1 Quando Acab contou a Jezabel tudo o que fizera Elias, e como ele passara ao fio da espada todos os profetas de Baal,2 a rainha mandou um mensageiro a Elias para dizer-lhe: Que os deuses me tratem com o último rigor, se amanhã, a esta mesma hora, eu não fizer de tua vida o que fizeste da deles.3 Elias teve medo, e partiu para salvar a sua vida. Chegando a Bersabéia, em Judá, deixou ali o seu servo,4 e andou pelo deserto um dia de caminho. Sentou-se debaixo de um junípero e desejou a morte: Basta, Senhor, disse ele; tirai-me a vida, porque não sou melhor do que meus pais.5 Deitou-se por terra, e adormeceu debaixo do junípero. Mas eis que um anjo tocou-o, e disse: Levanta-te e come.6 Elias olhou e viu junto à sua cabeça um pão cozido debaixo da cinza, e um vaso de água. Comeu, bebeu e tornou a dormir.7 Veio o anjo do Senhor uma segunda. vez, tocou-o e disse: Levanta-te e come, porque tens um longo caminho a percorrer.8 Elias levantou-se, comeu e bebeu e, com o vigor daquela comida, andou quarenta dias e quarenta noites, até Horeb, a montanha de Deus.9 Chegando ali, passou a noite numa caverna. Então a palavra do Senhor foi-lhe dirigida: Que fazes aqui, Elias?10 Ele respondeu: Estou devorado de zelo pelo Senhor, o Deus dos exércitos. Porque os israelitas abandonaram a vossa aliança, derrubaram os vossos altares e passaram os vossos profetas ao fio da espada. Só eu fiquei, e querem tirar-me a vida.11 O Senhor desse-lhe: Sai e conserva-te em cima do monte na presença do Senhor: ele vai passar. Nesse momento passou diante do Senhor um vento impetuoso e violento, que fendia as montanhas e quebrava os rochedos; mas o Senhor não estava naquele vento. Depois do vento, a terra tremeu; mas o Senhor não estava no tremor de terra.12 Passado o tremor de terra, acendeu-se um fogo; mas o Senhor não estava no fogo. Depois do fogo ouviu-se o murmúrio de uma brisa ligeira.13 Tendo Elias ouvido isso, cobriu o rosto com o manto, saiu e pôs-se à entrada da caverna. Uma voz disse-lhe: Que fazes aqui, Elias?14 Ele respondeu: Consumo-me de zelo pelo Senhor, Deus dos exércitos. Porque os israelitas abandonaram a vossa aliança, derrubaram os vossos altares e passaram os vossos profetas ao fio da espada. Só eu fiquei, e agora querem tirar-me a vida.15 O Senhor disse-lhe: Retoma o caminho do deserto, na direção de Damasco. Ali chegando, ungirás Hazael como rei da Síria,16 Jeú, filho de Namsi, como rei de Israel, e Eliseu, filho de Safat, de Abel-Meula, como profeta em teu lugar.17 Todo o que escapar à espada de Hazael, será morto por Jeú, e o que escapar à de Jeú, será morto por Eliseu.18 Mas reservarei em Israel sete mil homens, que não dobraram os joelhos diante de Baal, e cujos lábios não o beijaram.19 Elias, partindo dali, encontrou Eliseu, filho de Safat, lavrando com doze juntas de bois diante dele; ele mesmo conduzia a duodécima junta. Elias aproximou-se e jogou o seu manto sobre ele.20 Eliseu, deixando imediatamente os seus bois, correu atrás de Elias, e disse: Deixa-me ir beijar meu pai e minha mãe, depois te seguirei. Vai, disse-lhe Elias, mas volta, porque sabes o que te fiz.21 Eliseu, deixando Elias, tomou uma junta de bois e imolou-os. Com a lenha do arado cozeu as carnes e deu-as a comer à sua gente. Em seguida partiu e seguiu Elias, para servi-lo.

1 And Achab told Izebel all that Elijah had done, and withal that he had slain all the prophets with the sword.2 Then sent Izebel a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So may the gods do to me, and may they thus continue, if about this time tomorrow I do not render thy life as the life of any one of them.3 And when he saw this, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer–sheba’, which belongeth to Judah, and he left his young man there.4 But he himself went forward into the wilderness a day’s journey, and he came and sat down under a certain broom–bush: and he requested for himself to die; and he said, It is enough, now, O Lord, take away my soul; for I am not better than my fathers.5 And he laid himself down and slept under a certain broom–bush, and, behold then, an angel was touching him, and said unto him, Arise, eat.6 And he looked about, and, behold, there was at his head a cake baked on coals, and a cruise of water; and he ate and drank, and laid himself down again.7 And the angel of the Lord came again, the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise, eat; because the journey is yet far for thee.8 And he arose, and ate and drank; and he went on the strength of that eating forty days and forty nights unto the mount of God, Horeb.9 And he came there unto a cave, and remained there over night: and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and said unto him, What dost thou here, Elijah?10 And he said, I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thy altars have they thrown down, and thy prophets have they slain with the sword: and I am left by myself alone, and they have sought my life, to take it away.11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord: and, behold, the Lord passed by, and a wind, great and strong, rending the mountains, and breaking in pieces the rocks went before the Lord; but not in the wind was the Lord: and after the wind was an earthquake: but not in the earthquake was the Lord;12 And after the earthquake was a fire; but not in the fire was the Lord; and after the fire was the sound of a soft whisper.13 And it came to pass, when Elijah heard it, that he concealed his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave: and, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What dost thou here, Elijah?14 And he said, I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thy altars have they thrown down, and thy prophets have they slain with the sword: and I am left by myself alone, and they have sought my life, to take it away.15 And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus; and go, anoint Chazael to be king over Syria;16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha’ the son of Shaphat of Abel–mecholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy stead.17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Chazael shall Jehu slay; and him that escapeth the sword of Jehu shall Elisha’ slay.18 And I will leave in Israel seven thousand, all the knees which have not been bent unto Ba’al, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.19 And he departed thence, and found Elisha’ the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing; twelve yoke of oxen were before him, and he was with the twelfth: and Elijah passed up to him, and cast his mantle toward him.20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss but my father and my mother, and I will then follow thee: and he said unto him, Go, return; for what have I done to thee?21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and with the instruments of the oxen he boiled the flesh for them, and he gave it unto the people, and they did eat; and then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.