1Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including how he had killed all the prophets with a sword.
2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "May the gods punish me severely if I don't make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow!"
3When Elijah saw this message, he got up, ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which is in Judah. He left his servant there.
4But Elijah himself traveled a day's journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a juniper tree and wished he could die. He said, "Enough is enough, Yahweh. Please take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors."
5He lay down and slept under the juniper tree. Suddenly, an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat!"
6He looked, and right by his head was a cake baked on hot coals and a jar of water. He ate, drank, and then lay down again.
7Yahweh's angel came a second time, touched him, and said, "Get up and eat, because the journey ahead of you is too long."
8He got up, ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
9He went into a cave there and spent the night. Then the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
10He said, "I have served Yahweh, the God of Armies, with great passion. The people of Israel have abandoned your agreement, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with swords. I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me."
11He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before Yahweh." Then Yahweh passed by, and a powerful, strong wind tore apart the mountains and shattered rocks before Yahweh, but Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but Yahweh was not in the earthquake.
12After the earthquake, there was a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a quiet, gentle whisper.
13When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his cloak, went out, and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice came to him and asked, "Elijah, what are you doing here?"
14He said, "I have served Yahweh, the God of Armies, with great passion. The people of Israel have abandoned your agreement, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with swords. I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me."
15Yahweh said to him, "Go back the way you came, into the wilderness of Damascus. When you get there, appoint Hazael as king over Syria."
16Appoint Jehu, Nimshi's son, as king over Israel, and appoint Elisha, Shaphat's son from Abel Meholah, as prophet in your place.
17Anyone who escapes Hazael's sword, Jehu will kill. And anyone who escapes Jehu's sword, Elisha will kill.
18Yet I have kept seven thousand people in Israel who have not bowed down to Baal and have not kissed him.
19So Elijah left there and found Elisha, Shaphat's son. Elisha was plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was working with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and put his cloak on him.
20Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you." Elijah said to him, "Go back. What have I done to you?"
21Elisha returned from following him, took his team of oxen, killed them, and used the plowing equipment to cook their meat. He gave the meat to the people, and they ate. Then he got up, went after Elijah, and became his servant.