1 *Kings 19

₁Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done, and also that he had killed all the prophets_of_Baal. ₂Then Jezebel sent a message to Elijah and said: ‘I pray that the gods will help me tomorrow at this time so that I may do the same to you as you did to the prophets_of_Baal.’

₃Elijah became afraid, and he fled so that Jezebel could not kill him. When he came to the town of Beersheba in Judah, he and the servant with him stopped and rested. ₄Then Elijah went on alone. He walked for a day into the desert. He stopped and sat down in the shade of a broom tree and he wished that he was dead. He said: ‘Lord, this is enough. You must let me die because I am not better than my forefathers.’ ₅Then Elijah lay down under the tree and he slept there. Later an angel came to him and touched him and said: ‘Get up and eat.’ ₆Elijah looked around him and where his head had been, he saw a loaf of bread and a jar of water. He ate and drank and lay down again. ₇Later the angel of the Lord touched him again and said: ‘Get up and eat. If you do not eat, you will not be strong enough to go all the way.’ ₈Elijah got up and he started to eat and drink. And that food made him so strong that he walked for 40 days and 40 nights to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God. ₉There he went into a cave, to sleep.

Elijah heard the Lord talking to him. The Lord asked him: ‘Elijah, what are you doing here?’ ₁₀Elijah said: ‘I have worked very hard doing the work for the Lord, the God who rules over all, but the people of Israel did not do what You told them in your covenant. They have broken down your altars and they have killed your prophets. I am the only one left and now they want to kill me too.’

₁₁Then the Lord said to Elijah: ‘Go out and stand before Me on the mountain.’ Then the Lord went past him. There was a very strong wind, so strong that the mountain shook and the rocks broke off before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. ₁₂And after the earthquake there was a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. Then after the fire Elijah heard something. It was like someone talking very softly. ₁₃When he heard this, he covered his face with his cloak. He went out of the cave and he stood there. Then he heard the voice of God saying: ‘Elijah, what are you doing here?’ ₁₄Elijah said: ‘I have worked very hard doing the work for the Lord, the God who rules over all, but the people of Israel did not do what You told them in your covenant. They have broken down your altars and they have killed your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they want to kill me too.’

₁₅Then the Lord said to Elijah: ‘Go back the same way that you came. You must go into the desert of Damascus, and when you get there you must anoint Hazael to be king of the Aramean people. ₁₆And you must anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, to be king_of_Israel. And you must anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat, from the town of Abel-Meholah, to be a prophet after you. ₁₇Hazael will start killing people and if there are some people who flee from Hazael, then Jehu will kill them. And if there are some people who flee away from Jehu, then Elisha will kill them. ₁₈But there are still 7 000 people left in the land_of_Israel who did not bow before Baal. They have not worshipped or kissed him.’

₁₉Elijah went from Mount Horeb to look for Elisha, son of Shaphat. Elisha was busy ploughing with 12 pairs of oxen, and Elisha was with the last pair, at the back. When Elijah came to him, he threw his cloak over Elisha. ₂₀Elisha left the oxen and he ran after Elijah and said to him: ‘I first want to go to my father and mother and say goodbye, then I will go with you.’ Elijah said to him: ‘You may go. I will not stop you.’

₂₁When Elisha came back, he killed 2 oxen and He took the wooden yokes and made a fire and then he cooked the meat and gave the meat to his people. When they had finished eating Elisha went with Elijah. Elisha became Elijah's helper.