1 Kings 19:8-18

New International Version

⁸ So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty^(A) days and forty nights until he reached Horeb,^(B) the mountain of God. ⁹ There he went into a cave^(C) and spent the night.

The Lord Appears to Elijah

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

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

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

Then a great and powerful wind^(K) tore the mountains apart and shattered^(L) 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,^(M) but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.^{(N) 13} When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face^(O) 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,^(P) 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^(Q) king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also, anoint^(R) Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha^(S) son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah^(T) to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁷ Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael,^(U) and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.^{(V) 18} Yet I reserve^(W) seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed^(X) him.”