Old TestamentBeginner II · Story 141 Kings 19:1-16; 1 Kings 19:18-21

The Mountain of God

Elijah runs away from Jezebel into the wilderness. An angel tells him to eat, and he goes to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the LORD asks him a question, and after a wind, an earthquake and a fire there is a still small voice. Then Elijah finds Elisha in a field. Read the story in simple English.

Start this storyStory + 4 lessons · ~41 min · free

One man stands at the dark mouth of a cave on a bare mountain and looks out over broken rocks under a wide sky

The words in this story

10 words you will really use: they appear in the story and in the exercises, and come back for review in the next stories.

wilderness
a wild place with few plants, where almost nobody lives
noun
strength
the power that your body has to do hard things
noun
piece
one part of something bigger, for example a part that has come off
noun
run
to go on your feet very fast, faster than a walk
verb
belong
to be a part of something, or to be what someone owns
verb
touch
to put your hand on someone or something
verb
forsake
to leave someone or something for good, and not be true to it
verb
strong
with great power; not easy to hurt or to stop
adjective
break
to make something come apart with force
verb
depart
to go away from a place
verb

What you'll discover

The moments of the story, in the order they happen.

Jezebel sends a messenger to Elijah. He runs to Beersheba, goes into the wilderness and sits under a tree.
An angel touches Elijah and tells him to eat. He goes forty days to Horeb and stays in a cave.
The LORD asks Elijah what he is doing there, and Elijah answers that Israel forsook the covenant.
Wind, earthquake and fire come, but the LORD is not in them; after the fire is a still small voice.
God tells Elijah to choose new kings and a new prophet. Elijah puts his mantle on Elisha.

Original verse

The verse that closes the story, in the World English Bible. After 4 lessons, this is how you read it: the real text, with nothing simplified.

1 Kings 19:12 · WEB

After the earthquake a fire passed; but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a still small voice.

Context

One detail about the scene, with the work it comes from.

The world of the story

Who stayed behind in Beersheba? 1 Kings 19:3 says that Elijah left his servant there.

Source: World English Bible · Public domain

What a story looks like

First the whole story, in simple English with audio for every sentence. Then 4 short lessons, each with a piece of the story, a tip and exercises. At the end, the Bible verse and a little celebration.

The story · 20 sentences, with the meaning of each word on tap, 3 quick questions about the story
4 lessons · a piece of the story, a tip and exercises in each one
The original verse · the Bible text, unadapted, then the next story

Questions about this story

Which Bible passage is this story from?

1 Kings 19:1 to 16 and 19:18 to 21, in the World English Bible.

Where does Elijah go?

He runs to Beersheba, goes into the wilderness and then goes forty days to Horeb, God's mountain (1 Kings 19:3-8).

What does the angel do?

An angel touches Elijah and tells him to arise and eat; there is a cake and a jar of water at his head (1 Kings 19:5-7).

What does the LORD ask Elijah?

He asks Elijah what he is doing there, and Elijah answers him in a cave at Horeb (1 Kings 19:9-10).

What comes after the wind, the earthquake and the fire?

A still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12).

How close is it to the Bible?

It follows 1 Kings 19 in order, in short sentences. It leaves out the servant in verse 3, the second visit of the angel in verse 7, the second question and answer in verses 13 and 14, and Elisha's words about his parents in verse 20; verse 17 is not in this reading. The real verses at the end are 1 Kings 19:12, 19:7 and 19:9.

Other questions:Do I need to know English?Does Biblup teach doctrine?