A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
1 Kings 19
1 Kings 19 is the nineteenth chapter of the first book of Kings. The 21-verse chapter records Elijah's flight from Jezebel, his encounter with God at Horeb, and the calling of Elisha.
After the victory on Carmel, Jezebel vows to kill Elijah, and he runs for his life into the wilderness. Exhausted and afraid, he sits under a broom tree and prays to die, saying, "I have had enough, LORD." He falls asleep, and an angel wakes him twice with food and water. Strengthened, he travels forty days and nights to Horeb, the mountain of God, and lodges in a cave.
There God asks him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" Elijah answers that he has been zealous for the LORD but is now the only prophet left, and his life is sought. God tells him to stand on the mountain. A great wind tears the rocks, but the LORD is not in the wind; then an earthquake, but the LORD is not in it; then a fire, but the LORD is not in the fire. After the fire comes "a still, small voice." Elijah wraps his face in his cloak and goes out, and God repeats the question and hears the same answer.
God then gives Elijah his remaining tasks: to anoint Hazael king of Aram, Jehu king of Israel, and Elisha as his own successor, and he reveals that seven thousand in Israel have not bowed to Baal. Elijah finds Elisha plowing, throws his cloak around him, and Elisha, after saying goodbye to his family, leaves everything to follow and serve him.
Verse 1. Now Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
Verse 2. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I have not made your life like the lives of those you killed!”
Verse 3. And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,
Verse 4. while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
Verse 5. Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”
Verse 6. And he looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.
Verse 7. A second time the angel of the LORD returned and touched him, saying, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.”
Verse 8. So he got up and ate and drank. And strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
Verse 9. There Elijah entered a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Verse 10. “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.”
Verse 11. Then the LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Behold, the LORD is about to pass by.” And a great and mighty wind tore into the mountains and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
Verse 12. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice.
Verse 13. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Verse 14. “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.”
Verse 15. Then the LORD said to him, “Go back by the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.
Verse 16. You are also to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet.
Verse 17. Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.
Verse 18. Nevertheless, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
Verse 19. So Elijah departed and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak around him.
Verse 20. So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?”
Verse 21. So Elisha turned back from him, took his pair of oxen, and slaughtered them. Using the oxen’s equipment for fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow and serve Elijah.
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