1 Kings 13:1

13:1 Just then ¹  a prophet ²  from Judah, sent by the Lord, arrived in Bethel, ³  as Jeroboam was standing near the altar ready to offer a sacrifice.

1 Kings 14:7-16

14:7 Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: “I raised you up ⁴  from among the people and made you ruler over my people Israel. 14:8 I tore the kingdom away from the Davidic dynasty and gave it to you. But you are not like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me wholeheartedly by doing only what I approve. ⁵  14:9 You have sinned more than all who came before you. You went and angered me by making other gods, formed out of metal; you have completely disregarded me. ⁶  14:10 So I am ready to bring disaster ⁷  on the dynasty ⁸  of Jeroboam. I will cut off every last male belonging to Jeroboam in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated. ⁹  I will burn up the dynasty of Jeroboam, just as one burns manure until it is completely consumed. ¹⁰  14:11 Dogs will eat the members of your family ¹¹  who die in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat the ones who die in the country.”’ Indeed, the Lord has announced it!

14:12 “As for you, get up and go home. When you set foot in the city, the boy will die. 14:13 All Israel will mourn him and bury him. He is the only one in Jeroboam’s family ¹²  who will receive a decent burial, for he is the only one in whom the Lord God of Israel found anything good. 14:14 The Lord will raise up a king over Israel who will cut off Jeroboam’s dynasty. ¹³  It is ready to happen! ¹⁴  14:15 The Lord will attack Israel, making it like a reed that sways in the water. ¹⁵  He will remove Israel from this good land he gave to their ancestors ¹⁶  and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, ¹⁷  because they angered the Lord by making Asherah poles. ¹⁸  14:16 He will hand Israel over to their enemies ¹⁹  because of the sins which Jeroboam committed and which he made Israel commit.”

1 Kings 17:1

Elijah Visits a Widow in Sidonian Territory

17:1 Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As certainly as the Lord God of Israel lives (whom I serve), ²⁰  there will be no dew or rain in the years ahead unless I give the command.” ²¹ 

1 Kings 18:21-40

18:21 Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision? ²²  If the Lord is the true God, ²³  then follow him, but if Baal is, follow him!” But the people did not say a word. 18:22 Elijah said to them: ²⁴  “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but there are 450 prophets of Baal. 18:23 Let them bring us two bulls. Let them choose one of the bulls for themselves, cut it up into pieces, and place it on the wood. But they must not set it on fire. I will do the same to the other bull and place it on the wood. But I will not set it on fire. 18:24 Then you ²⁵  will invoke the name of your god, and I will invoke the name of the Lord. The god who responds with fire will demonstrate that he is the true God.” ²⁶  All the people responded, “This will be a fair test.” ²⁷ 

18:25 Elijah told the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls for yourselves and go first, for you are the majority. Invoke the name of your god, but do not light a fire.” ²⁸  18:26 So they took a bull, as he had suggested, ²⁹  and prepared it. They invoked the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us.” But there was no sound and no answer. They jumped ³⁰  around on the altar they had made. ³¹  18:27 At noon Elijah mocked them, “Yell louder! After all, he is a god; he may be deep in thought, or perhaps he stepped out for a moment or has taken a trip. Perhaps he is sleeping and needs to be awakened.” ³²  18:28 So they yelled louder and, in accordance with their prescribed ritual, ³³  mutilated themselves with swords and spears until their bodies were covered with blood. ³⁴  18:29 Throughout the afternoon they were in an ecstatic frenzy, ³⁵  but there was no sound, no answer, and no response. ³⁶ 

18:30 Elijah then told all the people, “Approach me.” So all the people approached him. He repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. ³⁷  18:31 Then Elijah took twelve stones, corresponding to the number of tribes that descended from Jacob, to whom the Lord had said, “Israel will be your new ³⁸  name.” ³⁹  18:32 With the stones he constructed an altar for the Lord. ⁴⁰  Around the altar he made a trench large enough to contain two seahs ⁴¹  of seed. 18:33 He arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. 18:34 Then he said, “Fill four water jars and pour the water on the offering and the wood.” When they had done so, ⁴²  he said, “Do it again.” So they did it again. Then he said, “Do it a third time.” So they did it a third time. 18:35 The water flowed down all sides of the altar and filled the trench. 18:36 When it was time for the evening offering, ⁴³  Elijah the prophet approached the altar ⁴⁴  and prayed: “O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, prove ⁴⁵  today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 18:37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are the true God ⁴⁶  and that you are winning back their allegiance.” ⁴⁷  18:38 Then fire from the Lord fell from the sky. ⁴⁸  It consumed the offering, the wood, the stones, and the dirt, and licked up the water in the trench. 18:39 When all the people saw this, they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and said, “The Lord is the true God! ⁴⁹  The Lord is the true God!” 18:40 Elijah told them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Don’t let even one of them escape!” So they seized them, and Elijah led them down to the Kishon Valley and executed ⁵⁰  them there.

1 Kings 19:10

19:10 He answered, “I have been absolutely loyal ⁵¹  to the Lord, the sovereign God, ⁵²  even though the Israelites have abandoned the agreement they made with you, ⁵³  torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life.” ⁵⁴ 

1 Kings 19:2

19:2 Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this warning, ⁵⁵  “May the gods judge me severely ⁵⁶  if by this time tomorrow I do not take your life as you did theirs!” ⁵⁷ 

1 Kings 17:13

17:13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go and do as you planned. ⁵⁸  But first make a small cake for me and bring it to me; then make something for yourself and your son.

Nehemiah 9:30

9:30 You prolonged your kindness ⁵⁹  with them for many years, and you solemnly admonished them by your Spirit through your prophets. Still they paid no attention, ⁶⁰  so you delivered them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. ⁶¹ 

Jeremiah 25:4

25:4 Over and over again ⁶²  the Lord has sent ⁶³  his servants the prophets to you. But you have not listened or paid attention. ⁶⁴ 

Amos 7:14

7:14 Amos replied ⁶⁵  to Amaziah, “I was not a prophet by profession. ⁶⁶  No, ⁶⁷  I was a herdsman who also took care of ⁶⁸  sycamore fig trees. ⁶⁹ 

[13:1]  ¹ tn Heb “Look.” The Hebrew particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) is a rhetorical device by which the author invites the reader to visualize the scene for dramatic effect.

[13:1]  ² tn Heb “the man of God.”

[13:1]  ³ tn Heb “came by the word of the Lord to Bethel.”

[14:7]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew text has “because” at the beginning of the sentence. In the Hebrew text vv. 7-11 are one long sentence comprised of a causal clause giving the reason for divine punishment (vv. 7-9) and the main clause announcing the punishment (vv. 10-11). The translation divides this lengthy sentence for stylistic reasons.

[14:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “what was right in my eyes.”

[14:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “you went and you made for yourself other gods, metal [ones], angering me, and you threw me behind your back.”

[14:10]  ⁷ sn Disaster. There is a wordplay in the Hebrew text. The word translated “disaster” (רָעָה, ra’ah) is from the same root as the expression “you have sinned” in v. 9 (וַתָּרַע [vattara’], from רָעַע, [ra’a’]). Jeroboam’s sins would receive an appropriate punishment.

[14:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “house.”

[14:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “and I will cut off from Jeroboam those who urinate against a wall (including both those who are) restrained and let free (or “abandoned”) in Israel.” The precise meaning of the idiomatic phrase עָצוּר וְעָזוּב (’atsur vÿ’azuv) is uncertain. For various options see HALOT 871 s.v. עצר 6 and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 107. The two terms are usually taken as polar opposites (“slaves and freemen” or “minors and adults”), but Cogan and Tadmor, on the basis of contextual considerations (note the usage with אֶפֶס [’efes], “nothing but”) in Deut 32:36 and 2 Kgs 14:26, argue convincingly that the terms are synonyms, meaning “restrained and abandoned,” and refer to incapable or incapacitated individuals.

[14:10]  ¹⁰ tn The traditional view understands the verb בָּעַר (ba’ar) to mean “burn.” Manure was sometimes used as fuel (see Ezek 4:12, 15). However, an alternate view takes בָּעַר as a homonym meaning “sweep away” (HALOT 146 s.v. II בער). In this case one might translate, “I will sweep away the dynasty of Jeroboam, just as one sweeps away manure it is gone” (cf. ASV, NASB, TEV). Either metaphor emphasizes the thorough and destructive nature of the coming judgment.

[14:11]  ¹¹ tn The Hebrew text has “belonging to Jeroboam” here.

[14:13]  ¹² tn Heb “house.”

[14:14]  ¹³ tn Heb “house.”

[14:14]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “This is the day. What also now?” The precise meaning of the second half of the statement is uncertain.

[14:15]  ¹⁵ tn The elliptical Hebrew text reads literally “and the Lord will strike Israel as a reed sways in the water.”

[14:15]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 22, 31).

[14:15]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the River.” In biblical Hebrew this is a typical reference to the Euphrates River. The name “Euphrates” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[14:15]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “because they made their Asherah poles that anger the Lord”; or “their images of Asherah”; ASV, NASB “their Asherim”; NCV “they set up idols to worship Asherah.”

[14:16]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and he will give [up] Israel.”

[17:1]  ²⁰ tn Heb “before whom I stand.”

[17:1]  ²¹ tn Heb “except at the command of my word.”

[18:21]  ²² tn Heb “How long are you going to limp around on two crutches?” (see HALOT 762 s.v. סְעִפִּים). In context this idiomatic expression refers to indecision rather than physical disability.

[18:21]  ²³ tn Heb “the God.”

[18:22]  ²⁴ tn Heb “to the people.”

[18:24]  ²⁵ tn Elijah now directly addresses the prophets.

[18:24]  ²⁶ tn Heb “the God.”

[18:24]  ²⁷ tn Heb “The matter [i.e., proposal] is good [i.e., acceptable].”

[18:25]  ²⁸ tc The last sentence of v. 25 is absent in the Syriac Peshitta.

[18:26]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and they took the bull which he allowed them.”

[18:26]  ³⁰ tn Heb “limped” (the same verb is used in v. 21).

[18:26]  ³¹ tc The MT has “which he made,” but some medieval Hebrew mss and the ancient versions have the plural form of the verb.

[18:27]  ³² sn Elijah’s sarcastic proposals would have been especially offensive and irritating to Baal’s prophets, for they believed Baal was imprisoned in the underworld as death’s captive during this time of drought. Elijah’s apparent ignorance of their theology is probably designed for dramatic effect; indeed the suggestion that Baal is away on a trip or deep in sleep comes precariously close to the truth as viewed by the prophets.

[18:28]  ³³ tn Or “as was their custom.”

[18:28]  ³⁴ tn Heb “until blood poured out on them.”

[18:29]  ³⁵ tn Heb “when noon passed they prophesied until the offering up of the offering.”

[18:29]  ³⁶ tc The Old Greek translation and Syriac Peshitta include the following words here: “When it was time to offer the sacrifice, Elijah the Tishbite spoke to the prophets of the abominations: ‘Stand aside for the time being, and I will offer my burnt offering.’ So they stood aside and departed.”

[18:30]  ³⁷ sn Torn down. The condition of the altar symbolizes the spiritual state of the people.

[18:31]  ³⁸ tn The word “new” is implied but not actually present in the Hebrew text.

[18:31]  ³⁹ sn Israel will be your new name. See Gen 32:28; 35:10.

[18:32]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “and he built the stones into an altar in the name of the Lord.”

[18:32]  ⁴¹ tn A seah was a dry measure equivalent to about seven quarts.

[18:34]  ⁴² tn The words “when they had done so” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[18:36]  ⁴³ tn Heb “at the offering up of the offering.”

[18:36]  ⁴⁴ tn The words “the altar” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[18:36]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “let it be known.”

[18:37]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “the God.”

[18:37]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “that you are turning their heart[s] back.”

[18:38]  ⁴⁸ tn The words “from the sky” are added for stylistic reasons.

[18:39]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “the God” (the phrase occurs twice in this verse).

[18:40]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “slaughtered.”

[19:10]  ⁵¹ tn Or “very zealous.” The infinitive absolute preceding the finite verb emphasizes the degree of his zeal and allegiance.

[19:10]  ⁵² tn Traditionally, “the God of hosts.”

[19:10]  ⁵³ tn Heb “abandoned your covenant.”

[19:10]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “and they are seeking my life to take it.”

[19:2]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “saying.”

[19:2]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “So may the gods do to me, and so may they add.”

[19:2]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “I do not make your life like the life of one of them.”

[17:13]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “according to your word.”

[9:30]  ⁵⁹ tn The Hebrew expression here is elliptical. The words “your kindness” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[9:30]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “did not give ear to.”

[9:30]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”

[25:4]  ⁶² tn For the idiom involved here see the notes at 7:13 and 11:7.

[25:4]  ⁶³ tn The vav consecutive with the perfect in a past narrative is a little unusual. Here it is probably indicating repeated action in past time in keeping with the idiom that precedes and follows it. See GKC 332 §112.f for other possible examples.

[25:4]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “inclined your ear to hear.” This is idiomatic for “paying attention.” It is often parallel with “listen” as here or with “pay attention” (see, e.g., Prov 4:20; 51:1).

[7:14]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “replied and said.” The phrase “and said” is pleonastic (redundant) and has not been included in the translation.

[7:14]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “I was not a prophet nor was I the son of a prophet.” The phrase “son of a prophet” refers to one who was trained in a prophetic guild. Since there is no equative verb present in the Hebrew text, another option is to translate with the present tense, “I am not a prophet by profession.” In this case Amos, though now carrying out a prophetic ministry (v. 15), denies any official or professional prophetic status. Modern English versions are divided about whether to understand the past (JB, NIV, NKJV) or present tense (NASB, NEB, NRSV, NJPS) here.

[7:14]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “for.”

[7:14]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “gashed”; or “pierced.”

[7:14]  ⁶⁹ sn It is possible that herdsmen agreed to care for sycamore fig trees in exchange for grazing rights. See P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 116-17. Since these trees do not grow around Tekoa but rather in the lowlands, another option is that Amos owned other property outside his hometown. In this case, this verse demonstrates his relative wealth and is his response to Amaziah; he did not depend on prophecy as a profession (v. 13).