9
Then he camethere to a cave and lodgedthere ; and behold, 1the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah ?"
10
He said, "2I have beenveryzealous for the LORD, the God of hosts ; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, 3torndown Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And 4I alone am left ; and they seek my life, to take it away."
11
So He said, "5Goforth and stand on the mountainbefore the LORD." And behold, the LORD was passing by! And 6a great and strongwind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocksbefore the LORD ; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
12After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire ; and after the fire7a sound of a gentleblowing.
13
When Elijahheard it, 8he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, 9a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah ?"
14
Then he said, "10I have beenveryzealous for the LORD, the God of hosts ; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torndown Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left ; and they seek my life, to take it away."
15
The LORDsaid to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, 11you shall anointHazaelkingoverAram ;
16
and 12Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anointkingoverIsrael ; and 13Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.
17
"It shall come about, the 14one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu15shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death.
18
"16Yet I will leave7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and everymouth that has not 17kissed him."
19
So he departed from there and foundElisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelvepairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth . And Elijahpassedover to him and threw18his mantle on him.
20
He left the oxen and ranafterElijah and said, "Please19let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Gobackagain, for what have I done to you?"
21
So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and 20boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followedElijah and ministered to him.
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