Elijah, threatened by Jezebel, fleeth to Beer-sheba.

1 ¶ And Ahabº toldºª Jezebelº² all² that² Elijahº had done,ºª and withal² how² he had slainºª² all² the prophetsº with the sword.º 2 Then Jezebelº sentºª a messengerº unto² Elijah,º saying,ºª So² let the godsº doºª [to me], and moreºª also,² if² I makeºª not² thy lifeº as the lifeº of oneº of² them by to morrowº about this time.º 3 And when he sawºª [that], he arose,ºª and went¹ª² for² his life,º and cameºª to Beersheba,º which² [belongeth] to Judah,º and left¹ª²² his servantº there.²

In the wilderness, being weary of his life, he is comforted by an angel.

4 ¶ But he himself² wentºª a day'sº journeyº into the wilderness,º and cameºª and sat downºª under² aº juniper tree:º and he requestedºª² for himselfº that he might die;ºª and said,ºª It is enough;º now,² O LORD,º take awayºª my life;º for² I² [am] not² betterº than my fathers.º² 5 And as he layºª and sleptºª under² aº juniper tree,º behold,² then² an angelº touchedºª him, and saidºª unto him, Ariseºª [and] eat.ºª 6 And he looked,ºª and, behold,² [there was] a cakeº baken on the coals,º and a cruseº of waterº at his head.º And he did eatºª and drink,ºª and laid him downºª again.ºª 7 And the angelº of the LORDº came againºª the second time,º and touchedºª him, and said,ºª Ariseºª [and] eat;ºª because² the journeyº [is] too greatº for² thee. 8 And he arose,ºª and did eatºª and drink,ºª and went¹ª² in the strengthº of that² meatº fortyº daysº and fortyº nightsº unto² Horebº the mountº of God.º

At Horeb God appeareth unto him, sending him to anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha.

9 ¶ And he cameºª thither² unto² a cave,º and lodgedºª there;² and, behold,² the wordº of the LORDº [came] to² him, and he saidºª unto him, What² doest thou here,² Elijah?º 10 And he said,ºª I have been very¹ª jealousºª for the LORDº Godº of hosts:º for² the childrenº of Israelº have forsakenºª thy covenant,º thrown downºª² thine altars,º and slainºª thy prophetsº with the sword;º and I,² [even] I only,² am left;ºª and they seekºª² my life,º to take it away.ºª 11 And he said,ºª Go forth,ºª and standºª upon the mountº beforeº the LORD.º And, behold,² the LORDº passed by,ºª and a greatº and strongº windº rentºª the mountains,º and brake in piecesºª the rocksº beforeº the LORD;º [but] the LORDº [was] not² in the wind:º and afterº the windº an earthquake;º [but] the LORDº [was] not² in the earthquake:º 12 And afterº the earthquakeº a fire;º [but] the LORDº [was] not² in the fire:º and afterº the fireº a stillº smallº voice.º 13 And it was² [so], when Elijahº heardºª [it], that he wrappedºª his faceº in his mantle,º and went out,ºª and stoodºª in the entering inº of the cave.º And, behold,² [there came] a voiceº unto² him, and said,ºª What² doest thou here,² Elijah?º 14 And he said,ºª I have been very¹ª jealousºª for the LORDº Godº of hosts:º because² the childrenº of Israelº have forsakenºª thy covenant,º thrown downºª² thine altars,º and slainºª thy prophetsº with the sword;º and I,² [even] I only,² am left;ºª and they seekºª² my life,º to take it away.ºª 15 And the LORDº saidºª unto² him, Go,¹ª² returnºª on thy wayº to the wildernessº of Damascus:º and when thou comest,ºª anointºª² Hazaelº [to be] kingº over² Syria:º 16 And Jehuº the sonº of Nimshiº shalt thou anointºª [to be] kingº over² Israel:º and Elishaº the sonº of Shaphatº of Abelmeholahº² shalt thou anointºª [to be] prophetº in thy room.² 17 And it shall come to pass,² [that] him that escapethºª the swordº² of Hazaelº shall Jehuº slay:ºª and him that escapethºª from the swordº² of Jehuº shall Elishaº slay.ºª 18 Yet I have leftºª [me] sevenº thousandº in Israel,º all² the kneesº which² have not² bowedºª unto Baal,º and every² mouthº which² hath not² kissedºª him.

Elisha, taking leave of his friends, followeth Elijah.

19 ¶ So he departed¹ª² thence,²² and foundºª² Elishaº the sonº of Shaphat,º who² [was] plowingºª [with] twelveºº yokeº [of oxen] beforeº him, and he² with the twelfth:ºº and Elijahº passedºª by² him, and castºª his mantleº upon² him. 20 And he leftºª² the oxen,º and ranºª afterº Elijah,º and said,ºª Let me, I pray thee,² kissºª my fatherº and my mother,º and [then] I will followº¹ª² thee. And he saidºª unto him, Go² back¹ª again:ºª for² what² have I doneºª to thee? 21 And he returned backºª from²² him,¹ and tookºª² a yokeº of oxen,º and slewºª them, and boiledºª their fleshº with the instrumentsº of the oxen,º and gaveºª unto the people,º and they did eat.ºª Then he arose,ºª and went¹ª² afterº Elijah,º and ministeredºª unto him.