1 Ahab reported to Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including how he had put all the prophets to the sword.
2 Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods do so to me and more, if by this time tomorrow I have not made your life like the life of one of them!"
3 When he saw that, he got up and fled for his life. When he reached Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,
4 while he himself went on a day's journey into the wilderness. He came and sat down beneath a broom tree and prayed that he might die. "Enough now, LORD," he said. "Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers."
5 He lay down and fell asleep beneath the broom tree. Suddenly an angel was touching him and saying to him, "Get up and eat."
6 He looked, and by his head lay a loaf baked on hot stones and a jug of water. He ate and drank, then lay down once more.
7 The angel of the LORD returned a second time, touched him and said, "Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you."
8 He got up, ate and drank, and on the strength of that food he walked forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.
9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. Then the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
10 He answered, "I have been fiercely zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. The children of Israel have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars and put your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and now they are out to take my life."
11 He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the LORD's presence." And the LORD was passing by. A wind, great and powerful, was splitting mountains and shattering rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire, a sound of thin, quiet stillness.
13 As soon as Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his cloak, went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
14 He answered, "I have been fiercely zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. The children of Israel have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars and put your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and now they are out to take my life."
15 The LORD told him, "Go back the way you came, to the wilderness of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.
16 Anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet in your place.
17 Whoever escapes Hazael's sword, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes Jehu's sword, Elisha will kill.
18 But I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bent to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."
19 So he went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing. Twelve pairs of oxen were ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak on him.
20 Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah and said, "Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you." "Go on back," he said. "What have I done to you?"
21 He turned back from him, took the pair of oxen and slaughtered them. Using the oxen's gear to cook the meat, he gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he got up, followed Elijah and became his attendant.