1 King Ahab told his wife Jezebel everything Elijah had done. He told how he put all the prophets of Baal to death.

2 She sent a message to Elijah: »May the gods strike me dead if by this time tomorrow I do not do the same thing to you that you did to the prophets.«

3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He took his servant and went to Beersheba in Judah. He left the servant there.

4 Elijah walked a whole day into the wilderness. He stopped and sat down under a broom plant and wished he would die. »It is just too much, Jehovah,« he prayed. »Take away my life. I could just as well be dead.«

5 Stretching himself on the earth, he went to sleep under the broom-plant. An angel touched him and said: »Get up and eat some food.«

6 Looking up, he saw near his head a cake cooked on coals and a bottle of water. So he ate food and drink water and went to sleep again.

7 The angel of Jehovah came again a second time, and touched him and said: »Get up and have some food, or you will not have strength for the journey.«

8 So he got up and took food and drink. He was strengthened to go for forty days and forty nights, to Horeb, the mountain of God.

9 He went into a cave and spent the night. The word of Jehovah came to him, saying: »What are you doing here, Elijah?«

10 He said: »I have been zealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts. The children of Israel have not kept your agreement covenant. They have destroyed your altars. They killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I, am the only one living. Now they seek to take my life too.«

11 Then he said: »Go out and take your place on the mountain before Jehovah.« Jehovah passed by and the force of a great wind parted the mountains. Rocks were broken before Jehovah but Jehovah was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but Jehovah was not in the earthquake.

12 After the earthquake a fire, but Jehovah was not in the fire. And after the fire, the sounds of a soft breathe.

13 Elijah heard it and went out covering his face with his robe. He stood by the entrance of the cave. He heard a voice saying: »What are you doing here, Elijah?«

14 He replied: »I have been very zealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts. The children of Israel have not kept your agreement. They have torn down your altars. They killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I, am the only one living. Now they seek to take my life.«

15 Jehovah said to him: »Go back on your way through the wasteland to Damascus.« When you get there, put holy oil on Hazael to make him king over Aram,

16 »And also anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, making him king over Israel; and Elisha, the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, to be prophet in your place.

17 »Whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will put to death. Whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will put to death.

18 »I will leave seven thousand people alive in Israel; all those who are loyal to me and have not bowed to Baal or kissed his idol.«

19 Elijah left there and found Elisha plowing with a team of bulls. There were eleven teams ahead of him. He was plowing with the last one. Elijah took off his cloak and put it on Elisha.

20 Elisha then left his bulls and ran after Elijah. He said: »Let me kiss my father and mother good-bye and then I will go with you.« Elijah answered, »All right, go back. I am not stopping you!«

21 Then Elisha went to his team of bulls, killed them, and cooked the meat. He used the yoke as fuel for the fire. He gave the meat to the people, and they ate it. Then he followed Elijah as his helper.