1And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 2Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. 3And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth 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 juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.19.4 for himself: Heb. for his life 5And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 6And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.19.6 head: Heb. bolster 7And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. 8And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
9¶ And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? 10And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 11And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks 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: 12And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? 14And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 15And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: 16And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.19.16 Elisha: Gr. Eliseus 17And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. 18Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.19.18 I have…: or, I will leave
19¶ So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 20And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?19.20 Go…: Heb. Go return 21And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.
以利亞逃亡
1亞哈把以利亞做的一切事以及他怎樣殺掉所有巴力先知的經過，都告訴了耶洗別， 2耶洗別就派人去告訴以利亞，說：「明天這個時候，我若不使你像那些人一樣喪命，願神明重重地懲罰我。」
3以利亞很害怕，連忙逃命，來到猶大的別示巴。他讓僕人留在那裡， 4自己在曠野走了一天的路程，來到一棵羅騰樹下，坐下來禱告求死，說：「耶和華啊，我受夠了，求你取走我的性命吧，我不比我的祖先強。」 5他躺在樹下睡著了。有一位天使拍醒他，說：「起來吃東西吧。」 6他睜開眼睛，見頭邊有用炭火烤好的餅和一瓶水。他吃喝完畢，又躺下來。 7耶和華的天使第二次來拍醒他，說：「起來吃東西吧，你還要走很遠的路。」 8以利亞起來吃喝，就有了力氣，走了四十晝夜，來到上帝的山——何烈山。
9他進了一個山洞，在裡面過夜。耶和華就問他：「以利亞，你在這裡做什麽？」 10以利亞回答說：「我一向熱心事奉萬軍之上帝耶和華。但以色列人背棄你的約，拆毀你的祭壇，殘殺你的先知。現在只剩下我一個人，他們還要殺我。」 11耶和華說：「你出來站在山上，站在我面前。」耶和華從那裡經過時，疾風大作，劈山碎石，但耶和華不在風中。疾風過後又有地震，但耶和華不在其中。 12地震之後又有火，但耶和華也不在火中。之後，傳來微小的聲音。 13以利亞聽見後，就用外袍蒙著臉出去站在洞口。那聲音問他：「以利亞，你在這裡做什麽？」 14以利亞回答說：「我一向熱心事奉萬軍之上帝耶和華。但以色列人背棄你的約，拆毀你的祭壇，殘殺你的先知。現在只剩下我一個人，他們還要殺我。」 15耶和華吩咐他說：「你原路返回，前往大馬士革附近的曠野，到了之後要膏立哈薛做亞蘭王。 16然後，再膏立寧示的孫子耶戶做以色列王，還要膏立亞伯·米何拉人沙法的兒子以利沙做先知來接替你。 17將來從哈薛刀下逃生的，必被耶戶殺死；從耶戶刀下逃生的，必被以利沙殺死。 18此外，我在以色列留下七千人，他們未曾跪拜巴力，也未曾親吻巴力。」
呼召以利沙
19於是，以利亞離開那裡，找到沙法的兒子以利沙，他正在耕田。他前面有十二對牛，他正趕著第十二對。以利亞走過以利沙身邊時，將自己的外袍搭在他身上。 20以利沙就撇下牛，追上以利亞說：「請你讓我先回去與父母親吻道別，再跟你走吧。」以利亞說：「你回去吧，別忘了我剛才對你做的事。」 21以利沙就回去了。他宰了兩頭耕牛，用耕具作柴煮肉分給眾人，然後去跟隨以利亞，服侍他。
