Elias foge para Horebe
1Quando Acabe contou à rainha Jezabel o que Elias fizera, que tinha matado todos os profetas de Baal, 2ela mandou um recado a Elias: “Mataste os meus profetas, mas juro-te pelos deuses que amanhã, por esta altura, te matarei eu.”
3Elias resolveu fugir para escapar com vida. Foi a Berseba, cidade de Judá e deixou ali o seu criado. 4Depois continuou sozinho pelo deserto, andando o dia inteiro. A certa altura, sentou-se debaixo dum zimbro e orou, pedindo que a morte o levasse: “Já basta, Senhor! Toma agora a minha vida. Tenho de morrer um dia, como todos os que me precederam e que morreram por te servir. Então que seja agora.”
5Deitou-se e adormeceu ali, debaixo do zimbro. Enquanto dormia, um anjo chegou-se, tocou-lhe e disse-lhe que se levantasse e comesse. 6Olhou em volta e viu pão, que fora cozido sobre brasas, e um jarro de água. Comeu, bebeu e tornou a deitar-se.
7O anjo do Senhor veio de novo, tocou-lhe e disse-lhe: “Levanta-te, come mais alguma coisa, porque tens uma longa caminhada pela frente.”
8Levantou-se então, comeu, bebeu, e aquele alimento deu-lhe forças bastantes para uma longa marcha de quarenta dias e quarenta noites, até ao monte Horebe, a montanha de Deus. 9Ali passou a noite numa gruta.
O Senhor aparece a Elias
Contudo, o Senhor disse-lhe: “Que fazes aqui, Elias?”
10Elias respondeu: “Tenho sido muito zeloso pelo Senhor, Deus dos exércitos, mas o povo de Israel quebrou a aliança que fizeste com ele, derrubou os teus altares e matou os teus profetas; só eu fiquei e ainda procuram matar-me.”
11“Sai daí; põe-te perante mim, nesta montanha.”
Elias assim fez e o Senhor passou por ele, ao mesmo tempo que soprava um fortíssimo vento sobre a montanha; era de tal intensidade que até as rochas se quebravam. Mas o Senhor não estava nesse vento. Depois houve um tremor de terra; mas também aí não estava o Senhor. 12Posteriormente apareceu um fogo; mas também no fogo o Senhor não estava. Por fim, ouviu-se o ruído de um som delicado, como um sopro. 13Ao ouvi-lo, Elias escondeu o rosto na capa, saiu da gruta e pôs-se à entrada.
Disse-lhe assim uma voz: “Que estás aqui a fazer, Elias?”
14Respondeu de novo o profeta: “Tenho sido muito zeloso pelo Senhor Deus dos exércitos, mas o povo de Israel quebrou a aliança que fizeste com ele, derrubou os teus altares e matou os teus profetas; só eu fiquei e ainda procuram matar-me.”
15“Volta pelo caminho do deserto para Damasco; quando lá chegares unge Hazael como rei de Aram. 16Depois unge também Jeú, o filho de Ninsi, como rei de Israel, e unge ainda Eliseu, o filho de Safate de Abel-Meolá, para te substituir como profeta. 17Quem escapar de Hazael será morto por Jeú; os que escaparem de Jeú, serão mortos por Eliseu. 18Acontece que ainda há 7000 pessoas em Israel que nunca se inclinaram perante Baal, nem o beijaram!”
A chamada de Eliseu
19Elias partiu e encontrou Eliseu, lavrando um campo com doze juntas de bois; ele encontrava-se com a última junta. Elias foi ter com ele, lançou-lhe a capa sobre os ombros e continuou o seu caminho. 20Eliseu deixou ali os bois e correu atrás de Elias dizendo: “Deixa-me ir primeiro dizer adeus aos meus pais e depois logo vou contigo!”
Elias respondeu-lhe: “Vai e volta depois! Bem viste o que eu te fiz!”
21Eliseu voltou para os seus bois, matou-os e usou a madeira do arado para fazer fogo para assar a carne. Deu assim de comer a todo o povo. Depois seguiu Elias como seu assistente.
Elijah Runs Away to Mount Horeb
1Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done. He told her how Elijah had killed all the prophets of Baal with his sword. 2So Jezebel sent a message to Elijah. She said, “You can be sure that I will kill you, just as I killed the other prophets. I’ll do it by this time tomorrow. If I don’t, may the gods punish me greatly.”
3Elijah was afraid. So he ran for his life. He came to Beersheba in Judah. He left his servant there. 4Then he traveled for one day into the desert. He came to a small bush. He sat down under it. He prayed that he would die. “Lord, I’ve had enough,” he said. “Take my life. I’m no better than my people of long ago.” 5Then he lay down under the bush. And he fell asleep.
Suddenly an angel touched him. The angel said, “Get up and eat.” 6Elijah looked around. Near his head he saw some bread. It had been baked over hot coals. A jar of water was also there. So Elijah ate and drank. Then he lay down again.
7The angel of the Lord came to him a second time. He touched him and said, “Get up and eat. Your journey will be long and hard.” 8So he got up. He ate and drank. The food gave him new strength. He traveled for 40 days and 40 nights. He kept going until he arrived at Horeb. It was the mountain of God. 9There he went into a cave and spent the night.
The Lord Appears to Elijah
A message came to Elijah from the Lord. He said, “Elijah, what are you doing here?”
10He replied, “Lord God who rules over all, I’ve been very committed to you. The Israelites have turned their backs on your covenant. They have torn down your altars. They’ve put your prophets to death with their swords. I’m the only one left. And they are trying to kill me.”
11The Lord said, “Go out. Stand on the mountain in front of me. I am going to pass by.”
As the Lord approached, a very powerful wind tore the mountains apart. It broke up the rocks. But the Lord wasn’t in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake. But the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake. 12After the earthquake a fire came. But the Lord wasn’t in the fire. And after the fire there was only a gentle whisper. 13When Elijah heard it, he pulled his coat over his face. He went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “Elijah, what are you doing here?”
14He replied, “Lord God who rules over all, I’ve been very committed to you. The Israelites have turned their backs on your covenant. They have torn down your altars. They’ve put your prophets to death with their swords. I’m the only one left. And they are trying to kill me.”
15The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came. Go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16Also anoint Jehu as king over Israel. He is the son of Nimshi. And anoint Elisha from Abel Meholah as the next prophet after you. He is the son of Shaphat. 17Jehu will put to death anyone who escapes Hazael’s sword. And Elisha will put to death anyone who escapes Jehu’s sword. 18But I will keep 7,000 people in Israel for myself. They have not bowed down to Baal. And they have not kissed him.”
The Lord Chooses Elisha
19Elijah left Mount Horeb. He saw Elisha, the son of Shaphat. Elisha was plowing in a field. He was driving the last of 12 pairs of oxen. Elijah went up to him. He threw his coat around him. 20Then Elisha left his oxen. He ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said. “Then I’ll come with you.”
“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”
21So Elisha left him and went back. He got his two oxen and killed them. He burned the plow to cook the meat. He gave it to the people, and they ate it. Then he started to follow Elijah. He became Elijah’s servant.
