1 And Ahab told Jezebel his wife all that Elijah had done, and how he had slain the prophets with the sword. 2 And Jezebel sent to Elijah, and said, If thou art Elijah and I am Jezebel, God do so to me, and more also, if I do not make thy life by this time tomorrow as the life of one of them. 3 And Elijah feared, and rose, and departed for his life: and he comes to Beersheba to the land of Judah, and he left his servant there.

4 And he himself went a day’s journey in the wilderness, and came and sat under a juniper tree; and asked concerning his life that he might die, and said, Let it be enough now, O Lord, take, I pray thee, my life from me; for I am no better than my fathers. 5 And he lay down and slept there under a tree; and behold, someone touched him, and said to him, Arise and eat. 6 And Elijah looked, and, behold, at his head there was a cake of meal and a cruse of water; and he arose, and ate and drank, and returned and lay down. 7 And the angel of the Lord returned again, and touched him, and said to him, Arise, and eat, for the journey is far from thee. 8 And he arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb.

9 And he entered there into a cave, and rested there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said, What doest thou here, Elijah? 10 And Elijah said, I have been very jealous for the Lord Almighty, because the children of Israel have forsaken thee: they have dug down thine altars, and have slain thy prophets with the sword; and I only am left alone, and they seek my life to take it. 11 And he said, Thou shalt go forth tomorrow, and shalt stand before the Lord in the mount; behold, the Lord will pass by. And, behold, a great and strong wind rending the mountains, and crushing the rocks 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 the voice of a gentle breeze.

13 And it came to pass when Elijah heard, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went forth and stood in the cave: and, behold, a voice came to him and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? 14 And Elijah said, I have been very jealous for the Lord Almighty; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, and they have overthrown thine altars, and have slain thy prophets with the sword! and I am left entirely alone, and they seek my life to take it. 15 And the Lord said to him, Go, return, and thou shalt come into the way of the wilderness of Damascus: and thou shalt go and anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. 17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall slay; and him that escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall slay. 18 And thou shalt leave in Israel seven thousand men, all the knees which had not bowed themselves to Baal, and every mouth which had not worshiped him.

19 And he departed thence, and finds Elisha the son of Shaphat, and he was plowing with oxen; there were twelve yoke before him, and he with the twelve, and he passed by to him, and cast his mantle upon him. 20 And Elisha left the cattle, and ran after Elijah and said, I will kiss my father, and follow after thee. And Elijah said, Return, for I have done a work for thee. 21 And he returned from following him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled them with the instruments of the oxen, and gave to the people, and they ate: and he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered to him.