Elijah Announces Famine

17 Now Elijah^(A) the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers,^[a](B) said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives,^(C) I stand before Him, and there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!”^(D)

² Then a revelation from the Lord came to him: ³ “Leave here, turn eastward, and hide^(E) yourself at the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan. ⁴ You are to drink from the wadi. I have commanded the ravens^(F) to provide for you there.”

⁵ So he did what the Lord commanded. Elijah left and lived by the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan. ⁶ The ravens kept bringing him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening,^(G) and he drank from the wadi. ⁷ After a while, the wadi dried up because there had been no rain in the land.

Elijah and the Widow

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to him: ⁹ “Get up, go to Zarephath^(H) that belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there.” ¹⁰ So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow woman gathering wood. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink.”^{(I) 11} As she went to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”

¹² But she said, “As the Lord your God lives,^(J) I don’t have anything baked—only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil^(K) in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.”^(L)

¹³ Then Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid; go and do as you have said. But first make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterward, you may make some for yourself and your son, ¹⁴ for this is what the Lord God of Israel says, ‘The flour jar will not become empty and the oil jug will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the surface of the land.”^(M)

¹⁵ So she proceeded to do according to the word of Elijah. Then the woman, Elijah, and her household ate for many days.^{(N) 16} The flour jar did not become empty, and the oil jug did not run dry, according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through^[b] Elijah.

The Widow’s Son Raised

¹⁷ After this, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. His illness became very severe until no breath remained in him.^{(O) 18} She said to Elijah, “Man of God,^(P) what do we have in common?^(Q) Have you come to remind me of my guilt^(R) and to kill my son?”

¹⁹ But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, brought him up to the upper room^(S) where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. ²⁰ Then he cried out to the Lord^(T) and said, “My Lord God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow I am staying with by killing her son?” ²¹ Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times.^(U) He cried out to the Lord and said, “My Lord God, please let this boy’s life return to him!”

²² So the Lord listened to Elijah’s voice, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived.^{(V) 23} Then Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother.^(W) Elijah said, “Look, your son is alive.”

²⁴ Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know you are a man of God^(X) and the Lord’s word from your mouth is true.”^(Y)

Elijah’s Message to Ahab

18 After a long time, the word of the Lord^(Z) came to Elijah in the third year:^(AA) “Go and present yourself to Ahab.^(AB) I will send rain on the surface of the land.” ² So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.

The famine was severe in Samaria.^{(AC) 3} Ahab called for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace.^(AD) Obadiah was a man who greatly feared the Lord^{(AE) 4} and took 100 prophets and hid them, 50 men to a cave, and provided them with food and water when Jezebel^(AF) slaughtered the Lord’s prophets.^{(AG) 5} Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring of water and to every wadi. Perhaps we’ll find grass so we can keep the horses and mules alive and not have to destroy any cattle.”^{(AH) 6} They divided the land between them in order to cover it. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself.

⁷ While Obadiah was walking along the road, Elijah suddenly met him.^(AI) When Obadiah recognized him, he fell with his face to the ground and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”

⁸ “It is I,” he replied. “Go tell your lord, ‘Elijah is here!’”

⁹ But Obadiah said, “What sin have I committed,^(AJ) that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death? ¹⁰ As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made that kingdom or nation swear they had not found you.

¹¹ “Now you say, ‘Go tell your lord, “Elijah is here!”’ ¹² But when I leave you, the Spirit of the Lord may carry you off^(AK) to some place I don’t know. Then when I go report to Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the Lord from my youth. ¹³ Wasn’t it reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the Lord’s prophets? I hid 100 of the prophets of the Lord, 50 men to a cave, and I provided them with food and water. ¹⁴ Now you say, ‘Go tell your lord, “Elijah is here!”’ He will kill me!”

¹⁵ Then Elijah said, “As the Lord of Hosts lives,^(AL) before whom I stand, today I will present myself to Ahab.”

¹⁶ Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him. Then Ahab went to meet Elijah. ¹⁷ When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you destroyer of Israel?”^(AM)

¹⁸ He replied, “I have not destroyed Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have abandoned the Lord’s commands^(AN) and followed the Baals.^{(AO) 19} Now summon all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel,^(AP) along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah^(AQ) who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

Elijah at Mount Carmel

²⁰ So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. ²¹ Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions?^(AR) If Yahweh is God, follow Him. But if Baal, follow him.”^(AS) But the people didn’t answer him a word.

²² Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the Lord,^(AT) but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. ²³ Let two bulls be given to us. They are to choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire. ²⁴ Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh.^(AU) The God who answers with fire, He is God.”

All the people answered, “That sounds good.”

²⁵ Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god but don’t light the fire.”

²⁶ So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound;^(AV) no one answered. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made.

²⁷ At noon Elijah mocked them. He said, “Shout loudly, for he’s a god! Maybe he’s thinking it over; maybe he has wandered away;^[c] or maybe he’s on the road. Perhaps he’s sleeping and will wake up!”^{(AW) 28} They shouted loudly, and cut themselves^(AX) with knives and spears, according to their custom, until blood gushed over them. ²⁹ All afternoon they kept on raving until the offering of the evening sacrifice,^(AY) but there was no sound; no one answered, no one paid attention.^(AZ)

³⁰ Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near me.” So all the people approached him. Then he repaired the Lord’s altar that had been torn down:^{(BA) 31} Elijah took 12 stones—according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel will be your name”^(BB)— ³² and he built an altar^(BC) with the stones in the name of Yahweh. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons.^{[d][e] 33} Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. He said, “Fill four water pots with water and pour it on the offering to be burned and on the wood.” ³⁴ Then he said, “A second time!” and they did it a second time. And then he said, “A third time!” and they did it a third time. ³⁵ So the water ran all around the altar; he even filled the trench with water.

³⁶ At the time for offering the evening sacrifice,^(BD) Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,^(BE) today let it be known^(BF) that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that at Your word I have done all these things. ³⁷ Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that You, Yahweh, are God^(BG) and that You have turned their hearts back.”

³⁸ Then Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹ When all the people saw it, they fell facedown^(BH) and said, “Yahweh, He is God! Yahweh, He is God!”^(BI)

⁴⁰ Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal!^(BJ) Do not let even one of them escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon^(BK) and slaughtered them there.^{(BL) 41} Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a rainstorm.”^(BM)

⁴² So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the summit of Carmel.^(BN) He bowed down on the ground and put his face between his knees.^{(BO) 43} Then he said to his servant, “Go up and look toward the sea.”

So he went up, looked, and said, “There’s nothing.”

Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

⁴⁴ On the seventh^(BP) time, he reported, “There’s a cloud as small as a man’s hand coming from the sea.”

Then Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Get your chariot ready and go down so the rain doesn’t stop you.’”

⁴⁵ In a little while, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a downpour. So Ahab got in his chariot and went to Jezreel.^{(BQ) 46} The power of the Lord^(BR) was on Elijah, and he tucked his mantle under his belt^(BS) and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Elijah’s Journey to Horeb

19 Ahab told Jezebel^(BT) everything that Elijah had done^(BU) and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.^{(BV) 2} So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods punish me and do so severely^(BW) if I don’t make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow!”

³ Then Elijah became afraid^[f](BX) and immediately ran for his life.^(BY) When he came to Beer-sheba^(BZ) that belonged to Judah, he left his servant there,^{(CA) 4} but he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree^(CB) and prayed that he might die. He said, “I have had enough! Lord, take my life,^(CC) for I’m no better than my fathers.” ⁵ Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree.

Suddenly, an angel touched him.^(CD) The angel told him, “Get up and eat.” ⁶ Then he looked, and there at his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones, and a jug of water.^(CE) So he ate and drank and lay down again. ⁷ Then the angel of the Lord^(CF) returned for a second time and touched him. He said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” ⁸ So he got up, ate, and drank. Then on the strength from that food, he walked 40 days and 40 nights^(CG) to Horeb, the mountain of God.^{(CH) 9} He entered a cave^(CI) there and spent the night.

Elijah’s Encounter with the Lord

Then the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”^(CJ)

¹⁰ He replied, “I have been very zealous^(CK) for the Lord God of Hosts, but the Israelites have abandoned Your covenant,^(CL) torn down Your altars,^(CM) and killed Your prophets^(CN) with the sword. I alone am left,^(CO) and they are looking for me to take my life.”^(CP)

¹¹ Then He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.”^(CQ)

At that moment, the Lord passed by.^(CR) A great and mighty wind^(CS) was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake,^(CT) but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake there was a fire,^(CU) but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper.^{(CV) 13} When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle^(CW) and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁴ “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they’re looking for me to take my life.”^(CX)

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael^(CY) as king over Aram. ¹⁶ You are to anoint Jehu^(CZ) son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha^(DA) son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. ¹⁷ Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael,^(DB) and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.^{(DC) 18} But I will leave 7,000 in Israel^(DD)—every knee that has not bowed to Baal^(DE) and every mouth that has not kissed him.”^(DF)

Elisha’s Appointment as Elijah’s Successor

¹⁹ Elijah left there and found Elisha^(DG) son of Shaphat as he was plowing. Twelve teams of oxen were in front of him, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah walked by him and threw his mantle over him.^{(DH) 20} Elisha left the oxen, ran to follow Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you.”^(DI)

“Go on back,” he replied, “for what have I done to you?”

²¹ So he turned back from following him, took the team of oxen, and slaughtered them. With the oxen’s wooden yoke and plow,^(DJ) he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he left, followed Elijah, and served him.^(DK)

Ahaziah’s Sickness and Death

1 After the death of Ahab, Moab^(A) rebelled against Israel.^{(B) 2} Ahaziah^(C) had fallen through the latticed window of his upper room in Samaria^(D) and was injured. So he sent messengers instructing them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub,^[a](E) the god of Ekron,^(F) if I will recover from this injury.”^(G)

³ But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite,^(H) “Go and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria^(I) and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ ⁴ Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘You will not get up from your sickbed—you will certainly die.’” Then Elijah left.

⁵ The messengers returned to the king, who asked them, “Why have you come back?”

⁶ They replied, “A man came to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and declare to him: This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you’re sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore, you will not get up from your sickbed—you will certainly die.’”

⁷ The king asked them, “What sort of man came up to meet you and spoke those words to you?”

⁸ They replied, “A hairy man with a leather belt around his waist.”^(J)

He said, “It’s Elijah the Tishbite.”^(K)

⁹ So King Ahaziah sent a captain of 50 with his 50 men^(L) to Elijah. When the captain went up to him, he was sitting on top of the hill. He announced, “Man of God,^(M) the king declares, ‘Come down!’”

¹⁰ Elijah responded to the captain of the 50, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 men.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50 men.^(N)

¹¹ So the king sent another captain of 50 with his 50 men to Elijah. He took in the situation^[b] and announced, “Man of God, this is what the king says: ‘Come down immediately!’”

¹² Elijah responded, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 men.” So a divine fire^[c] came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50 men.

¹³ Then the king sent a third captain of 50 with his 50 men. The third captain of 50 went up and fell on his knees in front of Elijah and begged him, “Man of God,^(O) please let my life and the lives of these 50 servants of yours be precious in your sight.^{(P) 14} Already fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of 50 with their fifties, but this time let my life be precious in your sight.”

¹⁵ The angel of the Lord^(Q) said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Don’t be afraid of him.”^(R) So he got up and went down with him to the king.

¹⁶ Then Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel for you to inquire of His will?—you will not get up from your sickbed; you will certainly die.’”

¹⁷ Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Since he had no son, Joram^[d](S) became king in his place. This happened in the second year of Judah’s King Jehoram^(T) son of Jehoshaphat.^{[e] 18} The rest of the events of Ahaziah’s reign, along with his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.^[f](U)

Elijah in the Whirlwind

2 The time had come for the Lord to take Elijah up to heaven^(V) in a whirlwind.^(W) Elijah and Elisha^(X) were traveling from Gilgal,^{(Y) 2} and Elijah said to Elisha,^(Z) “Stay here;^(AA) the Lord is sending me on to Bethel.”^(AB)

But Elisha replied, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.”^(AC) So they went down to Bethel.

³ Then the sons of the prophets^(AD) who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?”^(AE)

He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”

⁴ Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; the Lord is sending me to Jericho.”^(AF)

But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.

⁵ Then the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho came up to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?”

He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”

⁶ Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord is sending me to the Jordan.”^(AG)

But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.

⁷ Fifty men from the sons of the prophets came and stood facing them from a distance while the two of them stood by the Jordan. ⁸ Elijah took his mantle,^(AH) rolled it up, and struck the waters, which parted to the right and left. Then the two of them crossed over on dry ground.^{(AI) 9} After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken from you.”

So Elisha answered, “Please, let me inherit two shares^[g] of your spirit.”^(AJ)

¹⁰ Elijah replied, “You have asked for something difficult. If you see me being taken from you,^(AK) you will have it. If not, you won’t.”

¹¹ As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire with horses of fire^(AL) suddenly appeared and separated the two of them. Then Elijah went up into heaven in the whirlwind.^{(AM) 12} As Elisha watched, he kept crying out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!”^(AN) Then he never saw Elijah again. He took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.^(AO)

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

¹³ Elisha picked up the mantle^(AP) that had fallen off Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ Then he took the mantle Elijah had dropped and struck the waters. “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” he asked. He struck the waters himself, and they parted to the right and the left, and Elisha crossed over.

¹⁵ When the sons of the prophets from Jericho who were facing him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed down to the ground in front of him.

¹⁶ Then the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Since there are 50 strong men here with your servants, please let them go and search for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the Lord has carried him away and put him on one of the mountains or into one of the valleys.”^(AQ)

He answered, “Don’t send them.”

¹⁷ However, they urged him to the point of embarrassment,^(AR) so he said, “Send them.” They sent 50 men, who looked for three days but did not find him. ¹⁸ When they returned to him in Jericho^(AS) where he was staying, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

¹⁹ Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Even though our lord can see that the city’s location is good, the water is bad and the land unfruitful.”^(AT)

²⁰ He replied, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.”^(AU)

After they had brought him one, ²¹ Elisha went out to the spring of water, threw salt in it,^(AV) and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will death or unfruitfulness result from it.’” ²² Therefore, the water remains healthy to this very day according to the word that Elisha spoke.

²³ From there Elisha went up to Bethel.^(AW) As he was walking up the path, some small boys came out of the city and harassed him,^(AX) chanting, “Go up, baldy! Go up, baldy!” ²⁴ He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord.^(AY) Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the children. ²⁵ From there Elisha went to Mount Carmel,^(AZ) and then he returned to Samaria.^(BA)

⁵ Look, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet^(A) before the great and awesome Day of the Lord comes.^(B)

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¹⁴ if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come.^(A)

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