Βασιλειῶν Γʹ 18
1 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
Sometime later, during the third year, a message from the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and appear before Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.”
2 καὶ ἐπορεύθη Ηλιου τοῦ ὀφθῆναι τῷ Αχααβ καὶ ἡ λιμὸς κραταιὰ ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ
So Elijah went to appear before Ahab. In the meantime the famine had become severe in Samaria.
3 καὶ ἐκάλεσεν Αχααβ τὸν Αβδιου τὸν οἰκονόμον καὶ Αβδιου ἦν φοβούμενος τὸν κύριον σφόδρα
Ahab summoned Obadiah, the manager of his palace (Obadiah was a very sincere believer in the Lord.
4 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
While Jezebel was busy killing the Lord's prophets, Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty in each of two caves, and had provided them with food and water.)
5 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
Ahab told Obadiah, “Go throughout the country and check all the springs and valleys. Perhaps we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not lose any of the animals.”
6 καὶ ἐμέρισαν ἑαυτοῖς τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ διελθεῖν αὐτήν Αχααβ ἐπορεύθη ἐν ὁδῷ μιᾷ μόνος καὶ Αβδιου ἐπορεύθη ἐν ὁδῷ ἄλλῃ μόνος
So they divided the land between them. Ahab went in one direction, and Obadiah the other.
7 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
As Obadiah went on his way, Elijah came to meet him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”
8 καὶ εἶπεν Ηλιου αὐτῷ ἐγώ πορεύου λέγε τῷ κυρίῳ σου ἰδοὺ Ηλιου
“It's me,” Elijah replied. “Go and tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’”
9 καὶ εἶπεν Αβδιου τί ἡμάρτηκα ὅτι δίδως τὸν δοῦλόν σου εἰς χεῖρα Αχααβ τοῦ θανατῶσαί με
“How have I sinned that you are handing me, your servant, over to Ahab to be killed?
10 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
As the Lord your God lives, there's no nation or kingdom where my master hasn't sent someone to search for you. When a nation or kingdom said you weren't there, he made them swear that they couldn't find you.
11 καὶ νῦν σὺ λέγεις πορεύου ἀνάγγελλε τῷ κυρίῳ σου ἰδοὺ Ηλιου
And now you're telling me to go to my master and announce, ‘Elijah is here!’
12 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
I have no idea where the Spirit of the Lord will take you after I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and then he can't find you, he's going to kill me, even though I, your servant, have worshiped the Lord since I was young.
13 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
Didn't you hear, my lord, what I did when Jezebel was busy killing the Lord's prophets? I hid a hundred of the Lord's prophets, fifty in each of two caves, and provided them with food and water.
14 καὶ νῦν σὺ λέγεις μοι πορεύου λέγε τῷ κυρίῳ σου ἰδοὺ Ηλιου καὶ ἀποκτενεῖ με
And now you're telling me to go to my master and announce, ‘Elijah is here.’ He's going to kill me!”
15 καὶ εἶπεν Ηλιου ζῇ κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων ᾧ παρέστην ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ὅτι σήμερον ὀφθήσομαι αὐτῷ
Elijah replied, “As the Lord Almighty lives, the one I serve, I will definitely appear before Ahab today.”
16 καὶ ἐπορεύθη Αβδιου εἰς συναντὴν τῷ Αχααβ καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐξέδραμεν Αχααβ καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς συνάντησιν Ηλιου
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
17 καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς εἶδεν Αχααβ τὸν Ηλιου καὶ εἶπεν Αχααβ πρὸς Ηλιου εἰ σὺ εἶ αὐτὸς ὁ διαστρέφων τὸν Ισραηλ
When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you—you who are causing trouble for Israel?”
18 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
“I'm not causing trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “It's you and your father's family! You have rejected the Lord's commands and are worshiping the Baals.
19 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
Now call together all of Israel and meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who are supported by Jezebel.”
20 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Αχααβ εἰς πάντα Ισραηλ καὶ ἐπισυνήγαγεν πάντας τοὺς προφήτας εἰς ὄρος τὸ Καρμήλιον
So Ahab summoned all of Israel and also gathered the prophets on Mount Carmel.
21 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
Elijah approached the people and asked them, “How long will you hobble along, hesitating between two opposite beliefs? If the Lord is God, then follow him. But if Baal is God, then follow him.” But the people gave o answer.
22 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
Then Elijah told them, “I am the only one left of the Lord's prophets—just me alone—but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.
23 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
Provide us with two bulls. Let the prophets of Baal choose for themselves the one they want, and have them cut it into pieces and place it on the firewood. But don't set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the firewood but I won't set fire to it.
24 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
Then you call on your god by name, and I will call on the Lord by name. The god who replies by sending fire—he is God.” Then all the people said, “We agree to what you say.”
25 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
Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, because there are so many of you. Call on your god by name, but don't light the fire.”
26 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
So they took the bull provided and prepared it. Then they called on Baal by name from morning until noon. “Baal, answer us!” they pleaded. But no voice was heard, no one answered. They hobbled in a dance around the altar they had made.
27 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
At noon Elijah began to mock them. “Shout really loud!” he said. “Isn't he meant to be a god? Maybe he's meditating, or he's gone to the bathroom, or he's away on a trip! Maybe he's asleep and has to be woken up!”
28 καὶ ἐπεκαλοῦντο ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ καὶ κατετέμνοντο κατὰ τὸν ἐθισμὸν αὐτῶν ἐν μαχαίραις καὶ σειρομάσταις ἕως ἐκχύσεως αἵματος ἐπ’ αὐτούς
They shouted even louder and cut themselves with swords and spears until they bled. This was their usual way of worshiping.
29 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
Noon came and went, and they went on with their manic “prophesying” until the time of the evening sacrifice. But no voice was heard, no one answered, no one was listening.
30 καὶ εἶπεν Ηλιου πρὸς τὸν λαόν προσαγάγετε πρός με καὶ προσήγαγεν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς πρὸς αὐτόν
Then Elijah told everyone, “Come over here to me.” They went over to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down.
31 καὶ ἔλαβεν Ηλιου δώδεκα λίθους κατ’ ἀριθμὸν φυλῶν τοῦ Ισραηλ ὡς ἐλάλησεν κύριος πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγων Ισραηλ ἔσται τὸ ὄνομά σου
Elijah took twelve stones to represent the tribes of the sons of Jacob. (Jacob was the one who received the Lord's message that said, “Israel shall be your name.”)
32 καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν τοὺς λίθους ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου καὶ ἰάσατο τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ κατεσκαμμένον καὶ ἐποίησεν θααλα χωροῦσαν δύο μετρητὰς σπέρματος κυκλόθεν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου
With the stones he built an altar in the Lord's name. He dug a ditch around it that could hold two seahs of seed.
33 καὶ ἐστοίβασεν τὰς σχίδακας ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον ὃ ἐποίησεν καὶ ἐμέλισεν τὸ ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ ἐπέθηκεν ἐπὶ τὰς σχίδακας καὶ ἐστοίβασεν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον
He put the wood in place, cut the bull into pieces, and laid it on the wood. Then he told them, “Fill up four large jars with water and pour it over the offering and the wood.”
34 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
“Do it again,” he said. So they did. “Do it for a third time,” he said. So they did it for the third time.
35 καὶ διεπορεύετο τὸ ὕδωρ κύκλῳ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου καὶ τὴν θααλα ἔπλησαν ὕδατος
The water ran down all over the altar and even filled the ditch.
36 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
At the time of the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah went over to the altar and prayed: “Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, demonstrate today that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that everything I have done has been at your command.
37 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
Answer me, Lord! Answer me, so that these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are bringing them back to you.”
38 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
Then the fire of the Lord came down and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the soil—it even licked up the water in the ditch!
39 καὶ ἔπεσεν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν καὶ εἶπον ἀληθῶς κύριός ἐστιν ὁ θεός αὐτὸς ὁ θεός
When all the people saw this, they fell face down on the ground and shouted, “The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God!”
40 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
Then Elijah ordered them, “Grab hold of the prophets of Baal. Don't let any escape!” They grabbed them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there.
41 καὶ εἶπεν Ηλιου τῷ Αχααβ ἀνάβηθι καὶ φάγε καὶ πίε ὅτι φωνὴ τῶν ποδῶν τοῦ ὑετοῦ
Elijah told Ahab, “Go and eat and drink, for I hear the sound of a heavy rain coming.”
42 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
So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went to the top of Carmel. There he bent down to the ground, putting his face between his knees.
43 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
“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. The man went and looked. “There's nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah told him, “Go and look again.”
44 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
The seventh time the servant came back and said, “I saw a small cloud the size of a man's hand coming up from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Run to Ahab and tell him, ‘Get your chariot ready and go down before the rain stops you.’”
45 καὶ ἐγένετο ἕως ὧδε καὶ ὧδε καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς συνεσκότασεν νεφέλαις καὶ πνεύματι καὶ ἐγένετο ὑετὸς μέγας καὶ ἔκλαιεν καὶ ἐπορεύετο Αχααβ εἰς Ιεζραελ
Very quickly the sky grew dark with clouds, the wind blew, heavy rain started falling, and Ahab rode down to Jezreel.
46 καὶ χεὶρ κυρίου ἐπὶ τὸν Ηλιου καὶ συνέσφιγξεν τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔτρεχεν ἔμπροσθεν Αχααβ ἕως Ιεζραελ
The Lord gave his power to Elijah—he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
