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.”
καὶ ἐγένετο μεθ’ ἡμέρας πολλὰς καὶ ῥῆμα κυρίου ἐγένετο πρὸς Ηλιου ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ τῷ τρίτῳ λέγων πορεύθητι καὶ ὄφθητι τῷ Αχααβ καὶ δώσω ὑετὸν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς
2 So Elijah went to talk to Ahab. In Samaria there was almost no food for anyone to eat.
καὶ ἐπορεύθη Ηλιου τοῦ ὀφθῆναι τῷ Αχααβ καὶ ἡ λιμὸς κραταιὰ ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ
3 There was a man there named Obadiah. He was in charge of the king’s palace. He greatly revered Yahweh.
καὶ ἐκάλεσεν Αχααβ τὸν Αβδιου τὸν οἰκονόμον καὶ Αβδιου ἦν φοβούμενος τὸν κύριον σφόδρα
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.
καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ τύπτειν τὴν Ιεζαβελ τοὺς προφήτας κυρίου καὶ ἔλαβεν Αβδιου ἑκατὸν ἄνδρας προφήτας καὶ ἔκρυψεν αὐτοὺς κατὰ πεντήκοντα ἐν σπηλαίῳ καὶ διέτρεφεν αὐτοὺς ἐν ἄρτῳ καὶ ὕδατι
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.”
καὶ εἶπεν Αχααβ πρὸς Αβδιου δεῦρο καὶ διέλθωμεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐπὶ πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων καὶ ἐπὶ χειμάρρους ἐάν πως εὕρωμεν βοτάνην καὶ περιποιησώμεθα ἵππους καὶ ἡμιόνους καὶ οὐκ ἐξολοθρευθήσονται ἀπὸ τῶν κτηνῶν
6 So they both started walking throughout the land. Obadiah went in one direction by himself, and Ahab went in another direction by himself.
καὶ ἐμέρισαν ἑαυτοῖς τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ διελθεῖν αὐτήν Αχααβ ἐπορεύθη ἐν ὁδῷ μιᾷ μόνος καὶ Αβδιου ἐπορεύθη ἐν ὁδῷ ἄλλῃ μόνος
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?”
καὶ ἦν Αβδιου ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ μόνος καὶ ἦλθεν Ηλιου εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτοῦ μόνος καὶ Αβδιου ἔσπευσεν καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν εἰ σὺ εἶ αὐτός κύριέ μου Ηλιου
8 Elijah replied, “Yes. Now go and tell [Ahab, ] your master, that I am here.”
καὶ εἶπεν Ηλιου αὐτῷ ἐγώ πορεύου λέγε τῷ κυρίῳ σου ἰδοὺ Ηλιου
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!
καὶ εἶπεν Αβδιου τί ἡμάρτηκα ὅτι δίδως τὸν δοῦλόν σου εἰς χεῖρα Αχααβ τοῦ θανατῶσαί με
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.
ζῇ κύριος ὁ θεός σου εἰ ἔστιν ἔθνος ἢ βασιλεία οὗ οὐκ ἀπέσταλκεν ὁ κύριός μου ζητεῖν σε καὶ εἶπον οὐκ ἔστιν καὶ ἐνέπρησεν τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ τὰς χώρας αὐτῆς ὅτι οὐχ εὕρηκέν σε
11 Now you say to me, ‘Go and tell your master that Elijah is here!’
καὶ νῦν σὺ λέγεις πορεύου ἀνάγγελλε τῷ κυρίῳ σου ἰδοὺ Ηλιου
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.
καὶ ἔσται ἐὰν ἐγὼ ἀπέλθω ἀπὸ σοῦ καὶ πνεῦμα κυρίου ἀρεῖ σε εἰς γῆν ἣν οὐκ οἶδα καὶ εἰσελεύσομαι ἀπαγγεῖλαι τῷ Αχααβ καὶ ἀποκτενεῖ με καὶ ὁ δοῦλός σού ἐστιν φοβούμενος τὸν κύριον ἐκ νεότητος αὐτοῦ
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.
ἦ οὐκ ἀπηγγέλη σοι τῷ κυρίῳ μου οἷα πεποίηκα ἐν τῷ ἀποκτείνειν Ιεζαβελ τοὺς προφήτας κυρίου καὶ ἔκρυψα ἀπὸ τῶν προφητῶν κυρίου ἑκατὸν ἄνδρας ἀνὰ πεντήκοντα ἐν σπηλαίῳ καὶ ἔθρεψα ἐν ἄρτοις καὶ ὕδατι
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!”
καὶ νῦν σὺ λέγεις μοι πορεύου λέγε τῷ κυρίῳ σου ἰδοὺ Ηλιου καὶ ἀποκτενεῖ με
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.”
καὶ εἶπεν Ηλιου ζῇ κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων ᾧ παρέστην ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ὅτι σήμερον ὀφθήσομαι αὐτῷ
16 So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come. Ahab went to meet with him.
καὶ ἐπορεύθη Αβδιου εἰς συναντὴν τῷ Αχααβ καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐξέδραμεν Αχααβ καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς συνάντησιν Ηλιου
17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, the one who causes trouble for [the people of] Israel?”
καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς εἶδεν Αχααβ τὸν Ηλιου καὶ εἶπεν Αχααβ πρὸς Ηλιου εἰ σὺ εἶ αὐτὸς ὁ διαστρέφων τὸν Ισραηλ
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.
καὶ εἶπεν Ηλιου οὐ διαστρέφω τὸν Ισραηλ ὅτι ἀλλ’ ἢ σὺ καὶ ὁ οἶκος τοῦ πατρός σου ἐν τῷ καταλιμπάνειν ὑμᾶς τὸν κύριον θεὸν ὑμῶν καὶ ἐπορεύθης ὀπίσω τῶν Βααλιμ
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.”
καὶ νῦν ἀπόστειλον συνάθροισον πρός με πάντα Ισραηλ εἰς ὄρος τὸ Καρμήλιον καὶ τοὺς προφήτας τῆς αἰσχύνης τετρακοσίους καὶ πεντήκοντα καὶ τοὺς προφήτας τῶν ἀλσῶν τετρακοσίους ἐσθίοντας τράπεζαν Ιεζαβελ
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.]
καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Αχααβ εἰς πάντα Ισραηλ καὶ ἐπισυνήγαγεν πάντας τοὺς προφήτας εἰς ὄρος τὸ Καρμήλιον
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].
καὶ προσήγαγεν Ηλιου πρὸς πάντας καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Ηλιου ἕως πότε ὑμεῖς χωλανεῖτε ἐπ’ ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς ἰγνύαις εἰ ἔστιν κύριος ὁ θεός πορεύεσθε ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ εἰ δὲ ὁ Βααλ αὐτός πορεύεσθε ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ λαὸς λόγον
22 Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only true prophet of Yahweh who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets.
καὶ εἶπεν Ηλιου πρὸς τὸν λαόν ἐγὼ ὑπολέλειμμαι προφήτης τοῦ κυρίου μονώτατος καὶ οἱ προφῆται τοῦ Βααλ τετρακόσιοι καὶ πεντήκοντα ἄνδρες καὶ οἱ προφῆται τοῦ ἄλσους τετρακόσιοι
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].
δότωσαν ἡμῖν δύο βόας καὶ ἐκλεξάσθωσαν ἑαυτοῖς τὸν ἕνα καὶ μελισάτωσαν καὶ ἐπιθέτωσαν ἐπὶ τῶν ξύλων καὶ πῦρ μὴ ἐπιθέτωσαν καὶ ἐγὼ ποιήσω τὸν βοῦν τὸν ἄλλον καὶ πῦρ οὐ μὴ ἐπιθῶ
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.
καὶ βοᾶτε ἐν ὀνόματι θεῶν ὑμῶν καὶ ἐγὼ ἐπικαλέσομαι ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ μου καὶ ἔσται ὁ θεός ὃς ἐὰν ἐπακούσῃ ἐν πυρί οὗτος θεός καὶ ἀπεκρίθησαν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς καὶ εἶπον καλὸν τὸ ῥῆμα ὃ ἐλάλησας
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!”
καὶ εἶπεν Ηλιου τοῖς προφήταις τῆς αἰσχύνης ἐκλέξασθε ἑαυτοῖς τὸν μόσχον τὸν ἕνα καὶ ποιήσατε πρῶτοι ὅτι πολλοὶ ὑμεῖς καὶ ἐπικαλέσασθε ἐν ὀνόματι θεοῦ ὑμῶν καὶ πῦρ μὴ ἐπιθῆτε
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.
καὶ ἔλαβον τὸν μόσχον καὶ ἐποίησαν καὶ ἐπεκαλοῦντο ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ Βααλ ἐκ πρωίθεν ἕως μεσημβρίας καὶ εἶπον ἐπάκουσον ἡμῶν ὁ Βααλ ἐπάκουσον ἡμῶν καὶ οὐκ ἦν φωνὴ καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἀκρόασις καὶ διέτρεχον ἐπὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου οὗ ἐποίησαν
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!”
καὶ ἐγένετο μεσημβρίᾳ καὶ ἐμυκτήρισεν αὐτοὺς Ηλιου ὁ Θεσβίτης καὶ εἶπεν ἐπικαλεῖσθε ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ ὅτι θεός ἐστιν ὅτι ἀδολεσχία αὐτῷ ἐστιν καὶ ἅμα μήποτε χρηματίζει αὐτός ἢ μήποτε καθεύδει αὐτός καὶ ἐξαναστήσεται
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.
καὶ ἐπεκαλοῦντο ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ καὶ κατετέμνοντο κατὰ τὸν ἐθισμὸν αὐτῶν ἐν μαχαίραις καὶ σειρομάσταις ἕως ἐκχύσεως αἵματος ἐπ’ αὐτούς
29 They continued calling out to Baal all afternoon. But there was no reply, no answer, no god who paid attention.
καὶ ἐπροφήτευον ἕως οὗ παρῆλθεν τὸ δειλινόν καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ὁ καιρὸς τοῦ ἀναβῆναι τὴν θυσίαν καὶ οὐκ ἦν φωνή καὶ ἐλάλησεν Ηλιου ὁ Θεσβίτης πρὸς τοὺς προφήτας τῶν προσοχθισμάτων λέγων μετάστητε ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν καὶ ἐγὼ ποιήσω τὸ ὁλοκαύτωμά μου καὶ μετέστησαν καὶ ἀπῆλθον
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].
καὶ εἶπεν Ηλιου πρὸς τὸν λαόν προσαγάγετε πρός με καὶ προσήγαγεν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς πρὸς αὐτόν
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.
καὶ ἔλαβεν Ηλιου δώδεκα λίθους κατ’ ἀριθμὸν φυλῶν τοῦ Ισραηλ ὡς ἐλάλησεν κύριος πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγων Ισραηλ ἔσται τὸ ὄνομά σου
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.
καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν τοὺς λίθους ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου καὶ ἰάσατο τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ κατεσκαμμένον καὶ ἐποίησεν θααλα χωροῦσαν δύο μετρητὰς σπέρματος κυκλόθεν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου
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.
καὶ ἐστοίβασεν τὰς σχίδακας ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον ὃ ἐποίησεν καὶ ἐμέλισεν τὸ ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ ἐπέθηκεν ἐπὶ τὰς σχίδακας καὶ ἐστοίβασεν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον
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.
καὶ εἶπεν λάβετέ μοι τέσσαρας ὑδρίας ὕδατος καὶ ἐπιχέετε ἐπὶ τὸ ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς σχίδακας καὶ ἐποίησαν οὕτως καὶ εἶπεν δευτερώσατε καὶ ἐδευτέρωσαν καὶ εἶπεν τρισσώσατε καὶ ἐτρίσσευσαν
35 As a result, the water flowed down below the altar and filled the ditches.
καὶ διεπορεύετο τὸ ὕδωρ κύκλῳ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου καὶ τὴν θααλα ἔπλησαν ὕδατος
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.
καὶ ἀνεβόησεν Ηλιου εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ εἶπεν κύριε ὁ θεὸς Αβρααμ καὶ Ισαακ καὶ Ισραηλ ἐπάκουσόν μου κύριε ἐπάκουσόν μου σήμερον ἐν πυρί καὶ γνώτωσαν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς οὗτος ὅτι σὺ εἶ κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ κἀγὼ δοῦλός σου καὶ διὰ σὲ πεποίηκα τὰ ἔργα ταῦτα
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!”
ἐπάκουσόν μου κύριε ἐπάκουσόν μου ἐν πυρί καὶ γνώτω ὁ λαὸς οὗτος ὅτι σὺ εἶ κύριος ὁ θεὸς καὶ σὺ ἔστρεψας τὴν καρδίαν τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου ὀπίσω
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!
καὶ ἔπεσεν πῦρ παρὰ κυρίου ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ κατέφαγεν τὸ ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ τὰς σχίδακας καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ἐν τῇ θααλα καὶ τοὺς λίθους καὶ τὸν χοῦν ἐξέλιξεν τὸ πῦρ
39 When the people saw that, they prostrated themselves on the ground and shouted, “Yahweh is God! Yahweh is God!”
καὶ ἔπεσεν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν καὶ εἶπον ἀληθῶς κύριός ἐστιν ὁ θεός αὐτὸς ὁ θεός
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.
καὶ εἶπεν Ηλιου πρὸς τὸν λαόν συλλάβετε τοὺς προφήτας τοῦ Βααλ μηθεὶς σωθήτω ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ συνέλαβον αὐτούς καὶ κατάγει αὐτοὺς Ηλιου εἰς τὸν χειμάρρουν Κισων καὶ ἔσφαξεν αὐτοὺς ἐκεῖ
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!”
καὶ εἶπεν Ηλιου τῷ Αχααβ ἀνάβηθι καὶ φάγε καὶ πίε ὅτι φωνὴ τῶν ποδῶν τοῦ ὑετοῦ
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.
καὶ ἀνέβη Αχααβ τοῦ φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν καὶ Ηλιου ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὸν Κάρμηλον καὶ ἔκυψεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ ἔθηκεν τὸ πρόσωπον ἑαυτοῦ ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν γονάτων ἑαυτοῦ
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.
καὶ εἶπεν τῷ παιδαρίῳ αὑτοῦ ἀνάβηθι καὶ ἐπίβλεψον ὁδὸν τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ ἐπέβλεψεν τὸ παιδάριον καὶ εἶπεν οὐκ ἔστιν οὐθέν καὶ εἶπεν Ηλιου καὶ σὺ ἐπίστρεψον ἑπτάκι καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν τὸ παιδάριον ἑπτάκι
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!”
καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἑβδόμῳ καὶ ἰδοὺ νεφέλη μικρὰ ὡς ἴχνος ἀνδρὸς ἀνάγουσα ὕδωρ καὶ εἶπεν ἀνάβηθι καὶ εἰπὸν τῷ Αχααβ ζεῦξον τὸ ἅρμα σου καὶ κατάβηθι μὴ καταλάβῃ σε ὁ ὑετός
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].
καὶ ἐγένετο ἕως ὧδε καὶ ὧδε καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς συνεσκότασεν νεφέλαις καὶ πνεύματι καὶ ἐγένετο ὑετὸς μέγας καὶ ἔκλαιεν καὶ ἐπορεύετο Αχααβ εἰς Ιεζραελ
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.
καὶ χεὶρ κυρίου ἐπὶ τὸν Ηλιου καὶ συνέσφιγξεν τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔτρεχεν ἔμπροσθεν Αχααβ ἕως Ιεζραελ
