1 Kings 19:7-21

Contemporary English Version

⁷ Soon the Lord's angel woke him again and said, “Get up and eat, or else you'll get too tired to travel.” ⁸ So Elijah sat up and ate and drank.

The food and water made him strong enough to walk 40 more days. At last, he reached Mount Sinai,^[a] the mountain of God, ⁹ and he spent the night there in a cave.

The Lord Appears to Elijah

While Elijah was on Mount Sinai, the Lord asked, “Elijah, why are you here?”

^10 (A) He answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I've always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!”

¹¹ “Go out and stand on the mountain,” the Lord replied. “I want you to be there when I pass by.”

All at once, a strong wind shook the mountain and shattered the rocks. But the Lord was not in the wind. Next, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² Then there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.

Finally, there was a gentle breeze,^{[b] 13} and when Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat. He went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.

A voice asked, “Elijah, why are you here?”

¹⁴ Elijah answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I've always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!”

^15 (B) The Lord said:

Elijah, you can go back to the desert near Damascus. And when you get there, appoint^[c] Hazael to be king of Syria. ^16 (C) Then appoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat^[d] to take your place as my prophet.

¹⁷ Hazael will start killing the people who worship Baal. Jehu will kill those who escape from Hazael, and Elisha will kill those who escape from Jehu.

^18 (D) But 7,000 Israelites have refused to worship Baal, and they will live.

Elisha Becomes Elijah's Assistant

¹⁹ Elijah left and found Elisha plowing a field with a pair of oxen. There were eleven other men in front of him, and each one was also plowing with a pair of oxen. Elijah went over and put his own coat on Elisha.^[e]

²⁰ Elisha stopped plowing and ran after him. “Let me kiss my parents goodbye, then I'll go with you,” he said.

“You can go,” Elijah said. “But remember what I've done for you.”

²¹ Elisha left and took his oxen with him. He killed them and boiled them over a fire he had made with the wood from his plow. He gave the meat to the people who were with him, and they ate it. Then he left with Elijah and became his assistant.