19
1 And Ach'av told Izevel all that Eliyahu had done, and how he had slain kol haNevi'im with the cherev. 2 Then Izevel sent a malach unto Eliyahu, saying, So let elohim do to me, and more also, if I make not thy nefesh as the life of one of them by this time makhar (tomorrow).
3 And when he saw that, he arose, and fled for his nefesh, and came to Be'er-Sheva, which belongeth to Yehudah, and left his na'ar (servant) there. 4 But he himself went derech yom (a dayʼs journey) into the midbar, and came and sat down under a broom tree; and he requested for his nefesh to die; and said, It is enough; now, O Hashem, take away my nefesh; for I am no better than my avot.
5 And as he lay and slept under a broom tree, hinei, then a malach touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 6 And he looked, and, hinei, there at his rosh was an oogah (disk or cake of bread) baked on hot coals, and a jar of mayim. And he did eat and drink, and returned to lie down again.
7 And the Malach Hashem came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the derech is too great for thee.
8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the ko'ach ha'achilah hahi (strength of that food) arba'im yom v'arba'im lailah unto Chorev the Har HaElohim. 9 And he came there unto hame'arah (the cave), and lodged there; and, hinei, the Devar Hashem came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Eliyahu?
10 And he said,
I have been very kina (jealous, zealous)
for Hashem Elohei Tzivos;
for the Bnei Yisroel have forsaken Thy Brit (Covenant),*
thrown down Thine mizbechot,
and slain Thy nevi'im with the cherev;
and I, even I only, am left;
and they seek my nefesh, to take it away.
11 And He said, Go forth, and stand upon the Har before Hashem. And, hinei, Hashem passed by, and a ruach gedolah v'chazak rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the sela'im (rocks) before Hashem; but Hashem was not in the ruach; and after the ruach, a ra'ash (earthquake); but Hashem was not in the ra'ash; 12 And after the ra'ash an eish; but Hashem was not in the eish; and after the eish a kol demamah dakkah (a quiet, gentle voice). 13 And it was so, when Eliyahu heard it, that he wrapped his face in his aderet (cloak, mantle), and went out, and stood in the mouth of the me'arah. And, hinei, there came a kol (voice) unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Eliyahu?
14 And he said,
I have been very kina
for Hashem Elohei Tzivos;
because the Bnei Yisroel have forsaken Thy Brit (Covenant),†
thrown down Thine mizbechot,
and slain Thy nevi'im with the cherev;
and I, even I only, am left;
and they seek my nefesh, to take it away.
15 And Hashem said unto him, Go, shuv (return) on thy derech to the midbar of Damascus; and when thou comest, anoint Chazael to be Melech over Syria; 16 And Yehu ben Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be Melech over Yisroel; and Elishah ben Shaphat of Avel-Mecholah shalt thou anoint to be navi in thy place. 17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the cherev of Chazael shall Yehu slay; and him that escapeth from the cherev of Yehu shall Elishah slay. 18 Yet I have left me shivat alafim in Yisroel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Ba'al, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
19 So he departed from there, and found Elishah ben Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth; and Eliyahu passed by him, and cast his aderet (cloak, mantle) upon him. 20 And he left the bakar (oxen), and ran after Eliyahu, and said, Let me now kiss Avi and Immi, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Shuv (go back again): for what have I done to thee?
21 And he returned from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them, and boiled their basar with the equipment of the oxen, and gave unto the Am, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Eliyahu, and ministered unto him.
* 19:10 i.e., Sinai Covenant † 19:14 i.e., Sinai Covenant