< 1 Kings 18 >
1 Aftir many daies the word of the Lord was maad to Elie, in the thridde yeer, and seide, Go, and schewe thee to Achab, that Y yyue reyn on the face of erthe.
And the days are many, and the word of YHWH has been to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, appear to Ahab, and I give rain on the face of the ground”;
2 Therfor Elie yede to schewe hym silf to Achab; forsothe greet hungur was in Samarie.
and Elijah goes to appear to Ahab. And the famine is severe in Samaria,
3 And Achab clepide Abdie, dispendere, ether stiward, of his hows; forsothe Abdie dredde greetli the Lord God of Israel.
and Ahab calls to Obadiah, who [is] over the house—and Obadiah has been fearing YHWH greatly,
4 For whanne Jezabel killide the prophetis of the Lord, he took an hundrid prophetis, and hidde hem, bi fifties and fifties, in dennes, and fedde hem with breed and watir.
and it comes to pass, in Jezebel’s cutting off the prophets of YHWH, that Obadiah takes one hundred prophets, and hides them, fifty men in a cave, and has sustained them with bread and water—
5 Therfor Achab seide to Abdie, Go thou in to the lond, to alle wellis of watris, and in to alle valeis, if in hap we moun fynde gras, and saue horsis and mulis; and werk beestis perische not outirli.
and Ahab says to Obadiah, “Go through the land, to all fountains of waters, and to all the brooks, perhaps we find hay, and keep alive horse and mule, and do not cut off any of the livestock.”
6 Therfor thei departiden the cuntreis to hem silf, that thei schulden cumpasse tho; Achab yede bi o weye, and Abdie yede bi another weie, `bi hym silf.
And they apportion the land to themselves, to pass over into it; Ahab has gone in one way by himself, and Obadiah has gone in another way by himself;
7 And whanne Abdie was in the weie, Elie mette hym; and whanne he hadde knowe Elie, he felde on his face, and seide, Whethir thou art my lord Elie?
and Obadiah [is] in the way, and behold, Elijah [is there] to meet him; and he discerns him, and falls on his face and says, “Are you he—my lord Elijah?”
8 To whom he answeride, Y am. And Elie seide, Go thou, and seie to thi lord, Elie is present.
And he says to him, “I [am]; go, say to your lord, Behold, Elijah.”
9 And Abdie seide, What `synnede Y, for thou bitakist me in the hond of Achab, that he sle me?
And he says, “What have I sinned, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab—to put me to death?
10 Thi Lord God lyueth, for no folk ethir rewme is, whidur my lord, sekynge thee, sente not; and whanne alle men answeriden, He is not here, he chargide greetli alle rewmes and folkis, for thou were not foundun; and now thou seist to me,
Your God YHWH lives, if there is a nation and kingdom to where my lord has not sent to seek [for] you; and they said, He is not, then he caused the kingdom and the nation to swear, that it does not find you;
11 Go, and seie to thi lord, Elie is present.
and now, you are saying, Go, say to your lord, Behold, Elijah;
12 And whanne Y schal departe fro thee, the Spirit of the Lord schal bere thee awey in to a place which Y knowe not; and Y schal entre, and `Y schal telle to Achab, and he schal not fynde thee, and he schal sle me; forsothe thi seruaunt dredith the Lord fro his yong childhod.
and it has been, I go from you, and the Spirit of YHWH lifts you up to where I do not know, and I have come to declare to Ahab, and he does not find you, and he has slain me; and your servant is fearing YHWH from my youth.
13 Whether it is not schewid to thee, my lord, what Y dide, whanne Jesabel killide the prophetis of the Lord, that Y hidde of the prophetis of the Lord an hundrid men, bi fifty and bi fifti, in dennes, and Y fedde hem with breed and watir?
Has it not been declared to my lord that which I have done in Jezebel’s slaying the prophets of YHWH, that I hide one hundred men of the prophets of YHWH, fifty by fifty in a cave, and sustained them with bread and water?
14 And now thou seist, Go, and seie to thi lord, Elie is present, that he sle me.
And now you are saying, Go, say to my lord, Behold, Elijah—and he has slain me!”
15 And Elie seide, The Lord of oostis lyueth, bifor whos siyt Y stonde, for to dai Y schal appere to hym.
And Elijah says, “YHWH of Hosts lives, before whom I have stood, surely I appear to him today.”
16 Therfor Abdie yede in to the metyng of Achab, and schewide to hym; and Achab cam in to the meetyng of Elie.
Obadiah goes to meet Ahab, and declares [it] to him, and Ahab goes to meet Elijah.
17 And whanne he hadde seyn Elie, he seide, Whether thou art he, that disturblist Israel?
[And it] comes to pass at Ahab’s seeing Elijah that Ahab says to him, “Are you he—the troubler of Israel?”
18 And he seide, Not Y disturble Israel, but thou, and the hows of thi fadir, whiche han forsake the comaundementis of the Lord, and sueden Baalym, `disturbliden Israel.
And he says, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and the house of your father, in your forsaking the commands of YHWH, and you go after the Ba‘alim;
19 Netheles now sende thou, and gadere to me al Israel, in the hil of Carmele, and foure hundrid and fifti prophetis of Baal, and foure hundrid prophetis of woodis, that eten of the table of Jezabel.
and now, send, gather all Israel to me, to the Mount of Carmel, and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Ba‘al, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who are eating at the table of Jezebel.”
20 Achab sente to alle the sones of Israel, and gaderide prophetis in the hil of Carmele.
And Ahab sends among all the sons of Israel, and gathers the prophets to the Mount of Carmel;
21 Forsothe Elie neiyede to al the puple of Israel, and seide, Hou long halten ye in to twey partis? If the Lord is God, sue ye hym; forsothe if Baal is God, sue ye hym. And the puple answeride not o word to hym.
and Elijah comes near to all the people and says, “Until when are you leaping on the two branches? If YHWH [is] God, go after Him; and if Ba‘al, go after him”; and the people have not answered him a word.
22 And Elie seide eft to the puple, Y dwellide aloone a prophete of the Lord; sotheli the prophetis of Baal ben foure hundrid and fifti, and the prophetis of woodis ben foure hundrid men.
And Elijah says to the people, “I have been left, by myself, a prophet of YHWH; and the prophets of Ba‘al [are] four hundred and fifty men;
23 Tweyne oxis be youun to us; and chese thei oon oxe, and thei schulen kitte in to gobetis, and schulen putte on trees, but putte thei not fier vndur; and Y schal make the tother oxe in to sacrifice, and Y schal putte on the trees, and Y schal not putte fier vnder.
and let them give two bullocks to us, and they choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and place [it] on the wood, and place no fire; and I prepare the other bullock, and have put [it] on the wood, and I do not place fire—
24 Clepe ye the name of youre goddis, and Y schal clepe the name of my God; and the God that herith bi fier, be he God. And al the puple answeride, and seide, The resoun is best, `which resoun Elie spak.
and you have called in the name of your god, and I call in the Name of YHWH, and it has been, the god who answers by fire—He [is] the God.” And all the people answer and say, “The word [is] good.”
25 Therfor Elie seide to the prophetis of Baal, Chese ye oon oxe to you, and make ye first, for ye ben the mo; and clepe ye the names of youre goddis, and putte ye not fier vnder.
And Elijah says to the prophets of Ba‘al, “Choose one bullock for yourselves, and prepare [it] first, for you [are] the multitude, and call in the name of your god, and place no fire.”
26 And whanne thei hadden take the oxe, whom Elie yaf to hem, thei maden sacrifice, and clepiden the name of Baal, fro the morewtid `til to myddai, and seiden, Baal, here vs! And no vois was, nether ony that answerd; and thei skippiden ouer the auter, which thei hadden maad.
And they take the bullock that [one] gave to them, and prepare [it], and call in the name of Ba‘al from the morning even until the noon, saying, “O Ba‘al, answer us!” And there is no voice, and there is none answering; and they leap on the altar that one had made.
27 And whanne it was thanne myddai, Elie scornede hem, and seide, Crie ye with gretter vois, for Baal is youre god, and in hap he spekith with an other, ethir he is in a herborgerie, ether in weie, ether certis he slepith, that he be reisid.
And it comes to pass, at noon, that Elijah mocks at them and says, “Call with a loud voice, for he [is] a god, for he is meditating, or pursuing, or on a journey; it may be he is asleep, and awakes.”
28 Therfor thei crieden with greet vois, and thei kerueden hem silf with knyues and launcetis, bi her custom, til thei weren bisched with blood.
And they call with a loud voice, and cut themselves, according to their ordinance, with swords and with spears, until a flowing of blood [is] on them;
29 Sotheli after that mydday passide, and while thei prophesieden, the tyme cam, in which the sacrifice is wont to be offrid, nether vois was herd `of her goddis, nether ony answeride, nether perceyuede hem preiynge.
and it comes to pass, at the passing by of the noon, that they feign themselves prophets until the going up of the present, and there is no voice, and there is none answering, and there is none attending.
30 Elie seide to al the puple, Come ye to me. And whanne the puple cam to him, he arrayede the auter of the Lord, that was distried.
And Elijah says to all the people, “Come near to me”; and all the people come near to him, and he repairs the altar of YHWH that is broken down;
31 And he took twelue stonys, bi the noumbre of lynagis of sones of Jacob, to which Jacob the word of the Lord was maad, and seide, Israel schal be thi name.
and Elijah takes twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of YHWH was, saying, “Israel is your name”;
32 And he bildide an auter of stonys, in the name of the Lord, and he made a ledyng to of watir, `ether a dich, as bi twei litle dichis in the cumpas of the auter.
and he builds an altar with the stones, in the Name of YHWH, and makes a trench, as about the space of two measures of seed, around the altar.
33 And he dresside trees, and he departide the oxe bi membris, and puttide on the trees,
And he arranges the wood, and cuts the bullock in pieces, and places [it] on the wood, and says, “Fill four pitchers of water, and pour [them] on the burnt-offering, and on the wood”;
34 and seide, Fille ye foure pottis with watir, and schede ye on the brent sacrifice, and on the trees. And eft he seide, Also the secounde tyme do ye this. `And thei diden the secounde tyme. And he seide, Do ye the same thing the thridde tyme; and thei diden the thridde tyme.
and he says, “Do [it] a second time”; and they do [it] a second time; and he says, “Do [it] a third time”; and they do [it] a third time;
35 And the watris runnen aboute the auter, and the dich of ledyng to `of watir was fillid.
and the water goes around the altar, and he has also filled the trench with water.
36 And whanne the tyme was thanne, that the brent sacrifice schulde be offrid, Elye the prophete neiyede, and seide, Lord God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, schewe thou to dai that thou art God of Israel, and that Y am thi seruaunt, and haue do alle these wordis bi thi comaundement.
And it comes to pass, at the going up of the [evening] present, that Elijah the prophet comes near and says, “YHWH, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that You [are] God in Israel, and that I, Your servant, have done the whole of these things by Your word;
37 Lord, here thou me; Lord, here thou me; that this puple lerne, that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast conuertid eft the herte of hem.
answer me, O YHWH, answer me, and this people [then] knows that You [are] YHWH God; and You have turned their heart backward.”
38 Sotheli fier of the Lord felde doun, and deuouride brent sacrifice, and trees, and stonus, and lickide vp also the poudre, and the water that was in the `leding of water.
And a fire falls [from] YHWH, and consumes the burnt-offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and it has licked up the water that [is] in the trench.
39 And whanne al the puple hadde seyn this, it felde in to his face, and seide, The Lord he is God; the Lord he is God.
And all the people see, and fall on their faces, and say, “YHWH, He [is] the God! YHWH, He [is] the God!”
40 And Elie seide to hem, Take ye the prophetis of Baal; not oon sotheli ascape of hem. And whanne thei hadden take hem, Elie ledde hem to the stronde of Cison, and killide hem there.
And Elijah says to them, “Catch the prophets of Ba‘al; do not let a man escape from them”; and they catch them, and Elijah brings them down to the Brook of Kishon, and slaughters them there.
41 And Elie seide to Achab, Stie thou, ete, and drynke, for the sown of myche reyn is.
And Elijah says to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, because of the sound of the noise of the shower.”
42 Achab stiede to ete and drynke; forsothe Elie stiede in to the hil of Carmele, and he settide lowli his face to the erthe, bitwixe hise knees;
And Ahab goes up to eat, and to drink, and Elijah has gone up to the top of Carmel, and he stretches himself out on the earth, and he places his face between his knees,
43 and seide to his child, Stie thou, and biholde ayens the see. And whanne he hadde stied, and hadde biholde, he seide, No thing is. And eft Elie seide to hym, Turne thou ayen bi seuene tymes.
and says to his young man, “Now go up, look attentively [toward] the way of the sea”; and he goes up and looks attentively, and says, “There is nothing”; and he says, “Turn back,” seven times.
44 Sotheli in the seuenthe tyme, lo! a litil cloude as the step of a man stiede fro the see. And Elie seide, Stie thou, and seie to Achab, Ioyne thi chare, and go doun, lest the reyn byfor ocupie thee.
And it comes to pass, at the seventh, that he says, “Behold, a little thickness as the palm of a man is coming up out of the sea.” And he says, “Go up, say to Ahab, Bind and go down, and the shower does not restrain you.”
45 And whanne thei turneden hem hidur and thidur, lo! heuenes weren maad derk, and cloud, and wynd, and greet reyn was maad. Therfor Achab stiede, and yede in to Jezrael;
And it comes to pass, in the meantime, that the heavens have become black—thick clouds and wind—and the shower is great; and Ahab rides, and goes to Jezreel,
46 and the hond of the Lord was maad on Elie, and whanne the leendis weren gird, he ran bifor Achab, til he cam in to Jezrael.
and the hand of YHWH has been on Elijah, and he girds up his loins, and runs before Ahab, until your entering Jezreel.