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.
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 Therfor Elie yede to schewe hym silf to Achab; forsothe greet hungur was in Samarie.
Elijah went to show himself to Ahab; now the famine was severe in Samaria.
3 And Achab clepide Abdie, dispendere, ether stiward, of his hows; forsothe Abdie dredde greetli the Lord God of Israel.
Ahab called Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Now Obadiah honored Yahweh very much,
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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?
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 To whom he answeride, Y am. And Elie seide, Go thou, and seie to thi lord, Elie is present.
Elijah answered him, “It is I. Go tell your master, 'Look, Elijah is here.'”
9 And Abdie seide, What `synnede Y, for thou bitakist me in the hond of Achab, that he sle me?
Obadiah replied, “How have I sinned, that you would give your servant into the hand of Ahab, for him to kill me?
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,
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 Go, and seie to thi lord, Elie is present.
Yet now you say, 'Go, tell your master that Elijah is here.'
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.
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 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 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 seist, Go, and seie to thi lord, Elie is present, that he sle me.
Now you say to me, 'Go and tell your master that Elijah is here,' so that he will kill me.”
15 And Elie seide, The Lord of oostis lyueth, bifor whos siyt Y stonde, for to dai Y schal appere to hym.
Then Elijah responded, “As Yahweh of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to Ahab today.”
16 Therfor Abdie yede in to the metyng of Achab, and schewide to hym; and Achab cam in to the meetyng of Elie.
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him what Elijah said. Then the king went to meet Elijah.
17 And whanne he hadde seyn Elie, he seide, Whether thou art he, that disturblist Israel?
When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is it you? You are the one who brings trouble to 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.
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 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.
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 Achab sente to alle the sones of Israel, and gaderide prophetis in the hil of Carmele.
So Ahab sent word to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount 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.
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 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.
Then Elijah said to the people, “I, I alone, am left as a prophet of Yahweh, but Baal's prophets are 450 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 Therfor thei crieden with greet vois, and thei kerueden hem silf with knyues and launcetis, bi her custom, til thei weren bisched with blood.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 dresside trees, and he departide the oxe bi membris, and puttide on the trees,
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 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.
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 watris runnen aboute the auter, and the dich of ledyng to `of watir was fillid.
The water ran around the altar and filled the trench.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
When all the people saw this, they lay facedown on the ground and said, “Yahweh, he is God! Yahweh, he is 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.
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 Elie seide to Achab, Stie thou, ete, and drynke, for the sown of myche reyn is.
Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of much rain.”
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;
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 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.
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 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.
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 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;
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 hond of the Lord was maad on Elie, and whanne the leendis weren gird, he ran bifor Achab, til he cam in to Jezrael.
but the hand of Yahweh was on Elijah. He tucked his robe in his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
