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.

AHAB THE THIEF

Now Naboth, the Jezreelite, had a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace
of Ahab, who