^15 (A) The Lord said:

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

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.^[a]

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.