¹⁵ Then God said to Noah, ¹⁶ “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.^{(A) 17} Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.”^(B)

The Ten Commandments^(A)

20 And God spoke^(B) all these words:^(C)

¹⁸ When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet^(AE) and saw the mountain in smoke,^(AF) they trembled with fear.^(AG) They stayed at a distance ¹⁹ and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak^(AH) to us or we will die.”^(AI)

²⁰ Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid.^(AJ) God has come to test^(AK) you, so that the fear^(AL) of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”^(AM)

²¹ The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness^(AN) where God was.

Idols and Altars

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:^{(AO) 23} Do not make any gods to be alongside me;^(AP) do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.^(AQ)

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

Then a great and powerful wind^(C) tore the mountains apart and shattered^(D) 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,^(E) but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.^{(F) 13} When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face^(G) 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,^(H) 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^(I) king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also, anoint^(J) Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha^(K) son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah^(L) to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁷ Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael,^(M) and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.^{(N) 18} Yet I reserve^(O) seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed^(P) 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^(Q) around him. ²⁰ Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,”^(R) he said, “and then I will come with you.”

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