1 Kings 19

Elijah Flees Jezebel

1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how q he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, r "So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow." 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to s Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. t And he asked that he might die, saying, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers." 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, "Arise and eat." 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, "Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you." 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food u forty days and forty nights to v Horeb, the mount of God.

The Lord Speaks to Elijah

9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, w the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 He said, "I have been very x jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, y thrown down your altars, and z killed your prophets with the sword, a and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." 11 And he said, "Go out and b stand on the mount before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and c a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind d 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 sound of a low whisper. 1 13 And when Elijah heard it, e he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, f there came a voice to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 14 He said, x "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, y thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." 15 And the Lord said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 g And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and h Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from i the sword of Hazael j shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu k shall Elisha put to death. 18 l Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not m kissed him."

The Call of Elisha

19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast n his cloak upon him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, o "Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?" 21 And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh p with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.

  1. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:40
    And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape." And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.
  2. Cross References
    1 Kings 20:10
    Ben-hadad sent to him and said, "The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me.
    Ruth 1:17
    Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.
  3. Cross References
    Genesis 21:31
    Therefore that place was called Beersheba, because there both of them swore an oath.
  4. Cross References
    Numbers 11:15
    If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.
    Jonah 4:3
    Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.
    Jonah 4:8
    When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, "It is better for me to die than to live.
  5. Cross References
    Exodus 24:18
    Moses entered the cloud and went up on the moun...
    Exodus 34:28
    So he was there with the Lord forty days and fo...
    Deuteronomy 9:9
    When I went up the mountain to receive the tabl...
    Deuteronomy 9:18
    Then I lay prostrate before the Lord as before,...
    Matthew 4:2
    And after fasting forty days and forty nights, ...
    Mark 1:13
    And he was in the wilderness forty days, being ...
    Luke 4:2
    For forty days, being tempted by the devil. And...
  6. Cross References
    Exodus 3:1
    Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
  7. Cross References
    1 Kings 19:13
    And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?
  8. Cross References
    Numbers 25:11
    Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy.
    Numbers 25:13
    And it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.'
  9. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:30
    Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down.
    Romans 11:3
    "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life."
  10. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:4
    And when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.)
  11. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:22
    Then Elijah said to the people, "I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are 450 men.
  12. Cross References
    Exodus 24:12
    The Lord said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.
    Exodus 34:2
    Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain.
  13. Cross References
    Ezekiel 1:4
    As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal.
  14. Cross References
    Ezekiel 37:7
    So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
  15. Cross References
    Exodus 3:6
    And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
  16. Cross References
    1 Kings 19:9
    There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?
  17. Cross References
    1 Kings 19:10
    He said, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.
  18. Cross References
    1 Kings 19:10
    He said, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.
  19. Cross References
    2 Kings 9:1 - 6
    Then Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, "Tie up your garments, and take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead.
  20. Cross References
    1 Kings 19:19 - 21
    So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him.
    2 Kings 2:9
    When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you." And Elisha said, "Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.
    2 Kings 2:15
    Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.
  21. Cross References
    2 Kings 8:12
    And Hazael said, "Why does my lord weep?" He answered, "Because I know the evil that you will do to the people of Israel. You will set on fire their fortresses, and you will kill their young men with the sword and dash in pieces their little ones and rip open their pregnant women.
    2 Kings 13:3
    And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them continually into the hand of Hazael king of Syria and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael.
    2 Kings 13:22
    Now Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
  22. Cross References
    2 Kings 9:1 - 10:1
    Then Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, "Tie up your garments, and take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead.
  23. Cross References
    Hosea 6:5
    Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light.
  24. Cross References
    Romans 11:4
    But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.
  25. Cross References
    Hosea 13:2
    And now they sin more and more, and make for themselves metal images, idols skillfully made of their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. It is said of them, "Those who offer human sacrifice kiss calves!
  26. Cross References
    2 Kings 2:8
    Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.
  27. Cross References
    Matthew 8:21 - 22
    Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father.
    Luke 9:61 - 62
    Yet another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.
  28. Cross References
    2 Samuel 24:22
    Then Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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