< 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.”
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.
2 So Elijah went to appear before Ahab. In the meantime the famine had become severe in Samaria.
And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. And the famine was severe in Samaria.
3 Ahab summoned Obadiah, the manager of his palace (Obadiah was a very sincere believer in the Lord.
And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared Jehovah greatly;
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.)
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.)
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.”
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.
6 So they divided the land between them. Ahab went in one direction, and Obadiah the other.
So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
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?”
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?
8 “It's me,” Elijah replied. “Go and tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’”
And he answered him, It is I. Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
9 “How have I sinned that you are handing me, your servant, over to Ahab to be killed?
And he said, How have I sinned that thou would deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab to kill me?
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.
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.
11 And now you're telling me to go to my master and announce, ‘Elijah is here!’
And now thou say, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
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.
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.
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.
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?
14 And now you're telling me to go to my master and announce, ‘Elijah is here.’ He's going to kill me!”
And now thou say, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here, and he will kill me.
15 Elijah replied, “As the Lord Almighty lives, the one I serve, I will definitely appear before Ahab today.”
And Elijah said, As Jehovah of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
17 When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you—you who are causing trouble for Israel?”
And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, Is it thou, thou troubler of Israel?
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.
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.
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.”
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.
20 So Ahab summoned all of Israel and also gathered the prophets on Mount Carmel.
So Ahab sent to all the sons of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to mount Carmel.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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!”
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.
28 They shouted even louder and cut themselves with swords and spears until they bled. This was their usual way of worshiping.
And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, till the blood gushed out upon them.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”)
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
35 The water ran down all over the altar and even filled the ditch.
And the water ran round about the altar, and he also filled the trench with water.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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!
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.
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!”
And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. And they said, Jehovah, he is God, Jehovah, he is God.
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.
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.
41 Elijah told Ahab, “Go and eat and drink, for I hear the sound of a heavy rain coming.”
And Elijah said to Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.’”
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.
45 Very quickly the sky grew dark with clouds, the wind blew, heavy rain started falling, and Ahab rode down to Jezreel.
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.
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.
And the hand of Jehovah was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

< 1 Kings 18 >