1 Kings 18
1 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.”
過了許久，到第三年，耶和華的話臨到以利亞說：「你去，使亞哈得見你；我要降雨在地上。」
2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria,
以利亞就去，要使亞哈得見他。那時，撒馬利亞有大饑荒；
3 and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD,
亞哈將他的家宰俄巴底召了來。（俄巴底甚是敬畏耶和華，
4 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.)
耶洗別殺耶和華眾先知的時候，俄巴底將一百個先知藏了，每五十人藏在一個洞裏，拿餅和水供養他們。）
5 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.”
亞哈對俄巴底說：「我們走遍這地，到一切水泉旁和一切溪邊，或者找得着青草，可以救活騾馬，免得絕了牲畜。」
6 So they divided the land to explore. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself.
於是二人分地遊行，亞哈獨走一路，俄巴底獨走一路。
7 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?”
俄巴底在路上恰與以利亞相遇，俄巴底認出他來，就俯伏在地，說：「你是我主以利亞不是？」
8 “It is I,” he answered. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here!’”
回答說：「是。你去告訴你主人說，以利亞在這裏。」
9 But Obadiah replied, “How have I sinned, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death?
俄巴底說：「僕人有甚麼罪，你竟要將我交在亞哈手裏，使他殺我呢？
10 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.
我指着永生耶和華－你的上帝起誓，無論哪一邦哪一國，我主都打發人去找你。若說你沒有在那裏，就必使那邦那國的人起誓說，實在是找不着你。
11 And now you say, ‘Go tell your master that Elijah is here!’
現在你說，要去告訴你主人說，以利亞在這裏；
12 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.
恐怕我一離開你，耶和華的靈就提你到我所不知道的地方去。這樣，我去告訴亞哈，他若找不着你，就必殺我；僕人卻是自幼敬畏耶和華的。
13 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.
耶洗別殺耶和華眾先知的時候，我將耶和華的一百個先知藏了，每五十人藏在一個洞裏，拿餅和水供養他們，豈沒有人將這事告訴我主嗎？
14 And now you say, ‘Go tell your lord that Elijah is here!’ He will kill me!”
現在你說，要去告訴你主人說，以利亞在這裏，他必殺我。」
15 Then Elijah said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will present myself to Ahab today.”
以利亞說：「我指着所事奉永生的萬軍之耶和華起誓，我今日必使亞哈得見我。」
16 So Obadiah went to inform Ahab, who went to meet Elijah.
於是俄巴底去迎着亞哈，告訴他；亞哈就去迎着以利亞。
17 When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”
亞哈見了以利亞，便說：「使以色列遭災的就是你嗎？」
18 “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.
以利亞說：「使以色列遭災的不是我，乃是你和你父家；因為你們離棄耶和華的誡命，去隨從巴力。
19 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.”
現在你當差遣人，招聚以色列眾人和事奉巴力的那四百五十個先知，並耶洗別所供養事奉亞舍拉的那四百個先知，使他們都上迦密山去見我。」
20 So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.
亞哈就差遣人招聚以色列眾人和先知都上迦密山。
21 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.
以利亞前來對眾民說：「你們心持兩意要到幾時呢？若耶和華是上帝，就當順從耶和華；若巴力是上帝，就當順從巴力。」眾民一言不答。
22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the LORD, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.
以利亞對眾民說：「作耶和華先知的只剩下我一個人；巴力的先知卻有四百五十個人。
23 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.
當給我們兩隻牛犢，巴力的先知可以挑選一隻，切成塊子，放在柴上，不要點火；我也預備一隻牛犢放在柴上，也不點火。
24 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.”
你們求告你們神的名，我也求告耶和華的名。那降火顯應的神，就是上帝。」眾民回答說：「這話甚好。」
25 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.”
以利亞對巴力的先知說：「你們既是人多，當先挑選一隻牛犢，預備好了，就求告你們神的名，卻不要點火。」
26 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.
他們將所得的牛犢預備好了，從早晨到午間，求告巴力的名說：「巴力啊，求你應允我們！」卻沒有聲音，沒有應允的。他們在所築的壇四圍踊跳。
27 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!”
到了正午，以利亞嬉笑他們，說：「大聲求告吧！因為他是神，他或默想，或走到一邊，或行路，或睡覺，你們當叫醒他。」
28 So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them.
他們大聲求告，按着他們的規矩，用刀槍自割、自刺，直到身體流血。
29 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.
從午後直到獻晚祭的時候，他們狂呼亂叫，卻沒有聲音，沒有應允的，也沒有理會的。
30 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.
以利亞對眾民說：「你們到我這裏來。」眾民就到他那裏。他便重修已經毀壞耶和華的壇。
31 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.”
以利亞照雅各子孫支派的數目，取了十二塊石頭（耶和華的話曾臨到雅各說：「你的名要叫以色列」），
32 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.
用這些石頭為耶和華的名築一座壇，在壇的四圍挖溝，可容穀種二細亞，
33 Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, placed it on the wood,
又在壇上擺好了柴，把牛犢切成塊子放在柴上，對眾人說：「你們用四個桶盛滿水，倒在燔祭和柴上」；
34 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.
又說：「倒第二次。」他們就倒第二次；又說：「倒第三次。」他們就倒第三次。
35 So the water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.
水流在壇的四圍，溝裏也滿了水。
36 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.
到了獻晚祭的時候，先知以利亞近前來，說：「亞伯拉罕、以撒、以色列的上帝，耶和華啊，求你今日使人知道你是以色列的上帝，也知道我是你的僕人，又是奉你的命行這一切事。
37 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.”
耶和華啊，求你應允我，應允我！使這民知道你－耶和華是上帝，又知道是你叫這民的心回轉。」
38 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.
於是，耶和華降下火來，燒盡燔祭、木柴、石頭、塵土，又燒乾溝裏的水。
39 When all the people saw this, they fell facedown and said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”
眾民看見了，就俯伏在地，說：「耶和華是上帝！耶和華是上帝！」
40 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.
以利亞對他們說：「拿住巴力的先知，不容一人逃脫！」眾人就拿住他們。以利亞帶他們到基順河邊，在那裏殺了他們。
41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”
以利亞對亞哈說：「你現在可以上去吃喝，因為有多雨的響聲了。」
42 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.
亞哈就上去吃喝。以利亞上了迦密山頂，屈身在地，將臉伏在兩膝之中；
43 “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.”
對僕人說：「你上去，向海觀看。」僕人就上去觀看，說：「沒有甚麼。」他說：「你再去觀看。」如此七次。
44 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.’”
第七次僕人說：「我看見有一小片雲從海裏上來，不過如人手那樣大。」以利亞說：「你上去告訴亞哈，當套車下去，免得被雨阻擋。」
45 Meanwhile, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain began to fall. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.
霎時間，天因風雲黑暗，降下大雨。亞哈就坐車往耶斯列去了。
46 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.
耶和華的靈降在以利亞身上，他就束上腰，奔在亞哈前頭，直到耶斯列的城門。
