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.”
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 appear before Ahab. In the meantime the famine had become 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 Ahab summoned Obadiah, the manager of his palace (Obadiah was a very sincere believer in 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 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 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.”
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 between them. Ahab went in one direction, and Obadiah the other.
於是二人分地遊行，亞哈獨走一路，俄巴底獨走一路。
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's me,” Elijah replied. “Go and 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 “How have I sinned that you are handing me, your servant, over to Ahab to be killed?
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 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're telling me to go to my master and announce, ‘Elijah is here!’
現在你說，要去告訴你主人說，以利亞在這裏；
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 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're telling me to go to my master and announce, ‘Elijah is here.’ He's going to 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 Elijah replied, “As the Lord Almighty lives, the one I serve, I will definitely appear before 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 meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab 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—you who are causing trouble for Israel?”
亞哈見了以利亞，便說：「使以色列遭災的就是你嗎？」
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 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.”
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 of Israel and also gathered 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 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 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 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.
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 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 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 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 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 They shouted even louder and cut themselves with swords and spears until they bled. This was their usual way of worshiping.
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 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.
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 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 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 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 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 “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 The water ran down all over the altar and even filled the ditch.
水流在壇的四圍，溝裏也滿了水。
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, 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 came down and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the soil—it even licked up the water in the ditch!
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 face down on the ground and shouted, “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, “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 Elijah told Ahab, “Go and eat and drink, for I hear the sound of a heavy rain coming.”
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 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.
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 told his servant. The man went and looked. “There's nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah told him, “Go and look again.”
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 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 Very quickly the sky grew dark with clouds, the wind blew, heavy rain started falling, and Ahab rode down 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 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。
