1 Kings 18
1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself to Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.
So after many days the word of Yahweh came to Elijah, in the third year of the drought, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab and I will send rain on the land.”
2 And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. And there was a grievous famine in Samaria.
Elijah went to show himself to Ahab; now the famine was severe in Samaria.
3 And Ahab called Obadiah, who was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:
Ahab called Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Now Obadiah honored Yahweh very much,
4 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
for when Jezebel was killing the prophets of Yahweh, Obadiah took one hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.
5 And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go into the land, to all fountains of water, and to all brooks: perhaps we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the water springs and brooks. Perhaps we will find grass and save the horses and mules alive, so that we will not lose all the animals.”
6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
So they divided the land between them to pass through it and look for water. Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way.
7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?
As Obadiah was on the road, Elijah unexpectedly met him. Obadiah recognized him and lay facedown on the ground. He said, “Is it you, my master Elijah?”
8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
Elijah answered him, “It is I. Go tell your master, 'Look, Elijah is here.'”
9 And he said, How have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
Obadiah replied, “How have I sinned, that you would give your servant into the hand of Ahab, for him to kill me?
10 As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation nor kingdom, where my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
As Yahweh your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent men to find you. Whenever a nation or kingdom says, 'Elijah is not here,' Ahab makes them take an oath swearing that they could not find you.
11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
Yet now you say, 'Go, tell your master that Elijah is here.'
12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I have gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee where I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth.
As soon as I am gone from you, the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you some place I do not know. Then when I go and tell Ahab, and when he cannot find you, he will kill me. Yet I, your servant, have worshiped Yahweh from my youth.
13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD’S prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
Has it not been told to you, my master, what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of Yahweh, how I hid one hundred of Yahweh's prophets by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water?
14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.
Now you say to me, 'Go and tell your master that Elijah is here,' so that he will kill me.”
15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him to day.
Then Elijah responded, “As Yahweh of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to Ahab 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 what Elijah said. Then the king went to meet Elijah.
17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is it you? You are the one who brings trouble to Israel!”
18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.
Elijah answered, “I have not brought trouble to Israel, but you and your father's family are the ones who have caused trouble by abandoning the commandments of Yahweh and by following the Baals.
19 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 groves four hundred, who eat at Jezebel’s table.
Now then, send word and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table.”
20 So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to mount Carmel.
So Ahab sent word to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD is God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you keep changing your mind? If Yahweh is God, follow him. But if Baal is God, then follow him.” Yet the people did not answer him a word.
22 Then said Elijah to the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
Then Elijah said to the people, “I, I alone, am left as a prophet of Yahweh, but Baal's prophets are 450 men.
23 Let them therefore give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
So let them give us two bulls. Let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. Then I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it.
24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
Then you will call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh, and the God who answers by fire, then let him be God.” So all the people answered and said, “This is good.”
25 And Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose one bull for yourselves, and prepare it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many people. Then call on the name of your god, but put no fire under the bull.”
26 And they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared 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 upon the altar which was made.
They took the bull that was given to them and prepared it, and they called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, hear us.” But there was no voice, nor anyone who answered. They danced around the altar they had made.
27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleepeth, and must be awakened.
At noon Elijah mocked them and said, “Shout out loudly! He is a god! Perhaps he is thinking, or is relieving himself, or he is traveling on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”
28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
So they shouted more loudly, and they cut themselves, as they usually did, with swords and spears, until their blood flowed out over themselves.
29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
Midday passed, and they were still raving until the time of offering of the evening sacrifice, but there was no voice or anyone to answer; there was no one who paid any attention to their pleadings.
30 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 the LORD that was broken down.
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me,” and all the people came near to him. Then he repaired the altar of Yahweh that was lying in ruin.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
Elijah took twelve stones, each stone representing one of the tribes of the sons of Jacob—it was Jacob to whom the word of Yahweh came, saying, “Israel will be your name.”
32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
With the stones he built an altar in the name of Yahweh and he dug a trench around the altar large enough to contain two seahs of seeds.
33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
He arranged the wood for a fire, cut the bull in pieces, and laid the pieces of the bull on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.”
34 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.
Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time. Once more he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time.
35 And the water ran around the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
The water ran around the altar and filled the trench.
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
It happened at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Yahweh, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
Hear me, Yahweh, hear me, that these people may know that you, Yahweh, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again to yourself.”
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
Then the fire of Yahweh fell and consumed the burnt offering, as well as the wood, the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.
When all the people saw this, they lay facedown on the ground and said, “Yahweh, he is God! Yahweh, he is God!”
40 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 slew them there.
So Elijah said to them, “Take the prophets of Baal. Do not let one of them escape.” So they took them, and Elijah brought the prophets of Baal down to the Kishon River and killed them there.
41 And Elijah said to Ahab, Go up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of much rain.”
42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Then Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees.
43 And 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.
He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” His servant went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” So Elijah said, “Go again, seven times.”
44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say to Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and go down, that the rain may not hinder thee.
At the seventh time the servant said, “Look, there is a cloud going up from the sea, as small as a man's hand.” Elijah replied, “Go up and say to Ahab, 'Make ready your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.'”
45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
It happened that in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode and went to Jezreel,
46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
but the hand of Yahweh was on Elijah. He tucked his robe in his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
