1 Kings 18
1 For almost three years there was no rain in Samaria. Then Yahweh said this to Elijah: “Go and meet with King Ahab and [tell him that] I will soon send rain.”
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 talk to Ahab. In Samaria there was almost no food for anyone to eat.
以利亚就去，要使亚哈得见他。那时，撒马利亚有大饥荒；
3 There was a man there named Obadiah. He was in charge of the king’s palace. He greatly revered Yahweh.
亚哈将他的家宰俄巴底召了来。（俄巴底甚是敬畏耶和华，
4 One time when [Queen] Jezebel had [tried to] kill all Yahweh’s prophets, Obadiah hid 100 of them in two caves. He put 50 prophets in each cave, and he brought food and water to them.
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 [By this time, the (famine/lack of food and water) had become very severe in Samaria]. So Ahab summoned Obadiah and said to him, “We must check/look near every spring and in every valley to see if we can find enough grass to give to some of my horses and mules, so that they will not all die.”
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 both started walking throughout the land. Obadiah went in one direction by himself, and Ahab went in another direction by himself.
于是二人分地游行，亚哈独走一路，俄巴底独走一路。
7 While Obadiah was walking along, he saw Elijah coming toward him. Obadiah recognized Elijah and bowed down in front of him and said, “Is it really you, Elijah, my master?”
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 Elijah replied, “Yes. Now go and tell [Ahab, ] your master, that I am here.”
回答说：“是。你去告诉你主人说，以利亚在这里。”
9 Obadiah objected. He said, “Sir, I have not [RHQ] harmed you at all. So why are you sending me back to Ahab? He will kill me!
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 Yahweh your God [knows that I am telling the truth when] I solemnly declare that King Ahab has searched in every kingdom all over the world [HYP] to find you. Each time that some king said to him, ‘Elijah is not here,’ Ahab demanded that the king of that country solemnly swear/declare that the king was telling the truth.
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 Now you say to me, ‘Go and tell your master that Elijah is here!’
现在你说，要去告诉你主人说，以利亚在这里；
12 But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you away, and I will not know where he will take you. So when [I tell] Ahab [that you are here and he] comes to me and he does not find you here, he will kill me! But [I do not deserve to die because] I have revered Yahweh since I was a boy.
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 My master, have you not heard about what I did when Jezebel wanted to kill all of Yahweh’s prophets? I hid 100 of them in two caves and took food and water to them.
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 Now, sir, you say, ‘Go and tell your master that Elijah is here.’ But if I do that, [and he comes and you are not here, ] he will 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 But Elijah replied, “Yahweh, the Almighty One whom I serve [IDM], knows that [I am telling the truth as] I solemnly declare that I will go to meet with 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 tell Ahab that Elijah had come. Ahab went to meet with him.
于是俄巴底去迎着亚哈，告诉他；亚哈就去迎着以利亚。
17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, the one who causes trouble for [the people of] Israel?”
亚哈见了以利亚，便说：“使以色列遭灾的就是你吗？”
18 Elijah replied, “It is not I who have caused trouble for the people of Israel! You and your family are the ones who have caused trouble! You have refused to obey Yahweh’s commands, and you have worshiped the idols of Baal instead.
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 So now, command all the Israeli people to come to Carmel Mountain, and [be sure to] bring all the 450 prophets who worship Baal and the 400 prophets who worship [the goddess] Asherah, the ones to whom [your wife] Jezebel brings food and water.”
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 his prophets and all the other [Israeli] people to the top of Carmel Mountain, [and Elijah went up there too.]
亚哈就差遣人招聚以色列众人和先知都上迦密山。
21 Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How long [RHQ] are you going to be undecided [about who is truly God]? If Yahweh is [truly] God, then worship/serve him. If Baal is truly God, then worship/serve him!” But the people said nothing [in reply, because they were afraid of what Jezebel would do to them if they admitted that they worshiped Yahweh].
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 said to them, “I am the only true prophet of Yahweh who is left, but Baal has 450 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 Bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose the one that they want. They must [kill it and] cut it into pieces and lay the pieces on the wood that is on the altar that they have made. But they must not light a fire [under the wood]. [I will kill the other bull and cut it in pieces and lay the pieces on the altar that I make].
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 they must call to their god [MTY], and I will call to Yahweh. The god who answers by lighting a fire [to the wood that is on that altar] is [the true] God!” Then all the people thought that Elijah’s suggestion was good.
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 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You call to Baal first, because there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls and prepare it, and then call to your god. But do not light a fire under the wood!”
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 killed one of the bulls and cut it up and placed the pieces on the altar. Then they called out to Baal all morning. They shouted, “Baal, answer us!” But no one answered. There was no reply at all [DOU]. Then they danced wildly around the altar that 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 About noontime, Elijah started to make fun of them. He said, “[Surely] Baal is a god, so it seems that you must shout louder! Perhaps he is thinking about something, or perhaps he has gone to the toilet. Or perhaps he is traveling somewhere, or perhaps he is asleep and you need to wake him 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 So they shouted louder. Then, doing one of the things that they frequently did [when they worshiped Baal], they slashed/cut themselves with knives and swords until a lot of blood flowed.
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 They continued calling out to Baal all afternoon. But there was no reply, no answer, no god who paid attention.
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 called to the people saying, “Come closer!” So they all crowded around him. Then Elijah repaired the altar of Yahweh that had previously been (ruined/torn down) [by the prophets of Baal].
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 Then he took twelve [large] stones, each one to represent one of the Israeli tribes. The names of those tribes were given to them by their ancestor Jacob.
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 these stones he rebuilt Yahweh’s altar. Then around the altar he dug a little ditch that was large enough to hold about (three gallons/12 liters) of water.
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 piled wood on top of the stones. He killed the bull and cut it in pieces. Then he laid the pieces on top of the wood. Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water on top of the pieces of meat and the wood.” So they did that.
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 Then he said, “Do the same thing again!” So they did it again. Then he said “Do it a third time!” So they did it again.
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 As a result, the water flowed down below the altar and filled the ditches.
水流在坛的四围，沟里也满了水。
36 When it was time to offer the evening sacrifices, Elijah walked close [to the altar] and prayed. He said, “Yahweh, you who are the God that [our ancestors] Abraham and Isaac and Jacob [worshiped], prove today that you are the God whom the Israeli people [should worship], and prove that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all these things because you told me to do them.
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 Yahweh, answer me! Answer me in order that these people will know that you, Yahweh God, [have the power to do what you say that you will do], and that you have caused them to trust in [IDM] you again!”
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 Immediately a fire from Yahweh flashed down from the sky. The fire burned up the pieces of meat, the wood, the stones, and the dirt [that was around the altar]. It even dried up all 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 the people saw that, they prostrated themselves on the ground and shouted, “Yahweh is God! Yahweh 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 commanded them, “Seize all the prophets of Baal! Do not allow any of them to escape!” So the people seized all the prophets of Baal, and took them down the mountain to the Kishon Valley, and Elijah killed them all 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 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go and get something to eat and drink. [But do it quickly, because] it is soon going to rain very hard!”
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 [and his men] left to prepare a big meal. But Elijah went back up to the top of Carmel Mountain and prayed.
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 Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea, [to see if there are any rain clouds.]” So his servant went and looked, [and came back] and said, “I do not see anything.” This happened six times.
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 But when the servant went the seventh time, he came back and said, “I saw a very small cloud above the sea. [As I extend my arm, ] the cloud is about the size of my hand/fist.” Then Elijah shouted to him, “Go and tell King Ahab to get his chariot ready and go home immediately! If he does not do that, the rain will stop him!”
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 soon the sky was full of black clouds. There was a strong wind, and then it began to rain very hard. Ahab got into his chariot and started to return to Jezreel [city].
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 Yahweh gave extra strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt [in order to run fast], and he ran ahead of Ahab’s [chariot] all the way [17 miles/26 km.] 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。
