Elisha Becomes a Prophet

¹⁹ So Elijah left that place and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field with ·a team of oxen. He owned twelve teams of oxen and was plowing with the twelfth team [or twelve teams of oxen, and he with the twelfth]. Elijah came up to Elisha, took off his ·coat [^Tmantle], and put it on Elisha. ²⁰ Then Elisha left his oxen and ran to follow Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and my mother good-bye,” Elisha said. “Then I will go with you.”

Elijah answered, “Go back. ·It does not matter to me [For what have I done to you?; or But consider what I have done to you].”

²¹ So Elisha went back and took his pair of oxen and ·killed [slaughtered; sacrificed] them. He used ·their wooden yoke [the plowing gear] for a fire [^Csymbolizing his turning from farming to a new calling as a prophet]. Then he cooked the meat and gave it to the people. After they ate it, Elisha left and followed Elijah and became his ·helper [servant; assistant].