1 Kings 19

Elijah Flees Jezebel

1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had a executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, b "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to 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 1 broom tree. And he c prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" 5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an 2 angel 2 touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat." 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on 4 coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 And the 5 angel 5 of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you." 8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and d forty nights as far as e Horeb, the mountain of God.

The Lord Speaks to Elijah

9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 So he said, f "I have been very g zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and h killed Your prophets with the sword. i I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." 11 Then He said, "Go out, and stand j on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD k passed by, and l a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces 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 7 a still small voice. 13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that m he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. n Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 14 o And he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." 15 Then the LORD said to him: "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; p and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 "Also you shall anoint q Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And r Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17 s "It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will t kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, u Elisha will kill. 18 v "Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, w and every mouth that has not 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 before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his x mantle on him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, y "Please 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 So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and z boiled their flesh, using the oxen's equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.

  1. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:40
    And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!" So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.
  2. Cross References
    Ruth 1:17
    Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.
    1 Kings 20:10
    Then BenHadad sent to him and said, "The gods do so to me, and more also, if enough dust is left of Samaria for a handful for each of the people who follow me.
    2 Kings 6:31
    Then he said, "God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today!
  3. Cross References
    Numbers 11:15
    "If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now - if I have found favor in Your sight - and do not let me see my wretchedness!"
    Jeremiah 20:14 - 18
    Cursed be the day in which I was born! Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me!
    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
    And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah's head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, " It is better for me to die than to live.
  4. Cross References
    Exodus 24:18
    So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
    Exodus 34:28
    So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
    Deuteronomy 9:9 - 11
    When I went up into the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water.
    Deuteronomy 9:18
    And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you committed in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.
    Matthew 4:2
    And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
  5. Cross References
    Exodus 3:1
    Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
    Exodus 4:27
    And the LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." So he went and met him on the mountain of God, and kissed him.
  6. Cross References
    Romans 11:3
    LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life"?
  7. Cross References
    Numbers 25:11
    Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal.
    Numbers 25:13
    'and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.'"
    Psalms 69:9
    Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
  8. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:4
    For so it was, while Jezebel massacred the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and had fed them with bread and water.)
  9. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:22
    Then Elijah said to the people, "I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
    Romans 11:3
    LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life"?
  10. Cross References
    Exodus 19:20
    Then the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
    Exodus 24:12
    Then the LORD said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.
    Exodus 24:18
    So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
  11. Cross References
    Exodus 33:21
    And the LORD said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.
    Exodus 33:22
    So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.
  12. Cross References
    Ezekiel 1:4
    Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
    Ezekiel 37:7
    So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.
  13. Cross References
    Exodus 3:6
    Moreover 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 upon God.
    Isaiah 6:2
    Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
  14. Cross References
    1 Kings 19:9
    And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?
  15. Cross References
    1 Kings 19:10
    So he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.
  16. Cross References
    2 Kings 8:8 - 15
    And the king said to Hazael, "Take a present in your hand, and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, 'Shall I recover from this disease?'
  17. Cross References
    2 Kings 9:1 - 10
    And Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and said to him, "Get yourself ready, take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead.
  18. 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 before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him.
    2 Kings 2:9 - 15
    And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.
  19. Cross References
    2 Kings 8:12
    And Hazael said, "Why is my lord weeping?" He answered, "Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel: Their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword; and you will dash their children, and rip open their women with child.
    2 Kings 13:3
    Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of BenHadad the son of Hazael, all their days.
    2 Kings 13:22
    And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
  20. Cross References
    2 Kings 9:14
    So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram had been defending Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, against Hazael king of Syria.
    2 Kings 10:28
    Thus Jehu destroyed Baal from Israel.
  21. Cross References
    Hosea 6:5
    Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth; And your judgments are like light that goes forth.
  22. Cross References
    Romans 11:4
    But what does the divine response say to him? "I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.
  23. Cross References
    Hosea 13:2
    Now they sin more and more, And have made for themselves molded images, Idols of their silver, according to their skill; All of it is the work of craftsmen. They say of them, "Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves!
  24. Cross References
    1 Samuel 28:14
    So he said to her, "What is his form?" And she said, "An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle." And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down.
    2 Kings 2:8
    Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
    2 Kings 2:13
    He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
    2 Kings 2:14
    Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.
  25. Cross References
    Matthew 8:21
    Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father.
    Matthew 8:22
    But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.
    Luke 9:61
    And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.
    Luke 9:62
    But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
    Acts 20:37
    Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him.
  26. Cross References
    2 Samuel 24:22
    Now Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems good to him. Look, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing implements and the yokes of the oxen for wood.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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