1 Kings 18
1 After many days, the LORD’s word came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.”
After many days the word of the Lord came to Elias, in the third year, saying: Go and shew thyself to Achab, that I may give rain upon the face of the earth.
2 Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria.
And Elias went to shew himself to Achab, and there was a grievous famine in Samaria.
3 Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly;
And Achab called Abdias the governor of his house: now Abdias feared the Lord very much.
4 for when Jezebel cut off the LORD’s prophets, Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
For when Jezabel killed the prophets of the Lord, he took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifty and fifty in caves, and fed them with bread and water.
5 Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land, to all the springs 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 animals.”
And Achab said to Abdias: Go into the land unto all fountains of waters, and into all valleys, to see if we can find grass, and save the horses and mules, that the beasts may not utterly perish.
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.
And they divided the countries between them, that they might go round about them: Achab went one way, and Abdias another way by himself.
7 As Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. He recognised him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”
And as Abdias was in the way, Elias met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said: Art thou my lord Elias?
8 He answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here!’”
And he answered: I am. Go, and tell thy master: Elias is here.
9 He said, “How have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?
And he said: What have I sinned, that thou wouldst deliver me thy servant into the hand of Achab, that he should kill me?
10 As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he took an oath of the kingdom and nation that they didn’t find you.
As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when all answered: He is not here: he took an oath of every kingdom and nation, because thou wast not found.
11 Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here.”’
And now thou sayest to me: Go, and tell thy master: Elias is here.
12 It will happen, as soon as I leave you, that the LORD’s Spirit will carry you I don’t know where; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he can’t find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth.
And when I am gone from thee, the spirit of the Lord will carry thee into a place that I know not: and I shall go in and tell Achab, and he not finding thee, will kill me: but thy servant feareth the Lord from his infancy.
13 Wasn’t it told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the LORD’s prophets, how I hid one hundred men of the LORD’s prophets with fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
Hath it not been told thee, my lord, what I did when Jezabel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred men of the prophets of the Lord, by fifty and fifty in caves, and fed them with bread and water?
14 Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here”.’ He will kill me.”
And now thou sayest: Go, and tell thy master: Elias is here: that he may kill me.
15 Elijah said, “As the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”
And Elias said: As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whose face I stand, this day I will shew myself unto him.
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
Abdias therefore went to meet Achab, and told him: and Achab came to meet Elias.
17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”
And when he had seen him, he said: Art thou he that troublest Israel?
18 He answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken the LORD’s commandments and you have followed the Baals.
And he said: I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father’s house, who have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and have followed Baalim.
19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and four hundred and fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
Nevertheless send now, and gather unto me all Israel, unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, who eat at Jezabel’s table.
20 So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel.
Achab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered together the prophets unto mount Carmel.
21 Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you waver between the two sides? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people didn’t say a word.
And Elias coming to all the people, said: How long do you halt between two sides? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.
22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left as a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
And Elias said again to the people: I only remain a prophet of the Lord: but the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty 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 the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it.
Let two bullocks be given us, and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces and lay it upon wood, but put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under it.
24 You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the LORD’s name. The God who answers by fire, let him be God.” All the people answered, “What you say is good.”
Call ye on the names of your gods, and I will call on the name of my Lord: and the God that shall answer by fire, let him be God. And all the people answering said: A very good proposal.
25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”
Then Elias said to the prophets of Baal: Choose you one bullock and dress it first, because you are many: and call on the names of your gods, but put no fire under.
26 They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, “Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice, and nobody answered. They leapt about the altar which was made.
And they took the bullock which he gave them, and dressed it: and they called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying: O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered: and they leaped over the altar that they had made.
27 At noon, Elijah mocked them, and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is deep in thought, or he has gone somewhere, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened.”
And when it was now noon, Elias jested at them, saying: Cry with a louder voice: for he is a God, and perhaps he is talking, or is in an inn, or on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep, and must be awaked.
28 They cried aloud, and cut themselves in their way with knives and lances until the blood gushed out on them.
So they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till they were all covered with blood.
29 When midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the evening offering; but there was no voice, no answer, and nobody paid attention.
And after midday was past, and while they were prophesying, the time was come of offering sacrifice, and there was no voice heard, nor did any one answer, nor regard them as they prayed:
30 Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me!”; and all the people came near to him. He repaired the LORD’s altar that had been thrown down.
Elias said to all the people: Come ye unto me. And the people coming near unto him, he repaired the altar of the Lord, that was broken down:
31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the LORD’s word came, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”
And he 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.
32 With the stones he built an altar in the LORD’s name. He made a trench around the altar large enough to contain two seahs of seed.
And he built with the stones an altar to the name of the Lord: and he made a trench for water, of the breadth of two furrows round about the altar.
33 He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.”
And he laid the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it upon the wood.
34 He said, “Do it a second time;” and they did it the second time. He said, “Do it a third time;” and they did it the third time.
And he said: Fill four buckets with water, and pour it upon the burnt offering, and upon the wood. And again he said: Do the same the second time. And when they had done it the second time, he said: Do the same also the third time. And they did so the third time.
35 The water ran around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
And the water run round about the altar, and the trench was filled with water.
36 At the time of the evening offering, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
And when it was now time to offer the holocaust, Elias the prophet came near and said: O Lord God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, shew this day that thou art the God of Israel, and I thy servant, and that according to thy commandment I have done all these things.
37 Hear me, LORD, hear me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again.”
Hear me, O Lord, hear me: that this people may learn, that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart again.
38 Then the LORD’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust; and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the holocaust, 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 it, they fell on their faces. They said, “The LORD, he is God! The LORD, he is God!”
And when all the people saw this, they fell on their faces, and they said: The Lord he is God, the Lord he is God.
40 Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Don’t let one of them escape!” They seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.
And Elias said to them: Take the prophets of Baal, and let not one of them escape. And when they had taken them, Elias brought them down to the torrent Cison, and killed them there.
41 Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
And Elias said to Achab: Go up, eat, and drink: for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his face between his knees.
Achab went up to eat and drink: and Elias went up to the top of Carmel, and casting himself down upon the earth put his face between his knees,
43 He said to his servant, “Go up now and look towards the sea.” He went up and looked, then said, “There is nothing.” He said, “Go again” seven times.
And he said to his servant: Go up, and look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said: There is nothing. And again he said to him: Return seven times.
44 On the seventh time, he said, “Behold, a small cloud, like a man’s hand, is rising out of the sea.” He said, “Go up, tell Ahab, ‘Get ready and go down, so that the rain doesn’t stop you.’”
And at the seventh time, behold, a little cloud arose out of the sea like a man’s foot. And he said: Go up and say to Achab: Prepare thy chariot and go down, lest the rain prevent thee.
45 In a little while, the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
And while he turned himself this way and that way, behold the heavens grew dark, with clouds, and wind, and there fell a great rain. And Achab getting up went away to Jezrahel:
46 The LORD’s hand was on Elijah; and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
And the hand of the Lord was upon Elias, and he girded up his loins and ran before Achab, till he came to Jezrahel.
