²² Then Elijah said to the people, ^(A)“I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; ^(B)but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

¹⁰ So he said, ^(A)“I have been very ^(B)zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and ^(C)killed Your prophets with the sword. ^(D)I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

God’s Revelation to Elijah

¹¹ Then He said, “Go out, and stand ^(E)on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord ^(F)passed by, and ^(G)a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; ¹² and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire ^[a]a still small voice.

¹³ So it was, when Elijah heard it, that ^(H)he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. ^(I)Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

^14 (J)And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; ^(K)and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. ¹⁶ Also you shall anoint ^(L)Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And ^(M)Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. ^17 (N)It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will ^(O)kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, ^(P)Elisha will kill. ^18 (Q)Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, ^(R)and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

² God has not cast away His people whom ^(A)He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, ^3 (B)“Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? ⁴ But what does the divine response say to him? ^(C)“I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”