Elijah Calls Elisha

Elijah left that place and found Elisha son of Shaphat out in the field. Elisha was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and put his mantle on him.

Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah. He asked if he might first kiss his father and mother, and then follow. Elijah answered briefly and told him to go back again, speaking about what he had done to him.

So Elisha turned back. He took the yoke of oxen and killed them. He boiled the meat using the oxen’s equipment, and gave the food to the people, and they ate.

After that, Elisha got up, went after Elijah, and served him. His calling began in an ordinary field, and his response led him into a new kind of work.