I Regum 18
1 post dies multos verbum Domini factum est ad Heliam in anno tertio dicens vade et ostende te Ahab ut dem pluviam super faciem terrae
For almost three years there was no rain in Samaria. Then Yahweh said this to Elijah: “Go and meet with King Ahab and [tell him that] I will soon send rain.”
2 ivit ergo Helias ut ostenderet se Ahab erat autem fames vehemens in Samaria
So Elijah went to talk to Ahab. In Samaria there was almost no food for anyone to eat.
3 vocavitque Ahab Abdiam dispensatorem domus suae Abdias autem timebat Dominum valde
There was a man there named Obadiah. He was in charge of the king’s palace. He greatly revered Yahweh.
4 nam cum interficeret Hiezabel prophetas Domini tulit ille centum prophetas et abscondit eos quinquagenos in speluncis et pavit eos pane et aqua
One time when [Queen] Jezebel had [tried to] kill all Yahweh’s prophets, Obadiah hid 100 of them in two caves. He put 50 prophets in each cave, and he brought food and water to them.
5 dixit ergo Ahab ad Abdiam vade in terram ad universos fontes aquarum et in cunctas valles si forte invenire possimus herbam et salvare equos et mulos et non penitus iumenta intereant
[By this time, the (famine/lack of food and water) had become very severe in Samaria]. So Ahab summoned Obadiah and said to him, “We must check/look near every spring and in every valley to see if we can find enough grass to give to some of my horses and mules, so that they will not all die.”
6 diviseruntque sibi regiones ut circuirent eas Ahab ibat per viam unam et Abdias per viam alteram seorsum
So they both started walking throughout the land. Obadiah went in one direction by himself, and Ahab went in another direction by himself.
7 cumque esset Abdias in via Helias occurrit ei qui cum cognovisset eum cecidit super faciem suam et ait num tu es domine mi Helias
While Obadiah was walking along, he saw Elijah coming toward him. Obadiah recognized Elijah and bowed down in front of him and said, “Is it really you, Elijah, my master?”
8 cui ille respondit ego vade dic domino tuo adest Helias
Elijah replied, “Yes. Now go and tell [Ahab, ] your master, that I am here.”
9 et ille quid peccavi inquit quoniam trades me servum tuum in manu Ahab ut interficiat me
Obadiah objected. He said, “Sir, I have not [RHQ] harmed you at all. So why are you sending me back to Ahab? He will kill me!
10 vivit Dominus Deus tuus non est gens aut regnum quo non miserit dominus meus te requirens et respondentibus cunctis non est hic adiuravit regna singula et gentes eo quod minime repperireris
Yahweh your God [knows that I am telling the truth when] I solemnly declare that King Ahab has searched in every kingdom all over the world [HYP] to find you. Each time that some king said to him, ‘Elijah is not here,’ Ahab demanded that the king of that country solemnly swear/declare that the king was telling the truth.
11 et nunc dicis mihi vade et dic domino tuo adest Helias
Now you say to me, ‘Go and tell your master that Elijah is here!’
12 cumque recessero a te spiritus Domini asportabit te in locum quem ego ignoro ingressus nuntiabo Ahab et non inveniet te et interficiet me servus autem tuus timet Dominum ab infantia sua
But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you away, and I will not know where he will take you. So when [I tell] Ahab [that you are here and he] comes to me and he does not find you here, he will kill me! But [I do not deserve to die because] I have revered Yahweh since I was a boy.
13 numquid non indicatum est tibi domino meo quid fecerim cum interficeret Hiezabel prophetas Domini quod absconderim de prophetis Domini centum viros quinquagenos et quinquagenos in speluncis et paverim eos pane et aqua
My master, have you not heard about what I did when Jezebel wanted to kill all of Yahweh’s prophets? I hid 100 of them in two caves and took food and water to them.
14 et nunc tu dicis vade et dic domino tuo adest Helias ut interficiat me
Now, sir, you say, ‘Go and tell your master that Elijah is here.’ But if I do that, [and he comes and you are not here, ] he will kill me!”
15 dixit Helias vivit Dominus exercituum ante cuius vultum sto quia hodie apparebo ei
But Elijah replied, “Yahweh, the Almighty One whom I serve [IDM], knows that [I am telling the truth as] I solemnly declare that I will go to meet with Ahab today.”
16 abiit ergo Abdias in occursum Ahab et indicavit ei venitque Ahab in occursum Heliae
So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come. Ahab went to meet with him.
17 et cum vidisset eum ait tune es ille qui conturbas Israhel
When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, the one who causes trouble for [the people of] Israel?”
18 et ille ait non turbavi Israhel sed tu et domus patris tui qui dereliquistis mandata Domini et secuti estis Baalim
Elijah replied, “It is not I who have caused trouble for the people of Israel! You and your family are the ones who have caused trouble! You have refused to obey Yahweh’s commands, and you have worshiped the idols of Baal instead.
19 verumtamen nunc mitte et congrega ad me universum Israhel in monte Carmeli et prophetas Baal quadringentos quinquaginta prophetasque lucorum quadringentos qui comedunt de mensa Hiezabel
So now, command all the Israeli people to come to Carmel Mountain, and [be sure to] bring all the 450 prophets who worship Baal and the 400 prophets who worship [the goddess] Asherah, the ones to whom [your wife] Jezebel brings food and water.”
20 misit Ahab ad omnes filios Israhel et congregavit prophetas in monte Carmeli
So Ahab summoned all his prophets and all the other [Israeli] people to the top of Carmel Mountain, [and Elijah went up there too.]
21 accedens autem Helias ad omnem populum ait usquequo claudicatis in duas partes si Dominus est Deus sequimini eum si autem Baal sequimini illum et non respondit ei populus verbum
Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How long [RHQ] are you going to be undecided [about who is truly God]? If Yahweh is [truly] God, then worship/serve him. If Baal is truly God, then worship/serve him!” But the people said nothing [in reply, because they were afraid of what Jezebel would do to them if they admitted that they worshiped Yahweh].
22 et ait rursum Helias ad populum ego remansi propheta Domini solus prophetae autem Baal quadringenti et quinquaginta viri sunt
Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only true prophet of Yahweh who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets.
23 dentur nobis duo boves et illi eligant bovem unum et in frusta caedentes ponant super ligna ignem autem non subponant et ego faciam bovem alterum et inponam super ligna ignemque non subponam
Bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose the one that they want. They must [kill it and] cut it into pieces and lay the pieces on the wood that is on the altar that they have made. But they must not light a fire [under the wood]. [I will kill the other bull and cut it in pieces and lay the pieces on the altar that I make].
24 invocate nomina deorum vestrorum et ego invocabo nomen Domini et deus qui exaudierit per ignem ipse sit Deus respondens omnis populus ait optima propositio
Then they must call to their god [MTY], and I will call to Yahweh. The god who answers by lighting a fire [to the wood that is on that altar] is [the true] God!” Then all the people thought that Elijah’s suggestion was good.
25 dixit ergo Helias prophetis Baal eligite vobis bovem unum et facite primi quia vos plures estis et invocate nomina deorum vestrorum ignemque non subponatis
Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You call to Baal first, because there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls and prepare it, and then call to your god. But do not light a fire under the wood!”
26 qui cum tulissent bovem quem dederat eis fecerunt et invocabant nomen Baal de mane usque ad meridiem dicentes Baal exaudi nos et non erat vox nec qui responderet transiliebantque altare quod fecerant
So they killed one of the bulls and cut it up and placed the pieces on the altar. Then they called out to Baal all morning. They shouted, “Baal, answer us!” But no one answered. There was no reply at all [DOU]. Then they danced wildly around the altar that they had made.
27 cumque esset iam meridies inludebat eis Helias dicens clamate voce maiore deus enim est et forsitan loquitur aut in diversorio est aut in itinere aut certe dormit ut excitetur
About noontime, Elijah started to make fun of them. He said, “[Surely] Baal is a god, so it seems that you must shout louder! Perhaps he is thinking about something, or perhaps he has gone to the toilet. Or perhaps he is traveling somewhere, or perhaps he is asleep and you need to wake him up!”
28 clamabant ergo voce magna et incidebant se iuxta ritum suum cultris et lanceolis donec perfunderentur sanguine
So they shouted louder. Then, doing one of the things that they frequently did [when they worshiped Baal], they slashed/cut themselves with knives and swords until a lot of blood flowed.
29 postquam autem transiit meridies et illis prophetantibus venerat tempus quo sacrificium offerri solet nec audiebatur vox neque aliquis respondebat nec adtendebat orantes
They continued calling out to Baal all afternoon. But there was no reply, no answer, no god who paid attention.
30 dixit Helias omni populo venite ad me et accedente ad se populo curavit altare Domini quod destructum fuerat
Then Elijah called to the people saying, “Come closer!” So they all crowded around him. Then Elijah repaired the altar of Yahweh that had previously been (ruined/torn down) [by the prophets of Baal].
31 et tulit duodecim lapides iuxta numerum tribuum filiorum Iacob ad quem factus est sermo Domini dicens Israhel erit nomen tuum
Then he took twelve [large] stones, each one to represent one of the Israeli tribes. The names of those tribes were given to them by their ancestor Jacob.
32 et aedificavit lapidibus altare in nomine Domini fecitque aquaeductum quasi per duas aratiunculas in circuitu altaris
With these stones he rebuilt Yahweh’s altar. Then around the altar he dug a little ditch that was large enough to hold about (three gallons/12 liters) of water.
33 et conposuit ligna divisitque per membra bovem et posuit super ligna
He piled wood on top of the stones. He killed the bull and cut it in pieces. Then he laid the pieces on top of the wood. Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water on top of the pieces of meat and the wood.” So they did that.
34 et ait implete quattuor hydrias aqua et fundite super holocaustum et super ligna rursumque dixit etiam secundo hoc facite qui cum fecissent et secundo ait etiam tertio id ipsum facite feceruntque et tertio
Then he said, “Do the same thing again!” So they did it again. Then he said “Do it a third time!” So they did it again.
35 et currebant aquae circa altare et fossa aquaeductus repleta est
As a result, the water flowed down below the altar and filled the ditches.
36 cumque iam tempus esset ut offerretur holocaustum accedens Helias propheta ait Domine Deus Abraham Isaac et Israhel hodie ostende quia tu es Deus Israhel et ego servus tuus et iuxta praeceptum tuum feci omnia verba haec
When it was time to offer the evening sacrifices, Elijah walked close [to the altar] and prayed. He said, “Yahweh, you who are the God that [our ancestors] Abraham and Isaac and Jacob [worshiped], prove today that you are the God whom the Israeli people [should worship], and prove that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all these things because you told me to do them.
37 exaudi me Domine exaudi me ut discat populus iste quia tu es Dominus Deus et tu convertisti cor eorum iterum
Yahweh, answer me! Answer me in order that these people will know that you, Yahweh God, [have the power to do what you say that you will do], and that you have caused them to trust in [IDM] you again!”
38 cecidit autem ignis Domini et voravit holocaustum et ligna et lapides pulverem quoque et aquam quae erat in aquaeductu lambens
Immediately a fire from Yahweh flashed down from the sky. The fire burned up the pieces of meat, the wood, the stones, and the dirt [that was around the altar]. It even dried up all the water in the ditch!
39 quod cum vidisset omnis populus cecidit in faciem suam et ait Dominus ipse est Deus Dominus ipse est Deus
When the people saw that, they prostrated themselves on the ground and shouted, “Yahweh is God! Yahweh is God!”
40 dixitque Helias ad eos adprehendite prophetas Baal et ne unus quidem fugiat ex eis quos cum conprehendissent duxit eos Helias ad torrentem Cison et interfecit eos ibi
Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize all the prophets of Baal! Do not allow any of them to escape!” So the people seized all the prophets of Baal, and took them down the mountain to the Kishon Valley, and Elijah killed them all there.
41 et ait Helias ad Ahab ascende comede et bibe quia sonus multae pluviae est
Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go and get something to eat and drink. [But do it quickly, because] it is soon going to rain very hard!”
42 ascendit Ahab ut comederet et biberet Helias autem ascendit in vertice Carmeli et pronus in terram posuit faciem inter genua sua
So Ahab [and his men] left to prepare a big meal. But Elijah went back up to the top of Carmel Mountain and prayed.
43 et dixit ad puerum suum ascende et prospice contra mare qui cum ascendisset et contemplatus esset ait non est quicquam et rursum ait illi revertere septem vicibus
Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea, [to see if there are any rain clouds.]” So his servant went and looked, [and came back] and said, “I do not see anything.” This happened six times.
44 in septima autem vice ecce nubicula parva quasi vestigium hominis ascendebat de mari qui ait ascende et dic Ahab iunge et descende ne occupet te pluvia
But when the servant went the seventh time, he came back and said, “I saw a very small cloud above the sea. [As I extend my arm, ] the cloud is about the size of my hand/fist.” Then Elijah shouted to him, “Go and tell King Ahab to get his chariot ready and go home immediately! If he does not do that, the rain will stop him!”
45 cumque se verterent huc atque illuc ecce caeli contenebrati sunt et nubes et ventus et facta est pluvia grandis ascendens itaque Ahab abiit in Hiezrahel
Very soon the sky was full of black clouds. There was a strong wind, and then it began to rain very hard. Ahab got into his chariot and started to return to Jezreel [city].
46 et manus Domini facta est super Heliam accinctisque lumbis currebat ante Ahab donec veniret in Hiezrahel
Yahweh gave extra strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt [in order to run fast], and he ran ahead of Ahab’s [chariot] all the way [17 miles/26 km.] to Jezreel.
