1 Kings 19:20 kjva — And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I wil…

King James Version with Apocrypha

"And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?"

— 1 Kings 19:20, King James Version with Apocrypha

Read in Another Translation

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1 Kings 19:20 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?”

  • ASV

    “And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again; for what have I done to thee? ”

  • WEB

    “He left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, "Let me please kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you." He said to him, "Go back again; for what have I done to you?"”

  • NET

    “He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said,“Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, then I will follow you.” Elijah said to him,“Go back! Indeed, what have I done to you?””

  • DRB

    “And he forthwith left the oxen, and run after Elias, and said: Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said to him: Go, and return back: for that which was my part, I have done to thee.”

  • BBE

    “And letting the oxen be where they were, he came running after Elijah, and said, Only let me give a kiss to my father and mother, and then I will come after you. But he said to him, Go back again; for what have I done to you?”

1 Kings 19 — Context

17

And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

18

Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

19

So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

20

And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

21

And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

1 Kings 19:20 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does 1 Kings 19:20 say?
1 Kings 19:20 in the King James Version with Apocrypha reads: “And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?”
Where is 1 Kings 19:20 in the Bible?
1 Kings 19:20 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of 1 Kings, chapter 19, verse 20.
Who wrote 1 Kings?
1 Kings is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (traditionally Jeremiah). It was written c. 561–538 BC.
What is the book of 1 Kings about?
1 Kings tells of Solomon's wisdom and the building of the temple, then the painful division of the kingdom after his death. The northern kingdom plunges into idolatry under a series of wicked kings until the prophet Elijah is raised up to call Israel back to the LORD.
What are the major themes of 1 Kings?
1 Kings explores themes including Wisdom, Temple, Divided Kingdom, Idolatry, Prophecy. These themes shape the meaning and context of 1 Kings 19:20.
What translation should I read 1 Kings 19:20 in?
1 Kings 19:20 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize 1 Kings 19:20?
1 Kings 19:20 reads (KJVA): “And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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