1 Kings 18
1 Sometime later, during the third year, a message from the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and appear before Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.”
过了许久，到第三年，耶和华的话临到以利亚说：“你去，使亚哈得见你；我要降雨在地上。”
2 So Elijah went to appear before Ahab. In the meantime the famine had become severe in Samaria.
以利亚就去，要使亚哈得见他。那时，撒马利亚有大饥荒；
3 Ahab summoned Obadiah, the manager of his palace (Obadiah was a very sincere believer in the Lord.
亚哈将他的家宰俄巴底召了来。（俄巴底甚是敬畏耶和华，
4 While Jezebel was busy killing the Lord's prophets, Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty in each of two caves, and had provided them with food and water.)
耶洗别杀耶和华众先知的时候，俄巴底将一百个先知藏了，每五十人藏在一个洞里，拿饼和水供养他们。）
5 Ahab told Obadiah, “Go throughout the country and check all the springs and valleys. Perhaps we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not lose any of the animals.”
亚哈对俄巴底说：“我们走遍这地，到一切水泉旁和一切溪边，或者找得着青草，可以救活骡马，免得绝了牲畜。”
6 So they divided the land between them. Ahab went in one direction, and Obadiah the other.
于是二人分地游行，亚哈独走一路，俄巴底独走一路。
7 As Obadiah went on his way, Elijah came to meet him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”
俄巴底在路上恰与以利亚相遇，俄巴底认出他来，就俯伏在地，说：“你是我主以利亚不是？”
8 “It's me,” Elijah replied. “Go and tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’”
回答说：“是。你去告诉你主人说，以利亚在这里。”
9 “How have I sinned that you are handing me, your servant, over to Ahab to be killed?
俄巴底说：“仆人有什么罪，你竟要将我交在亚哈手里，使他杀我呢？
10 As the Lord your God lives, there's no nation or kingdom where my master hasn't sent someone to search for you. When a nation or kingdom said you weren't there, he made them swear that they couldn't find you.
我指着永生耶和华—你的 神起誓，无论哪一邦哪一国，我主都打发人去找你。若说你没有在那里，就必使那邦那国的人起誓说，实在是找不着你。
11 And now you're telling me to go to my master and announce, ‘Elijah is here!’
现在你说，要去告诉你主人说，以利亚在这里；
12 I have no idea where the Spirit of the Lord will take you after I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and then he can't find you, he's going to kill me, even though I, your servant, have worshiped the Lord since I was young.
恐怕我一离开你，耶和华的灵就提你到我所不知道的地方去。这样，我去告诉亚哈，他若找不着你，就必杀我；仆人却是自幼敬畏耶和华的。
13 Didn't you hear, my lord, what I did when Jezebel was busy killing the Lord's prophets? I hid a hundred of the Lord's prophets, fifty in each of two caves, and provided them with food and water.
耶洗别杀耶和华众先知的时候，我将耶和华的一百个先知藏了，每五十人藏在一个洞里，拿饼和水供养他们，岂没有人将这事告诉我主吗？
14 And now you're telling me to go to my master and announce, ‘Elijah is here.’ He's going to kill me!”
现在你说，要去告诉你主人说，以利亚在这里，他必杀我。”
15 Elijah replied, “As the Lord Almighty lives, the one I serve, I will definitely appear before Ahab today.”
以利亚说：“我指着所事奉永生的万军之耶和华起誓，我今日必使亚哈得见我。”
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
于是俄巴底去迎着亚哈，告诉他；亚哈就去迎着以利亚。
17 When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you—you who are causing trouble for Israel?”
亚哈见了以利亚，便说：“使以色列遭灾的就是你吗？”
18 “I'm not causing trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “It's you and your father's family! You have rejected the Lord's commands and are worshiping the Baals.
以利亚说：“使以色列遭灾的不是我，乃是你和你父家；因为你们离弃耶和华的诫命，去随从巴力。
19 Now call together all of Israel and meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who are supported by Jezebel.”
现在你当差遣人，招聚以色列众人和事奉巴力的那四百五十个先知，并耶洗别所供养事奉亚舍拉的那四百个先知，使他们都上迦密山去见我。”
20 So Ahab summoned all of Israel and also gathered the prophets on Mount Carmel.
亚哈就差遣人招聚以色列众人和先知都上迦密山。
21 Elijah approached the people and asked them, “How long will you hobble along, hesitating between two opposite beliefs? If the Lord is God, then follow him. But if Baal is God, then follow him.” But the people gave o answer.
以利亚前来对众民说：“你们心持两意要到几时呢？若耶和华是 神，就当顺从耶和华；若巴力是 神，就当顺从巴力。”众民一言不答。
22 Then Elijah told them, “I am the only one left of the Lord's prophets—just me alone—but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.
以利亚对众民说：“作耶和华先知的只剩下我一个人；巴力的先知却有四百五十个人。
23 Provide us with two bulls. Let the prophets of Baal choose for themselves the one they want, and have them cut it into pieces and place it on the firewood. But don't set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the firewood but I won't set fire to it.
当给我们两只牛犊，巴力的先知可以挑选一只，切成块子，放在柴上，不要点火；我也预备一只牛犊放在柴上，也不点火。
24 Then you call on your god by name, and I will call on the Lord by name. The god who replies by sending fire—he is God.” Then all the people said, “We agree to what you say.”
你们求告你们神的名，我也求告耶和华的名。那降火显应的神，就是 神。”众民回答说：“这话甚好。”
25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, because there are so many of you. Call on your god by name, but don't light the fire.”
以利亚对巴力的先知说：“你们既是人多，当先挑选一只牛犊，预备好了，就求告你们神的名，却不要点火。”
26 So they took the bull provided and prepared it. Then they called on Baal by name from morning until noon. “Baal, answer us!” they pleaded. But no voice was heard, no one answered. They hobbled in a dance around the altar they had made.
他们将所得的牛犊预备好了，从早晨到午间，求告巴力的名说：“巴力啊，求你应允我们！”却没有声音，没有应允的。他们在所筑的坛四围踊跳。
27 At noon Elijah began to mock them. “Shout really loud!” he said. “Isn't he meant to be a god? Maybe he's meditating, or he's gone to the bathroom, or he's away on a trip! Maybe he's asleep and has to be woken up!”
到了正午，以利亚嬉笑他们，说：“大声求告吧！因为他是神，他或默想，或走到一边，或行路，或睡觉，你们当叫醒他。”
28 They shouted even louder and cut themselves with swords and spears until they bled. This was their usual way of worshiping.
他们大声求告，按着他们的规矩，用刀枪自割、自刺，直到身体流血。
29 Noon came and went, and they went on with their manic “prophesying” until the time of the evening sacrifice. But no voice was heard, no one answered, no one was listening.
从午后直到献晚祭的时候，他们狂呼乱叫，却没有声音，没有应允的，也没有理会的。
30 Then Elijah told everyone, “Come over here to me.” They went over to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down.
以利亚对众民说：“你们到我这里来。”众民就到他那里。他便重修已经毁坏耶和华的坛。
31 Elijah took twelve stones to represent the tribes of the sons of Jacob. (Jacob was the one who received the Lord's message that said, “Israel shall be your name.”)
以利亚照雅各子孙支派的数目，取了十二块石头（耶和华的话曾临到雅各说：“你的名要叫以色列”），
32 With the stones he built an altar in the Lord's name. He dug a ditch around it that could hold two seahs of seed.
用这些石头为耶和华的名筑一座坛，在坛的四围挖沟，可容谷种二细亚，
33 He put the wood in place, cut the bull into pieces, and laid it on the wood. Then he told them, “Fill up four large jars with water and pour it over the offering and the wood.”
又在坛上摆好了柴，把牛犊切成块子放在柴上，对众人说：“你们用四个桶盛满水，倒在燔祭和柴上”；
34 “Do it again,” he said. So they did. “Do it for a third time,” he said. So they did it for the third time.
又说：“倒第二次。”他们就倒第二次；又说：“倒第三次。”他们就倒第三次。
35 The water ran down all over the altar and even filled the ditch.
水流在坛的四围，沟里也满了水。
36 At the time of the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah went over to the altar and prayed: “Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, demonstrate today that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that everything I have done has been at your command.
到了献晚祭的时候，先知以利亚近前来，说：“亚伯拉罕、以撒、以色列的 神，耶和华啊，求你今日使人知道你是以色列的 神，也知道我是你的仆人，又是奉你的命行这一切事。
37 Answer me, Lord! Answer me, so that these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are bringing them back to you.”
耶和华啊，求你应允我，应允我！使这民知道你—耶和华是 神，又知道是你叫这民的心回转。”
38 Then the fire of the Lord came down and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the soil—it even licked up the water in the ditch!
于是，耶和华降下火来，烧尽燔祭、木柴、石头、尘土，又烧干沟里的水。
39 When all the people saw this, they fell face down on the ground and shouted, “The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God!”
众民看见了，就俯伏在地，说：“耶和华是 神！耶和华是 神！”
40 Then Elijah ordered them, “Grab hold of the prophets of Baal. Don't let any escape!” They grabbed them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there.
以利亚对他们说：“拿住巴力的先知，不容一人逃脱！”众人就拿住他们。以利亚带他们到基顺河边，在那里杀了他们。
41 Elijah told Ahab, “Go and eat and drink, for I hear the sound of a heavy rain coming.”
以利亚对亚哈说：“你现在可以上去吃喝，因为有多雨的响声了。”
42 So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went to the top of Carmel. There he bent down to the ground, putting his face between his knees.
亚哈就上去吃喝。以利亚上了迦密山顶，屈身在地，将脸伏在两膝之中；
43 “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. The man went and looked. “There's nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah told him, “Go and look again.”
对仆人说：“你上去，向海观看。”仆人就上去观看，说：“没有什么。”他说：“你再去观看。”如此七次。
44 The seventh time the servant came back and said, “I saw a small cloud the size of a man's hand coming up from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Run to Ahab and tell him, ‘Get your chariot ready and go down before the rain stops you.’”
第七次仆人说：“我看见有一小片云从海里上来，不过如人手那样大。”以利亚说：“你上去告诉亚哈，当套车下去，免得被雨阻挡。”
45 Very quickly the sky grew dark with clouds, the wind blew, heavy rain started falling, and Ahab rode down to Jezreel.
霎时间，天因风云黑暗，降下大雨。亚哈就坐车往耶斯列去了。
46 The Lord gave his power to Elijah—he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
耶和华的灵降在以利亚身上，他就束上腰，奔在亚哈前头，直到耶斯列的城门。
