1 Kings 19:2

¹ Now Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.

So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the lives of those you killed!”

³ And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,

⁴ while he himself traveled on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the lives of those you killed!”
KJV: Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
WEB: Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I don’t make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time!”
ASV: Then Jezebel send a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time.
DARBY: And Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah saying, So do the gods [to me], and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time!
BLB: And Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “Thus may do the gods, and thus may they add, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life as the life of one of them.”

ÅB: Da sendte Jesabel bud til Elias og lot si: Gudene la det gå meg ille både nå og siden om jeg ikke imorgen på denne tid gjør med ditt liv som det er gjort med deres liv.
OTB: Da sendte Jezabel en budbringer til Elia og sa, "Slik må gudene gjøre med meg og enda mer, om jeg ikke i morgen på denne tid gjør ditt liv som livet til en av dem."
B1930: Da sendte Jesabel bud til Elias og lot si: Gudene la det gå mig ille både nu og siden om jeg ikke imorgen på denne tid gjør med ditt liv som det er gjort med deres liv.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Ruth 1:17
Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
Read in context
1 Kings 20:10
Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful.”
Read in context
2 Kings 6:31
He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!”
Read in context
Proverbs 27:1
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
Read in context
Exodus 10:28
“Depart from me!” Pharaoh said to Moses. “Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die.”
Read in context
2 Kings 19:27–28
But I know your sitting down, your going out and coming in, and your raging against Me.
Read in context
2 Kings 19:10–12
“Give this message to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
Read in context
1 Kings 2:28
When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah but not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar.
Read in context