¹⁷ He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans^[a] will not succeed^(A) or help him.

¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face^(A) 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,^(B) 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^(C) king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also, anoint^(D) Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha^(E) son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah^(F) to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁷ Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael,^(G) and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.^{(H) 18} Yet I reserve^(I) seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed^(J) him.”

⁹ He said, “Go^(A) and tell this people:

¹¹ Then I said, “For how long, Lord?”^(G)

And he answered:

The Faithful Remnant

¹⁶ Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard.^(A) A scroll^(B) of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared^(C) the Lord and honored his name.

¹⁷ “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my^(D) treasured possession.^(E) I will spare^(F) them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son^(G) who serves him. ¹⁸ And you will again see the distinction between the righteous^(H) and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.^(I)