Gods Low Whisper

Now when Ahab told Jezebel that Elijah had put the prophets to death

with the sword, she sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "As surely as

you are Elijah and I am Jezebel, may the gods do to me what they will

and more too, if I do not make your life as the life of one of those

prophets by to-morrow about this time."



Then he was afraid and fled for his life. And he came to Beersheba,

which belongs to Judah and left his servant there. But he went on a

day's journey into the wilderness and sat down under a desert tree, and

he asked that he might die, saying, "It is enough; now, O Jehovah, take

my life, for I am no better than my fathers."



Then he lay down and slept under the desert tree, but an angel touched

him and said to him, "Rise, eat!" When he looked, he saw there at his

head a loaf, baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and

drank and lay down again. But the angel of Jehovah came again the second

time and touched him and said, "Rise, eat, or else the journey will be

too long for you." So he rose and ate and drank and went in the strength

of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mountain of God.



Then Jehovah passed by, and a very violent wind tore the mountain apart

and broke the rocks in pieces before Jehovah; but Jehovah was not in the

wind. And after the wind an earthquake; but Jehovah was not in the

earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire; but Jehovah was not in the

fire. After the fire there was the sound of a low whisper. As soon as

Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and

stood at the entrance of the cave. Then he heard a voice saying, "What

are you doing here, Elijah?" He replied, "I have been very jealous for

Jehovah the God of hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken thee, thrown

down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword, and I only am

left; and they seek to take my life."



Then Jehovah said to him, "On your way back go to the wilderness of

Damascus, and when you arrive there, anoint Hazael to rule over Aram,

Jehu, the son of Nimshi, to rule over Israel, and Elisha, the son of

Shaphat, to be prophet in your place. Then every one who escapes the

sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death; and every one who escapes the

sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. Yet I will spare seven

thousand in Israel--all who have not worshipped Baal and kissed his

image."



After he had left, Elijah found Elisha the son of Shaphat, as he was

ploughing with twelve pairs of oxen. When Elijah went up to him and

threw his mantle upon him, he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and

said, "Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow

you." Elijah said to him, "Go back, for what have I done to you?" So

Elisha turned back and took one pair of oxen and offered them as a

sacrifice and, using the wooden ploughs and yokes as fuel, boiled their

flesh, and gave it to the people to eat. Then he arose and followed

Elijah and served him.