Pinehas

This translation was taken from the JPS Tanakh

I Kings 18:46 – 19:21 

Note: In some years, when Parashat Pinhas occurs after the 17th of Tammuz, the haftarah for Parashat Mattot is read instead.

⁴⁶ The hand of the Lord had come upon Elijah. He tied up his skirts and ran in front of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

Chapter 19
¹ When Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had put all the prophets to the sword, ² Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “Thus and more may the gods do if by this time tomorrow I have not made you like one of them.”

³ Frightened, he fled at once for his life. He came to Beer-sheba, which is in Judah, and left his servant there; ⁴ he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush and sat down under it, and prayed that he might die. “Enough!” he cried. “Now, O Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

⁵ He lay down and fell asleep under a broom bush. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” ⁶ He looked about; and there, beside his head, was a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water! He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” ⁸ He arose and ate and drank; and with the strength from that meal he walked forty days and forty nights as far as the mountain of God at Horeb. ⁹ There he went into a cave, and there he spent the night.

Then the word of the Lord came to him. He said to him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” ¹⁰ He replied, “I am moved by zeal for the Lord, the God of Hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and put Your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they are out to take my life.” ¹¹ “Come out,” He called, “and stand on the mountain before the Lord.”

And lo, the Lord passed by. There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind–an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake–fire; but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire–a soft murmuring sound. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his mantle about his face and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice addressed him: “Why are you here, Elijah?” ¹⁴ He answered, “I am moved by zeal for the Lord, the God of Hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and have put Your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they are out to take my life.”

¹⁵ The Lord said to him, “Go back by the way you came, [and] on to the wilderness of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael as king of Aram. ¹⁶ Also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁷ Whoever escapes the sword of Hazael shall be slain by Jehu, and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu shall be slain by Elisha. ¹⁸ I will leave in Israel only seven thousand–every knee that has not knelt to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.” ¹⁹ He set out from there and came upon Elisha son of Shaphat as he was plowing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah came over to him and threw his mantle over him. ²⁰ He left the oxen and ran after Elijah, saying: “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by, and I will follow you.” And he answered him, “Go back. What have I done to you?” ²¹ He turned back from him and took the yoke of oxen and slaughtered them; he boiled their meat with the gear of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and became his attendant.

Taken from Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures, (Philadelphia, Jerusalem: Jewish Publication Society) 1985.
Used by permission of The Jewish Publication Society. Copyright © 1962, 1992
Third Edition by the Jewish Publication Society.
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