Elijah Flees from Jezebel 1 UDB When Ahab got home, he told his wife Jezebel what Elijah had done. He told her that Elijah had killed all the prophets of Baal. BSB BSB: Now Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
2 UDB So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: "By this time tomorrow I will have killed you, just as you killed all those prophets of Baal. If I do not do that, I hope the gods will kill me." BSB BSB: So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I have not made your life like the lives of those you killed!”
3 UDB When Elijah received her message, he was afraid. So taking his servant with him, he fled so that he would not be killed. He went far south to Beersheba, in Judah. He left his servant there. BSB BSB: And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,
4 UDB Then he went by himself further south into the desert. He walked all day. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that Yahweh would allow him to die. He said, "Yahweh, I cannot endure anymore. So allow me to die, because for me to live is no better than being with my ancestors who have died." BSB BSB: while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
5 UDB Then he lay down under the broom tree and slept. But while he was sleeping, an angel touched him and woke him up and said to him, "Get up and eat some food!" BSB BSB: Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”
6 UDB Elijah looked around and saw some bread that had been baked on hot stones, and he also saw a jar of water. So he ate some bread and drank some water and lay down to sleep again. BSB BSB: And he looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.
7 UDB Then the angel who had been sent by Yahweh came again and touched him and said, "Get up and eat some more food, because you need more strength to go on a long journey." BSB BSB: A second time the angel of the LORD returned and touched him, saying, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.”
8 UDB So he got up and ate and drank some more; because he did that, he got enough strength to travel for forty days and nights to Mount Horeb, the mountain that was dedicated to God. BSB BSB: So he got up and ate and drank. And strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
The LORD Speaks to Elijah at Horeb 9 UDB He went into a cave there and slept there that night. The next morning, Yahweh said to him, "Elijah, why are you here?" BSB BSB: There Elijah entered a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 UDB Elijah replied, "I have zealously served you, Yahweh, commander of angel armies. But the Israelite people have rejected the agreement that they made with you. They have torn down your altars, and they have killed all of your prophets. I am the only one whom they have not killed, and now they are trying to kill me, too. So I am running away from them." BSB BSB: “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.”
11 UDB Yahweh said to him, "Go out and stand in front of me on this mountain while I pass by." So Elijah did that. While he was standing there, a strong windstorm struck the mountain. As a result, rocks were loosened from the mountainside. But Yahweh was not in the wind. Then there was an earthquake, but Yahweh was not in the earthquake. BSB BSB: Then the LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Behold, the LORD is about to pass by.” And a great and mighty wind tore into the mountains and shattered the rocks 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.
12 UDB Then there was a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire. Then there was a sound like someone whispering quietly. BSB BSB: After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice.
13 UDB When Elijah heard that, he wrapped his cloak around his face. He went out of the cave and stood at its entrance. And he heard Yahweh speaking to him, saying again, "Elijah, why are you here?" BSB BSB: When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 UDB He replied again, "I have zealously served you, Yahweh, commander of angel armies. But the Israelite people have rejected the agreement that they made with you. They have torn down your altars, and they have killed all of your prophets. I am the only one whom they have not killed, and now they are also trying to kill me. So I am running away from them." BSB BSB: “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.”
15 UDB Then Yahweh told him, "Go back to the wilderness near Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint with olive oil a man named Hazael to appoint him to be the king of Aram. BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to him, “Go back by the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.
16 UDB Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be the king of Israel, and also anoint Elisha son of Shaphat, from the city of Abel Meholah, to become my prophet after you are gone. BSB BSB: You are also to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet.
17 UDB Hazael's army will kill many people, and those who escape from being killed by his army will be killed by Jehu's army, and those who escape from being killed by Jehu's army will be killed by Elisha. BSB BSB: Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.
18 UDB But you need to know that there are still seven thousand people in Israel who have never bowed to worship Baal or kissed his idol." BSB BSB: Nevertheless, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
The Call of Elisha 19 UDB So Elijah went to Aram and found Elisha as he was plowing a field with a team of oxen. There were eleven other men who were in front of him, plowing with teams of oxen in the same field. Elijah went to Elisha and took off his own coat and put it on Elisha, to show Elisha that he wanted Elisha to take his place as a prophet. Then he started to walk away. BSB BSB: So Elijah departed and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak around him.
20 UDB Elisha left the oxen standing there and ran after Elijah and said to him, "I will go with you, but first let me kiss my parents goodbye." Elijah replied, "Very well, go home. But do not forget why I have given my cloak to you!" BSB BSB: So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?”
21 UDB So Elisha went back home. He killed his oxen and cut them in pieces and used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast the meat. He distributed the meat to the other people in his town, and they all ate some. Then he went with Elijah and became his helper. BSB BSB: So Elisha turned back from him, took his pair of oxen, and slaughtered them. Using the oxen’s equipment for fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow and serve Elijah.
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