spoke to him, “Elijah, what are you doing here?”

₁₀He answered, “LORD God Almighty, I have always served you — you alone. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed all your prophets. I am the only one left — and they are trying to kill me!”

₁₁“Go out and stand before me on top of the mountain,” the LORD said to him. Then the LORD passed by and sent a furious wind that split the hills and shattered the rocks — but the LORD was not in the wind. The wind stopped blowing, and then there was an earthquake — but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ₁₂After the earthquake, there was a fire — but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire, there was the soft whisper of a voice.

₁₃When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, “Elijah, what are you doing here?”

₁₄He answered, “LORD God Almighty, I have always served you — you alone. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed all your prophets. I am the only one left — and they are trying to kill me.”

₁₅The LORD said, “Return to the wilderness near Damascus, then enter the city and anoint Hazael as king of Syria;