Elijah Flees from Jezebel 1 ULT And Ahab declared to Jezebel all that Elijah had done and all that he had killed all of the prophets with the sword. BSB BSB: Now Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
2 ULT And Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying,“Thus may the gods do, and thus may they add, unless about{ this} time tomorrow I make your life like the life of one of them.” 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 ULT And he saw, and he arose and went for his life, and he came{ to} Beersheba, which is to Judah. And he made his servant stay 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 ULT And he, he went the journey of a day into the wilderness, and he came and sat under a juniper tree. And he asked,{ regarding} his life, to die, and he said,“Enough! Take my life now, Yahweh, for I am not better than my fathers.” 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 ULT And he lay down and slept under a juniper tree. And behold this, an angel was touching him, and he said to him,“Arise, eat!” 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 ULT And he looked, and behold, by his head{ was} a bread- cake of hot stones and a jug of water. And he ate and drank, and he returned and lay down. 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 ULT And the angel of Yahweh returned a second time, and he touched him and said,“Arise, eat! For the journey{ will be} too much for you.” 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 ULT So he arose, and he ate and drank. And he went in the strength of that food 40 days and 40 nights to the mountain of God, Horeb. 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 ULT And he entered into a cave there, and he lodged there. And behold, the word of Yahweh was to him, and he said to him,“What to you here, Elijah?” 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 ULT And he said,“Being jealous, I have been jealous for Yahweh, the God of Armies, for the sons of Israel have forsaken your covenant, they have torn down your altars, and they have killed your prophets with the sword. And I am left, I alone, and they seek my life, to take it.” 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 ULT And he said,“Go out, and you shall stand on the mountain to the face of Yahweh.” And behold, Yahweh was passing over, and a great and strong wind was tearing the mountains and breaking rocks to the face of Yahweh. Yahweh{ was} not in the wind. And after the wind,{ there was} an earthquake. 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 ULT And after the earthquake,{ there was} a fire. Yahweh{ was} not in the fire. And after the fire,{ there was} a voice of small stillness. 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 ULT And it happened when Elijah heard that he wrapped his face in his cloak. And he went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice{ was} to him, and it said,“What to you here, Elijah?” 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 ULT And he said,“Being jealous, I have been jealous for Yahweh, the God of Armies, for the sons of Israel have forsaken your covenant, they have torn down your altars, and they have killed your prophets with the sword. And I am left, I alone, and they seek my life, to take it.” 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 ULT And Yahweh said to him,“Go, return to your way toward the wilderness of Damascus. And you shall come and anoint Hazael as king over 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 ULT And you shall anoint Jehu, the son of Nimshi, as king over Israel. And you shall anoint Elisha, the son of Shaphat, from Abel Meholah, as prophet in your place. 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 ULT And it will happen that the one escaping from the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill. And the one escaping from the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 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 ULT But I will leave in Israel 7, 000, all of the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.” 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 ULT And he went from there, and he found Elisha, the son of Shaphat. And he was plowing{ with} 12 pairs to his face, and he was with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him, and he threw his cloak on him. 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 ULT And he left the oxen, and he ran after Elijah, and he said,“Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then let me go after you.” And he said to him,“Go, return, for what have I done 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 ULT And he returned from after him. And he took the pair of oxen, and he sacrificed it. And with the equipment of the oxen he boiled them, the flesh. And he gave to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah, and he served him. 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.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.