⁹ There he went into a cave^(A) and spent the night.

The Lord Appears to Elijah

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”^(B)

¹⁰ He replied, “I have been very zealous^(C) for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant,^(D) torn down your altars,^(E) and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left,^(F) and now they are trying to kill me too.”

¹¹ The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain^(G) in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”^(H)

Then a great and powerful wind^(I) tore the mountains apart and shattered^(J) 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 After the earthquake came a fire,^(K) but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.^{(L) 13} When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face^(M) and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁴ He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left,^(N) and now they are trying to kill me too.”

¹⁵ The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael^(O) king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also, anoint^(P) Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha^(Q) son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah^(R) to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁷ Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael,^(S) and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.^{(T) 18} Yet I reserve^(U) seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed^(V) him.”

The Call of Elisha

¹⁹ So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak^(W) around him. ²⁰ Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,”^(X) he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

²¹ So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen^(Y) and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.^(Z)

Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria

20 Now Ben-Hadad^(AA) king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria^(AB) and attacked it. ² He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: ³ ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.’”

⁴ The king of Israel answered, “Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours.”

⁵ The messengers came again and said, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: ‘I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. ⁶ But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.’”

⁷ The king of Israel summoned all the elders^(AC) of the land and said to them, “See how this man is looking for trouble!^(AD) When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him.”

⁸ The elders and the people all answered, “Don’t listen to him or agree to his demands.”

⁹ So he replied to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell my lord the king, ‘Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.’” They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad.

¹⁰ Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust^(AE) remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.”

¹¹ The king of Israel answered, “Tell him: ‘One who puts on his armor should not boast^(AF) like one who takes it off.’”

¹² Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking^(AG) in their tents,^[a] and he ordered his men: “Prepare to attack.” So they prepared to attack the city.

Jesus Reinstates Peter

¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”^(A)

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”^(B)

¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”^(C)

¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?”^(D) He said, “Lord, you know all things;^(E) you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.^{(F) 18} Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death^(G) by which Peter would glorify God.^(H) Then he said to him, “Follow me!”^(I)

²⁰ Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved^(J) was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”)^{(K) 21} When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”

²² Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return,^(L) what is that to you? You must follow me.”^{(M) 23} Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers^(N) that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

²⁴ This is the disciple who testifies to these things^(O) and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.^(P)

²⁵ Jesus did many other things as well.^(Q) If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.