O compassionate Word Who translated Elijah the Tishbite from the earth in a fiery chariot: By his supplication save us who glorify Thee in faith and celebrate his divine and salvific memory.

¶8

Now & ever...: Theotokion —

¶9

A Reading from

¶10

In the earthquake and the gentle breeze thou didst perceive the coming of God which of old enlightened thee, O divinely blessed Elijah; and, seated in a chariot drawn by four steeds, amazed, thou didst traverse the sky in a strange manner, O divinely inspired one.

¶11

Glory..., in Tone VI —

¶12

Aflame with zeal divine, thou didst slay the shameful priests with a knife; and with thy tongue thou didst constrain the sky, that it not rain upon the earth; and thou didst fill Elisha with grace divine, by the twofold bestowal of thy mantle, O wise Elijah.

¶13

Glory..., in Tone VI —

¶14

Two beacons have shone forth upon the world: the most radiant Elijah and Elisha. The one by the word of God shut up the drops of the rains of the sky, rebuked the king, and was upborne to the heavens on a fiery chariot; and the other cured bitter waters and, having received a double measure of grace, parted the Jordan’s streams. And now, joining chorus with the angels, they pray for us, that our souls may be saved.

¶15

Glory..., Now & ever...: Theotokion —

¶16

The fiery chariot which caught thee up to the heavens on the air as in an earthquake, bestowed upon thee the fiery grace of miracles, O Elijah the Tishbite, rendering thee incorrupt, that thou wouldst not see death until thou hadst proclaimed the end to all. Wherefore, come thou, granting us the instruction of thy worthy deeds.

¶17

O inextinguishable beacon of the Church, aflame with zeal divine, prophet Elijah! Thou didst shut up the drops of heaven; and, fed by a raven, thou didst rebuke the king, and didst put the priests to death; fire from heaven didst thou call down, and, having slain the two captains of fifty, thou didst sustain the widow with oil and a small handful of meal, and didst raise her son from the dead by thy prayer; fire didst thou kindle amid water; the streams of Jordan didst thou traverse on foot; thou didst ascend to the heavens on a fiery chariot, and didst bestow upon Elisha a double measure of grace. Pray thou unceasingly to God, that our souls be saved!

¶18

Come, ye assembly of the Orthodox, and, gathering together in the most honored temple of the divinely eloquent prophets today, with psalmody let us chant a harmonious hymn unto Christ our God Who hath glorified them; and with joy and gladness let us cry out: Rejoice, O Elijah of great renown, earthly angel and heavenly man! Rejoice, O most honored Elisha, who received from God a double measure of grace! Rejoice, ye fervent helpers, intercessors and physicians of the souls and bodies of Christ-loving people! From every hostile attack and evil circumstance, deliver those who with faith celebrate your most festive memory!

¶19

Entrance. Prokimenon of the Day. Three Readings:

¶20

A Reading from the Third Book of the Kings

¶21

The word of the Lord came unto Elijah the prophet, and he said unto Ahab: “As the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, liveth, before Whom I stand, there shall not be these years dew nor rain, except by the word of my mouth.” And the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying: “Depart hence eastward, and bide thee by the brook of Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be that thou shalt drink water of the brook, and I will charge the ravens to feed thee there.” And Elijah did according to the word of the Lord, and he sat by the brook of Cherith before Jordan. And the ravens brought him loaves in the morning, and flesh in the evening, and he drank water of the brook. And it came to pass after some time, that the brook was dried up, because there had been no rain upon the earth. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying: “Arise, and go to Zarephath of the Sidonian land. Behold, I have there commanded a widow-woman to maintain thee.” And he arose, and went to Zarephath, and came to the gate of the city: and, behold, a widow-woman was there gathering sticks; and Elijah cried after her, and said to her: “Fetch thee, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And she went to fetch it; and Elijah cried after her, and said: “Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of the bread that is in thy hand.” And the woman said: “As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in the pitcher, and a little oil in a cruse; and, behold, I am going to gather two sticks, and I shall go in, and prepare it for myself and my children, and we shall eat it and die.” And Elijah said to her: “Be of good courage. Go in, and do according to thy word: but make me thereof a little cake, and thou shalt bring it out to me first, and thou shalt make some for thyself and thy children last. For thus saith the Lord: The pitcher of meal shall not fail, and the cruse of oil shall not diminish, until the day that the Lord giveth rain upon the earth.” And the woman went and did so, and did eat, she and he, and her children. And the pitcher of meal failed not, and the cruse of oil was not diminished, according to the word of the Lord which he spake by the hand of Elijah. And it came to pass afterward, that the son of the woman who was mistress of the house was sick; and his sickness was very severe, until there was no breath left in him. And she said to Elijah: “What have I to do with thee, O man of God? Hast thou come in to me to bring my sins to remembrance, and to slay my son?” And Elijah said to the woman: “Give me thy son.” And he took him out of her bosom, and took him up to the chamber in which he himself lodged, and laid him on the bed. And Elijah cried aloud, and said: “Alas, O Lord, the witness of the widow with whom I sojourn, Thou hast wrought evil for her in slaying her son.” And he breathed on the child thrice, and called on the Lord, and said: “O Lord my God, let, I pray Thee, the soul of this child return to him.” And it was so, and the child cried out, and he brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and give him to his mother; and Elijah said: “See, thy son liveth.” And the woman said to Elijah: “Behold, I know that thou art a man of God, and the word of the Lord in thy mouth is true.”

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A Reading from the Third Book of the Kings

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The word of God came to Elijah the Tishbite in the third year of the reign of Ahab, saying: “Go, and appear before Ahab, and I will bring rain upon the face of the earth.” And it came to pass when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to Elijah: “Art thou he who perverteth Israel?” And Elijah said: “I do not pervert Israel: but it is thou and thy father’s house, in that ye forsake the Lord your God, and thou hast gone after Baalim. And now send, gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and the prophets of shame four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, that eat at Jezebel’s table.” And Ahab sent to all Israel, and gathered all the prophets to Mount Carmel. And Elijah drew near to them all; and Elijah said to them: “How long will ye halt between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” And the people answered not a word. And Elijah said to the people: “I am left, the only one prophet of the Lord; and the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men, and the prophets of the groves four hundred. Let them give us two oxen, and let them choose one for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire on the wood; and I will dress the other bullock, and put on no fire. And do ye call loudly on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord my God, and it shall come to pass that the God Who shall answer by fire, He is God.” And all the people answered, and said: “The word which thou hast spoken is good.” And Elijah said to the prophets of shame: “Choose to yourselves one calf, and dress it first, for ye are many; and call ye on the name of your god; but apply no fire.” And they took the calf, and dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning till noon, and said: “Hear us, O Baal, hear us!” And there was no voice, neither was there hearing, and they ran up and down on the altar which they had made. And it was noon, and Elijah the Tishbite mocked them, and said: “Call with a loud voice, for he is a god; for he is meditating, or else perhaps he is engaged in business, or perhaps he is asleep, and is to be awakened.” And they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves according to their custom with knives and lancets until the blood gushed out upon them. And they prophesied until the evening came; and it came to pass as it was the time of the offering of the sacrifice, that Elijah the Tishbite spoke to the prophets of the abominations, saying: “Stand by for the present, and I will offer my sacrifice.” And they stood aside and departed. And Elijah said to the people: “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, as the Lord spake to him, saying: “Israel shall be thy name.” And he built up the stones in the name of the Lord, and repaired the altar that had been broken down; and he made a trench that would hold two measures of seed round about the altar. And he piled the cleft wood on the altar which he had made, and divided the wholeburnt offering, and laid it on the wood, and laid it in order on the altar, and said: “Fetch me four pitchers of water, and pour it on the wholeburnt offering, and on the wood.” And they did so. And he said: “Do it the second time.” And they did it the second time. And he said: “Do it the third time.” And they did it the third time. And the water ran round about the altar, and they filled the trench with water. And Elijah cried aloud to heaven, and said: “Lord God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, answer me, O Lord! Answer me this day by fire, and let all this people know that Thou art the Lord, the God of Israel, and I am Thy servant, and for Thy sake I have wrought these works. Hear me, O Lord, hear me; and let this people know that thou art the Lord God, and Thou hast turned back the heart of this people!” Then fire fell from the Lord out of heaven, and devoured the wholeburnt offerings, and the wood, and the water that was in the trench; and the fire licked up the stones and the earth. And all the people fell upon their faces, and said: “Truly the Lord is God; He is God!” And Elijah said to the people: “Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of the escape.” And they took them, and Elijah brought them down to the brook of Kishon, and he slew them there. And Elijah said to Ahab: “Make ready thy chariot, and go down, lest the rain overtake thee.” And Elijah went up to Carmel, and stooped to the ground, and put his face between his knees, and prayed to the Lord. And it came to pass in the meanwhile that the heaven grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab wept, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the Lord was upon Elijah, and he girt up his loins, and ran before Ahab to Jezreel. And Ahab told Jezebel his wife all that Elijah had done, and how he had slain the prophets with the sword. And Jezebel sent to Elijah, and said: “If thou art Elijah and I am Jezebel, God do so to me, and more also, if I do not make thy life by this time tomorrow as the life of one of them.” And Elijah feared, and rose, and departed for his life: and he came to Beersheba, to the land of Judah, and he left his servant there. And he himself went a day’s journey in the wilderness, and came and sat under a juniper tree; and asked concerning his life that he might die, and said: “Let it be enough now, O Lord. Take, I pray Thee, my life from me; for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept there under a tree; and behold, someone touched him, and said to him: “Arise and eat.” And Elijah looked, and, behold, at his head there was a cake of meal and a cruse of water; and he arose, and ate and drank, and returned and lay down. And the angel of the Lord returned again, and touched him, and said to him: “Arise, and eat, for the journey is far from thee.” And he arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb. And he entered there into a cave, and rested there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and said: “What doest thou here, Elijah?” And Elijah said: “I have been very zealous for the Lord Almighty, because the children of Israel have forsaken Thee: they have digged down Thine altars, and have slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I only am left alone, and they seek my life to take it.” And He said: “Thou shalt go forth tomorrow, and shalt stand before the Lord in the mount; behold, the Lord will pass by.” And behold, a great and strong wind rending the mountains, and crushing the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire, the voice of a gentle breeze. And it came to pass when Elijah heard that, he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went forth and stood in the cave; and behold, a voice came to him, and said: “What doest thou here, Elijah?” And Elijah said: “I have been very zealous for the Lord Almighty; for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, and they have overthrown thine altars, and have slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I am left entirely alone, and they seek my life to take it.” And the Lord said to him: “Go, return, and thou shalt come into the way of the wilderness of Damascus; and thou shalt go and anoint Azael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy stead.”

¶24

the Fourth Book of the Kings

¶25

It came to pass in those days that Elijah found Elisha, the son of Shaphat, and he was ploughing with oxen. There were twelve yoke before him, and he with the twelve, and he passed by to him, and cast his mantle upon him. And Elisha left the cattle, and ran after Elijah, and said: “I will kiss my father, and follow after thee.” And Elijah said: “Return, for I have done a work for thee.” And he returned from following him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled them with the instruments of the oxen, and gave to the people, and they ate: and he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered to him. And it came to pass, when the Lord was going to take Elijah with a whirlwind as it into heaven, that Elijah and Elisha went out of Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elisha: “Stay here, I pray thee; for God hath sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said: “As the Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.” And they both went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went also, and they stood opposite afar off: and both stood on the bank of the Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the water: and the water was divided on this side and on that side, and they both went over on dry ground. And it came to pass while they were crossing over, that Elijah said to Elisha: “Ask what I shall do for thee before I am taken up from thee.” And Elisha said: “Let there be, I pray thee, a double portion of thy spirit upon me.” And Elijah said: “Thou hast asked a hard thing: if thou shalt see me when I am taken up from thee, then shall it be so to thee; and if not, it shall not be so.” And it came to pass as they were going, they went on talking; and behold, a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and it separated between them both; and Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind as it were into heaven. And Elisha saw, and cried: “Father, father, the chariot of Israel, and the horses thereof!” And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his garments, and rent them into two pieces. And Elisha took up the mantle of Elijah, which fell from off him upon Elisha; and Elisha returned, and stood upon the bank of Jordan; and he took the mantle of Elijah, which fell from off him, and smote the water, and they did not divide; And Elisha said: “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And Elisha smote the waters a second time, and they were divided hither and thither; and Elisha went over as on dry land.

¶26

At the Litia, the sticheron of the temple, and these stichera to the saint, in Tone IV —

¶27

O blessed prophet, thou didst share in incorrupt union in God my Savior. Parting the Jordan by prayer, thou didst cross it as dry land, and wast caught up on a fiery chariot to the heavens, leaving Elisha a double portion of grace. Wherefore, we beseech thee: though thou hast been caught up in body, yet sunder not thyself from us in spirit, and ever entreat the Lord, that our souls be saved.

¶28

O prophet of God, thou wast shown to be a luminous cloud, letting fall a shower of divine knowledge upon all the faithful, richly giving the wine of gladness as drink unto all who with faith have recourse to thy most divine temple. Wherefore, we entreat thee, O divine prophet and God-seer Elijah: Grant health to our Orthodox hierarchs, and great mercy to our souls.

¶29

Thou didst subject the flesh to the governing mind, O divine prophet Elijah, diligently ascending in thy heart as by steps. Wherefore, having rebuked the unrighteous king and pronounced the sentence of the wrath of God, with a knife didst thou destroy the shameful priests as unrighteous, and hast clearly taught all to cry out: “Truly there is one God: Him Whom Elijah hath preached!”

¶30

O, the commands of the ungodly king! O, the fast, full of blood and iniquity! Jezebel proclaimed a fast, that she might commit murder, and straightway Naboth the Israelite was slain. And what didst thou say to these things, O prophet? “Thus saith the Lord: Inasmuch as thou hast unjustly slain a man of Israel, thus shall thy blood also be spilled, and harlots shall wash themselves in thy blood!” O Christ, by the prayers of Thy prophet and preacher, deliver our souls from such inhumanity, for Thou lovest mankind.

¶31

O Theotokos, thou art the true vine which hath budded forth for us the Fruit of life. Entreat Him with our venerable father Tikhon and all the saints, we pray thee, O Mistress, that our souls find mercy.

¶32

At the Aposticha, these stichera, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel: “O most glorious wonder...” —

¶33

Elijah, the most wondrous prophet, having illumined his mind with radiance, became wholly divine, and, beholding the unjust judgment of the impious king, was displeased. Wherefore, by the judgment of God he sent condemnation upon him; and likewise the queen, merciless and avaricious, he committed to the judgment of God. By the prayers of Thy prophet Elijah, O Christ, save us, in that Thou art merciful!

¶34

Stichos: Moses and Aaron are among His priests, and Samuel among those who call upon His name.

¶35

“How long, O Lord, will the way of the ungodly prosper?” thou didst say, O prophet. “Thou hast planted, and they have uprooted, and have brought forth the fruit of iniquity; truly, they themselves have perished wickedly through their impiety. They cry to Thee, but Thou hearkenest not. Why hast Thou shown me the godlessness of judges who transgress the law?”

¶36

Stichos: Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.

¶37

O great Elijah, honored among the prophets: By thy prayers deliver from misfortunes and tribulations, and from the incursions of the pitiless foe, those who celebrate thine honored ascent; that we, the Christian people, may ever honor and bless thee, O most glorious prophet.

¶38

O prophet, preacher of Christ, thou dost never depart from the Throne of Majesty, and ever intercedest for everyone afflicted with sickness. Ministering in the Highest, glorified in all places, thou dost bless the whole world. Ask thou for cleansing for our souls.

¶39

Christ the Lord, my Creator and Deliverer, Who came forth from thy womb, O all-pure one, and robed Himself in me, hath freed Adam from the curse. Wherefore, like the angel do we unceasingly cry out to thee, O most pure one, who art truly the Mother of God and Virgin: Rejoice! Rejoice, O Mistress, thou intercession, protection and salvation for our souls!

¶40

The angel in the flesh, the foundation of the prophets, the second forerunner of the Coming of Christ, the glorious Elijah sent grace down from on High upon Elisha, to dispel infirmities and to cleanse lepers. Wherefore, he poureth forth healings upon those who honor him.

¶41

The mystery hidden from before the ages and unknown even to the angels, through thee, O Theotokos, hath been revealed to those on earth: God incarnate in unconfused union, Who willingly accepted the Cross for our sake and, thereby raising up the first-formed man, hath saved our souls from death.

Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.