1 Kings 18
1 After many days the word of the Lord came to Elias, in the third year, saying: Go and shew thyself to Achab, that I may give rain upon the face of the earth.
So after many days the word of Yahweh came to Elijah, in the third year of the drought, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab and I will send rain on the land.”
2 And Elias went to shew himself to Achab, and there was a grievous famine in Samaria.
Elijah went to show himself to Ahab; now the famine was severe in Samaria.
3 And Achab called Abdias the governor of his house: now Abdias feared the Lord very much.
Ahab called Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Now Obadiah honored Yahweh very much,
4 For when Jezabel killed the prophets of the Lord, he took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifty and fifty in caves, and fed them with bread and water.
for when Jezebel was killing the prophets of Yahweh, Obadiah took one hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.
5 And Achab said to Abdias: Go into the land unto all fountains of waters, and into all valleys, to see if we can find grass, and save the horses and mules, that the beasts may not utterly perish.
Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the water springs and brooks. Perhaps we will find grass and save the horses and mules alive, so that we will not lose all the animals.”
6 And they divided the countries between them, that they might go round about them: Achab went one way, and Abdias another way by himself.
So they divided the land between them to pass through it and look for water. Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way.
7 And as Abdias was in the way, Elias met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said: Art thou my lord Elias?
As Obadiah was on the road, Elijah unexpectedly met him. Obadiah recognized him and lay facedown on the ground. He said, “Is it you, my master Elijah?”
8 And he answered: I am. Go, and tell thy master: Elias is here.
Elijah answered him, “It is I. Go tell your master, 'Look, Elijah is here.'”
9 And he said: What have I sinned, that thou wouldst deliver me thy servant into the hand of Achab, that he should kill me?
Obadiah replied, “How have I sinned, that you would give your servant into the hand of Ahab, for him to kill me?
10 As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when all answered: He is not here: he took an oath of every kingdom and nation, because thou wast not found.
As Yahweh your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent men to find you. Whenever a nation or kingdom says, 'Elijah is not here,' Ahab makes them take an oath swearing that they could not find you.
11 And now thou sayest to me: Go, and tell thy master: Elias is here.
Yet now you say, 'Go, tell your master that Elijah is here.'
12 And when I am gone from thee, the spirit of the Lord will carry thee into a place that I know not: and I shall go in and tell Achab, and he not finding thee, will kill me: but thy servant feareth the Lord from his infancy.
As soon as I am gone from you, the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you some place I do not know. Then when I go and tell Ahab, and when he cannot find you, he will kill me. Yet I, your servant, have worshiped Yahweh from my youth.
13 Hath it not been told thee, my lord, what I did when Jezabel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred men of the prophets of the Lord, by fifty and fifty in caves, and fed them with bread and water?
Has it not been told to you, my master, what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of Yahweh, how I hid one hundred of Yahweh's prophets by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water?
14 And now thou sayest: Go, and tell thy master: Elias is here: that he may kill me.
Now you say to me, 'Go and tell your master that Elijah is here,' so that he will kill me.”
15 And Elias said: As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whose face I stand, this day I will shew myself unto him.
Then Elijah responded, “As Yahweh of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to Ahab today.”
16 Abdias therefore went to meet Achab, and told him: and Achab came to meet Elias.
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him what Elijah said. Then the king went to meet Elijah.
17 And when he had seen him, he said: Art thou he that troublest Israel?
When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is it you? You are the one who brings trouble to Israel!”
18 And he said: I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father’s house, who have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and have followed Baalim.
Elijah answered, “I have not brought trouble to Israel, but you and your father's family are the ones who have caused trouble by abandoning the commandments of Yahweh and by following the Baals.
19 Nevertheless send now, and gather unto me all Israel, unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, who eat at Jezabel’s table.
Now then, send word and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table.”
20 Achab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered together the prophets unto mount Carmel.
So Ahab sent word to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel.
21 And Elias coming to all the people, said: How long do you halt between two sides? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.
Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you keep changing your mind? If Yahweh is God, follow him. But if Baal is God, then follow him.” Yet the people did not answer him a word.
22 And Elias said again to the people: I only remain a prophet of the Lord: but the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men.
Then Elijah said to the people, “I, I alone, am left as a prophet of Yahweh, but Baal's prophets are 450 men.
23 Let two bullocks be given us, and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces and lay it upon wood, but put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under it.
So let them give us two bulls. Let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. Then I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it.
24 Call ye on the names of your gods, and I will call on the name of my Lord: and the God that shall answer by fire, let him be God. And all the people answering said: A very good proposal.
Then you will call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh, and the God who answers by fire, then let him be God.” So all the people answered and said, “This is good.”
25 Then Elias said to the prophets of Baal: Choose you one bullock and dress it first, because you are many: and call on the names of your gods, but put no fire under.
So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many people. Then call on the name of your god, but put no fire under the bull.”
26 And they took the bullock which he gave them, and dressed it: and they called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying: O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered: and they leaped over the altar that they had made.
They took the bull that was given to them and prepared it, and they called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, hear us.” But there was no voice, nor anyone who answered. They danced around the altar they had made.
27 And when it was now noon, Elias jested at them, saying: Cry with a louder voice: for he is a God, and perhaps he is talking, or is in an inn, or on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep, and must be awaked.
At noon Elijah mocked them and said, “Shout out loudly! He is a god! Perhaps he is thinking, or is relieving himself, or he is traveling on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”
28 So they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till they were all covered with blood.
So they shouted more loudly, and they cut themselves, as they usually did, with swords and spears, until their blood flowed out over themselves.
29 And after midday was past, and while they were prophesying, the time was come of offering sacrifice, and there was no voice heard, nor did any one answer, nor regard them as they prayed:
Midday passed, and they were still raving until the time of offering of the evening sacrifice, but there was no voice or anyone to answer; there was no one who paid any attention to their pleadings.
30 Elias said to all the people: Come ye unto me. And the people coming near unto him, he repaired the altar of the Lord, that was broken down:
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me,” and all the people came near to him. Then he repaired the altar of Yahweh that was lying in ruin.
31 And he took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying: Israel shall be thy name.
Elijah took twelve stones, each stone representing one of the tribes of the sons of Jacob—it was Jacob to whom the word of Yahweh came, saying, “Israel will be your name.”
32 And he built with the stones an altar to the name of the Lord: and he made a trench for water, of the breadth of two furrows round about the altar.
With the stones he built an altar in the name of Yahweh and he dug a trench around the altar large enough to contain two seahs of seeds.
33 And he laid the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it upon the wood.
He arranged the wood for a fire, cut the bull in pieces, and laid the pieces of the bull on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.”
34 And he said: Fill four buckets with water, and pour it upon the burnt offering, and upon the wood. And again he said: Do the same the second time. And when they had done it the second time, he said: Do the same also the third time. And they did so the third time.
Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time. Once more he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time.
35 And the water run round about the altar, and the trench was filled with water.
The water ran around the altar and filled the trench.
36 And when it was now time to offer the holocaust, Elias the prophet came near and said: O Lord God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, shew this day that thou art the God of Israel, and I thy servant, and that according to thy commandment I have done all these things.
It happened at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Yahweh, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me: that this people may learn, that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart again.
Hear me, Yahweh, hear me, that these people may know that you, Yahweh, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again to yourself.”
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the holocaust, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
Then the fire of Yahweh fell and consumed the burnt offering, as well as the wood, the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw this, they fell on their faces, and they said: The Lord he is God, the Lord he is God.
When all the people saw this, they lay facedown on the ground and said, “Yahweh, he is God! Yahweh, he is God!”
40 And Elias said to them: Take the prophets of Baal, and let not one of them escape. And when they had taken them, Elias brought them down to the torrent Cison, and killed them there.
So Elijah said to them, “Take the prophets of Baal. Do not let one of them escape.” So they took them, and Elijah brought the prophets of Baal down to the Kishon River and killed them there.
41 And Elias said to Achab: Go up, eat, and drink: for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of much rain.”
42 Achab went up to eat and drink: and Elias went up to the top of Carmel, and casting himself down upon the earth put his face between his knees,
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Then Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees.
43 And he said to his servant: Go up, and look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said: There is nothing. And again he said to him: Return seven times.
He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” His servant went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” So Elijah said, “Go again, seven times.”
44 And at the seventh time, behold, a little cloud arose out of the sea like a man’s foot. And he said: Go up and say to Achab: Prepare thy chariot and go down, lest the rain prevent thee.
At the seventh time the servant said, “Look, there is a cloud going up from the sea, as small as a man's hand.” Elijah replied, “Go up and say to Ahab, 'Make ready your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.'”
45 And while he turned himself this way and that way, behold the heavens grew dark, with clouds, and wind, and there fell a great rain. And Achab getting up went away to Jezrahel:
It happened that in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode and went to Jezreel,
46 And the hand of the Lord was upon Elias, and he girded up his loins and ran before Achab, till he came to Jezrahel.
but the hand of Yahweh was on Elijah. He tucked his robe in his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
