1 Kings 19:4-10

19:4 while he went a day’s journey into the desert. He went and sat down under a shrub ¹  and asked the Lord to take his life: ²  “I’ve had enough! Now, O Lord, take my life. After all, I’m no better than my ancestors.” ³  19:5 He stretched out ⁴  and fell asleep under the shrub. All of a sudden an angelic messenger ⁵  touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 19:6 He looked and right there by his head was a cake baking on hot coals and a jug of water. He ate and drank and then slept some more. ⁶  19:7 The Lord’s angelic messenger came back again, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, for otherwise you won’t be able to make the journey.” ⁷  19:8 So he got up and ate and drank. That meal gave him the strength to travel forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

19:9 He went into a cave there and spent the night. All of a sudden the Lord spoke to him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” 19:10 He answered, “I have been absolutely loyal ⁸  to the Lord, the sovereign God, ⁹  even though the Israelites have abandoned the agreement they made with you, ¹⁰  torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life.” ¹¹ 

¹ tn Or “broom tree” (also in v. 5).

² tn Heb “and asked with respect to his life to die.”

³ tn Heb “fathers.”

⁴ tn Or “lay down.”

⁵ tn Heb “Look, a messenger.”

⁷ tn Heb “and again lay down”

¹⁰ tn Heb “for the journey is too great for you.”

¹³ tn Or “very zealous.” The infinitive absolute preceding the finite verb emphasizes the degree of his zeal and allegiance.

¹⁴ tn Traditionally, “the God of hosts.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “abandoned your covenant.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “and they are seeking my life to take it.”