1 Kings 18
1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of Jehovah came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.
After a long time, in the third year of the drought, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the face of the earth.”
2 And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. And the famine was severe in Samaria.
So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria,
3 And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared Jehovah greatly;
and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD,
4 for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of Jehovah, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifties in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)
5 And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go through the land, to all the fountains of water, and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the beasts.
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring and every valley. Perhaps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to destroy any livestock.”
6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
So they divided the land to explore. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself.
7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him. And he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Is it thou, my lord Elijah?
Now as Obadiah went on his way, Elijah suddenly met him. When Obadiah recognized him, he fell facedown and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”
8 And he answered him, It is I. Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
“It is I,” he answered. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here!’”
9 And he said, How have I sinned that thou would deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab to kill me?
But Obadiah replied, “How have I sinned, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death?
10 As Jehovah thy God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek thee. And when they said, He is not here, he took an oath from the kingdom and nation that they did not find thee.
As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made that kingdom or nation swear that they had not found you.
11 And now thou say, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
And now you say, ‘Go tell your master that Elijah is here!’
12 And it will come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of Jehovah will carry thee where I know not. And so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he will kill me. But I thy servant fear Jehovah from my youth.
I do not know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off when I leave you. Then when I go and tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth.
13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of Jehovah, how I hid a hundred men of Jehovah's prophets by fifties in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred prophets of the LORD, fifty men per cave, and I provided them with food and water.
14 And now thou say, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here, and he will kill me.
And now you say, ‘Go tell your lord that Elijah is here!’ He will kill me!”
15 And Elijah said, As Jehovah of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.
Then Elijah said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will present myself to Ahab today.”
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
So Obadiah went to inform Ahab, who went to meet Elijah.
17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, Is it thou, thou troubler of Israel?
When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”
18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of Jehovah, and thou have followed the Baalim.
“I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.
19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, who eat at Jezebel's table.
Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
20 So Ahab sent to all the sons of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to mount Carmel.
So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came near to all the people, and said, How long do ye go limping between the two sides? If Jehovah be God, follow him, but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.
22 Then Elijah said to the people, I, even I only, am left a prophet of Jehovah, but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the LORD, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.
23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks, and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under. And I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under.
Get two bulls for us. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull for themselves, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. And I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire.
24 And call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Jehovah. And the God that answers by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
Then you may call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people answered, “What you say is good.”
25 And Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first, for ye are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under.
Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.”
26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped about the altar which was made.
And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made.
27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is meditating, or he is gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened.
At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, “Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!”
28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, till the blood gushed out upon them.
So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them.
29 And it was so, when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening oblation, but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
Midday passed, and they kept on raving until the time of the evening sacrifice. But there was no response; no one answered, no one paid attention.
30 And Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of Jehovah that was thrown down.
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people approached him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob to whom the word of Jehovah came, saying, Israel shall be thy name.
And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come and said, “Israel shall be your name.”
32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of Jehovah. And he made a trench around the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
And with the stones, Elijah built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it on the wood. And he said, Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering, and on the wood.
Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, placed it on the wood,
34 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 said, “Fill four waterpots and pour the water on the offering and on the wood.” “Do it a second time,” he said, and they did it a second time. “Do it a third time,” he said, and they did it a third time.
35 And the water ran round about the altar, and he also filled the trench with water.
So the water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening oblation, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, O Jehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou are God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command.
37 Hear me, O Jehovah, hear me, that this people may know that thou, Jehovah, are God, and that thou have turned their heart back again.
Answer me, O LORD! Answer me, so that this people will know that You, the LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back again.”
38 Then the fire of Jehovah fell, and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. And they said, Jehovah, he is God, Jehovah, he is God.
When all the people saw this, they fell facedown and said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”
40 and Elijah said to them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them, and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.
Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.
41 And Elijah said to Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain.
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”
42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he bowed himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees.
So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the summit of Carmel, bent down on the ground, and put his face between his knees.
43 And he said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
“Go and look toward the sea,” he said to his servant. So the servant went and looked, and he said, “There is nothing there.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”
44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, a cloud rises out of the sea, as small as a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say to Ahab, Make ready thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain not stop thee.
On the seventh time the servant reported, “There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.” And Elijah replied, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”
45 And it came to pass in a little while, that the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
Meanwhile, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain began to fall. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.
46 And the hand of Jehovah was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
