1 Kings 19
1599 Geneva Bible
19 5 Elijah fleeing from Jezebel, is nourished by the Angel of God. 15 He is commanded to anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha.
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had slain all the [a]prophets with the sword.
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, [b]The gods do so to me and more also, if I make not thy life like one of their lives by tomorrow this time.
3 ¶ When he saw that, he arose, and went [c]for his life, and came to Beersheba, which is in Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a Juniper tree, and desired that he might die, and said, It is now enough: O Lord, [d]take my soul, for I am no better than my fathers.
5 And as he lay and slept under the Juniper tree, behold now, an Angel touched him, and said unto him, Up, and eat.
6 And when he looked about, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a pot of water at his head: so he did eat and drink, and returned and slept.
7 And the Angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Up, and eat: for [e]thou hast a great journey.
8 ¶ Then he arose, and did eat and drink, and walked in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights, unto Horeb the mount of God.
9 And there he entered into a cave, and lodged there: and behold, the Lord spake to him, and said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
10 And he answered, I have [f]been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, broken down thine altars, and slain thy Prophets with the sword, (A)and I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away.
11 And he said, Come out, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord went by, and a mighty strong wind rent the mountains, and brake the rocks before the Lord: but the Lord was [g]not in the wind: and after the wind came an earthquake: but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake came fire: but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire came a still and soft voice.
13 And when Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering of the cave: and behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
14 And he answered, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, [h]because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, cast down thine altars, and slain thy Prophets with the sword, and I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away.
15 And the Lord said unto him, Go, return by the wilderness unto Damascus, and when thou comest there, anoint Hazael king over [i]Aram.
16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint King over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah shalt thou anoint to be Prophet in thy room.
17 And (B)him that escapeth from the sword of Hazael, shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu, shall Elisha slay.
18 Yet will (C)I leave seven thousand in Israel: even [j]all the knees that have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth that hath not kissed him.
19 ¶ So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and was with the twelfth: and Elijah went towards him, and cast his mantel upon him.
20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, [k]Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. Who answered him, Go, return: for what have I done to thee?
21 And when he went back again from him, he took a couple of oxen, and slew them, and sod their flesh with the [l]instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat: then he arose and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 19:1 To wit, of Baal.
- 1 Kings 19:2 Though the wicked rage against God’s children, yet he holdeth them back that they cannot execute their malice.
- 1 Kings 19:3 Or, whither his mind led him.
- 1 Kings 19:4 So hard a thing it is to bridle our impatience in affliction, that the Saints could not overcome the same.
- 1 Kings 19:7 He declareth that except God had nourished him miraculously, it had not been possible for him to have gone this journey.
- 1 Kings 19:10 He complaineth that the more zealous that he showed himself to maintain God’s glory, the more cruelly was he persecuted.
- 1 Kings 19:11 For the nature of man is not able to come near unto God, if he should appear in his strength and full majesty, and therefore of his mercy he submitteth himself to our capacity.
- 1 Kings 19:14 We ought not to depend on the multitude in maintaining God’s glory, but because our duty so requireth, we ought to do it.
- 1 Kings 19:15 Or, Syria.
- 1 Kings 19:18 He declareth that wicked dissemblers and idolaters are not his.
- 1 Kings 19:20 Though this natural affection is not to be contemned, yet it ought not to move us when God calleth us to serve him.
- 1 Kings 19:21 He would not stay till wood was brought, so great was his desire to follow his vocation.
1 Kings 19
Names of God Bible
Elijah Flees from Jezebel
19 Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including how he had executed all the prophets. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah. She said, “May the gods strike me dead if by this time tomorrow I don’t take your life the way you took the lives of Baal’s prophets.”
3 Frightened, Elijah fled to save his life. He came to Beersheba in Judah and left his servant there. 4 Then he traveled through the wilderness for a day. He sat down under a broom plant and wanted to die. “I’ve had enough now, Yahweh,” he said. “Take my life! I’m no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom plant.
An angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 When he looked, he saw near his head some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water. So he ate, drank, and went to sleep again.
7 The angel of Yahweh came back and woke him up again. The angel said, “Get up and eat, or your journey will be too much for you.”
8 He got up, ate, and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled for 40 days and nights until he came to Horeb, the mountain of Elohim. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.
Then Yahweh spoke his word to Elijah. He asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 He answered, “Yahweh Elohim Tsebaoth, I have eagerly served you. The Israelites have abandoned your promises,[a] torn down your altars, and executed your prophets. I’m the only one left, and they’re trying to take my life.”
11 Yahweh said, “Go out and stand in front of Yahweh on the mountain.”
As Yahweh was passing by, a fierce wind tore mountains and shattered rocks ahead of Yahweh. But Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But Yahweh wasn’t in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake there was a fire. But Yahweh wasn’t in the fire. And after the fire there was a quiet, whispering voice. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his coat, went out, and stood at the entrance of the cave.
Then the voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 He answered, “Yahweh Elohim Tsebaoth, I have eagerly served you. The Israelites have abandoned your promises, torn down your altars, and executed your prophets. I’m the only one left, and they’re trying to take my life.”
15 Yahweh told him, “Go back to the wilderness near Damascus, the same way you came. When you get there, anoint Hazael as king of Aram. 16 Anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king of Israel. And anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat, from Abel Meholah as prophet to take your place. 17 If anyone escapes from Hazael’s sword, Jehu will kill him. And if anyone escapes from Jehu’s sword, Elisha will kill him. 18 But I still have 7,000 people in Israel whose knees have not knelt to worship Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
The Call of Elisha
19 Elijah found Elisha, son of Shaphat. Elisha was plowing behind 12 pairs of oxen. He was using the twelfth pair. Elijah took off his coat and put it on Elisha. 20 So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye. Then I will follow you.”
“Go back,” Elijah answered him. “I’m not stopping you.”
21 Elisha left him, took two oxen, and butchered them. He boiled the meat, using the oxen’s yoke[b] for firewood. He gave the meat to the people to eat. Then he left to follow and assist Elijah.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 19:10 Or “covenant.”
- 1 Kings 19:21 A yoke is a wooden bar placed over the necks of work animals so that they can pull plows or carts.
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