1 Kings 18

1 After a long time, in the third year of the drought, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the face of the earth.”

2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria,

3 and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD,

4 for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)

5 Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring and every valley. Perhaps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to destroy any livestock.”

6 So they divided the land to explore. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself.

7 Now as Obadiah went on his way, Elijah suddenly met him. When Obadiah recognized him, he fell facedown and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”

8 “It is I,” he answered. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here!’”

9 But Obadiah replied, “How have I sinned, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death?

10 As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made that kingdom or nation swear that they had not found you.

11 And now you say, ‘Go tell your master that Elijah is here!’

12 I do not know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off when I leave you. Then when I go and tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth.

13 Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred prophets of the LORD, fifty men per cave, and I provided them with food and water.

14 And now you say, ‘Go tell your lord that Elijah is here!’ He will kill me!”

15 Then Elijah said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will present myself to Ahab today.”

16 So Obadiah went to inform Ahab, who went to meet Elijah.

17 When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”

18 “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.

19 Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

20 So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.

21 Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.

22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the LORD, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.

23 Get two bulls for us. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull for themselves, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. And I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire.

24 Then you may call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people answered, “What you say is good.”

25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.”

26 And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made.

27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, “Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!”

28 So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them.

29 Midday passed, and they kept on raving until the time of the evening sacrifice. But there was no response; no one answered, no one paid attention.

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people approached him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down.

31 And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come and said, “Israel shall be your name.”

32 And with the stones, Elijah built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.

33 Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, placed it on the wood,

34 and said, “Fill four waterpots and pour the water on the offering and on the wood.” “Do it a second time,” he said, and they did it a second time. “Do it a third time,” he said, and they did it a third time.

35 So the water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

36 At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command.

37 Answer me, O LORD! Answer me, so that this people will know that You, the LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back again.”

38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water in the trench.

39 When all the people saw this, they fell facedown and said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”

40 Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.

41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”

42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the summit of Carmel, bent down on the ground, and put his face between his knees.

43 “Go and look toward the sea,” he said to his servant. So the servant went and looked, and he said, “There is nothing there.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

44 On the seventh time the servant reported, “There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.” And Elijah replied, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”

45 Meanwhile, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain began to fall. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.

46 And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

1 ¶ And it came to pass [after] many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And [there was] a sore famine in Samaria.

3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which [was] the governor of [his] house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:

4 For it was [so], when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.

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.

7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, [Art] thou that my lord Elijah?

8 And he answered him, I [am]: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah [is here].

9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?

10 [As] the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, [He is] not [there]; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.

11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah [is here].

12 And it shall come to pass, [as soon as] I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and [so] when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth.

13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD'S prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?

14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah [is here]: and he shall slay me.

15 And Elijah said, [As] the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.

16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17 ¶ And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, [Art] thou he that troubleth Israel?

18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.

19 Now therefore send, [and] gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.

20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.

21 ¶ And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD [be] God, follow him: but if Baal, [then] follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, [even] I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets [are] four hundred and fifty men.

23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay [it] on wood, and put no fire [under]: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay [it] on wood, and put no fire [under]:

24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress [it] first; for ye [are] many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire [under].

26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed [it], and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But [there was] no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.

27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he [is] a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, [or] peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.

29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the [time] of the offering of the [evening] sacrifice, that [there was] neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD [that was] broken down.

31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:

32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid [him] on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour [it] on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.

34 And he said, Do [it] the second time. And they did [it] the second time. And he said, Do [it] the third time. And they did [it] the third time.

35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

36 And it came to pass at [the time of] the offering of the [evening] sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou [art] God in Israel, and [that] I [am] thy servant, and [that] I have done all these things at thy word.

37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou [art] the LORD God, and [that] thou hast turned their heart back again.

38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that [was] in the trench.

39 And when all the people saw [it], they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he [is] the God; the LORD, he [is] the God.

40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

41 ¶ And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for [there is] a sound of abundance of rain.

42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,

43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, [There is] nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare [thy chariot], and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.

45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

1 And for a long time the word of the LORD came unto Elijah in the third year, saying, Go and shew thyself to Ahab, that I may rain upon the earth.

2 And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. And there was a great distress in Samaria.

3 And Ahab called for Obadiah, the master of his court. (And Obadiah feared the LORD very much.

4 For when Jezebel had cut off the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them in the cave, fifty here, and fifty there, and fed them with bread and water).

5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go through the land unto all the fountains of waters and unto all the rivers, that we may find hay, and feed the horses and the mouths, lest all the cattle perish.

6 And they divided themselves into the land, to go through it. And Ahab went by himself one way, and Obadiah by himself the other way.

7 And when Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and when he knew him, he fell upon his face, and said, Art not thou my lord Elijah?

8 And he said, Yea; go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wilt deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab to slay me?

10 As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation nor kingdom whither my Lord hath not sent to seek thee. And when they said: He is not here, he took an oath of the kingdom and people, that they had not found thee.

11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

12 If then I went from thee, the spirit of the LORD would take thee away, I know not whither: and if I came and told Ahab, and found thee not, he slew me. But thy servant feareth the LORD from his youth.

13 Is it not told my lord what I did, when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, that I hid an hundred of the prophets of the LORD, fifty here, and fifty there, in the cave, and fed them with bread and with water?

14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy master, Elijah is here; that he may slay me.

15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will shew myself unto him this day.

16 And Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him. And Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17 And when Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that confoundeth Israel?

18 And he said: I confound not Israel, but thou and thy father's house, because ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and walk after Baalim.

19 Send therefore, and gather unto me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of the grove, which eat of the table of Jezebel.

20 So Ahab sent down all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.

21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long do ye linger on both sides? If the LORD be God, walk after him: but if it be Baal, walk after him. And the people answered him nothing.

22 And Elijah said unto the people, I alone am left a prophet of the LORD: but the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men.

23 Now therefore give us two bullocks, and let them choose one bullock, and cut it in pieces, and lay it upon the wood, and put no fire unto it: and I will take the other bullock, and lay it upon the wood, and put no fire unto it.

24 Then call ye on the name of your God, and I will call on the name of the LORD. Whichever God therefore shall answer with fire, let him be GOD. And all the people answered and said, This is right.

25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Call ye a bullock, and make the first, for yours is much; and call upon your God's name, and put no fire to it.

26 And they took the bullock which he gave them, and dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from the morning even unto the south, saying: Baal, hear us. But there was neither voice nor answer. And they limped about the altar which they had made.

27 And when it was noon, Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; he worketh, or hath work, or is in the field, or peradventure sleepeth, that he may awake.

28 And they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves with knives and awls after their manner, until their blood was gone.

29 And when noon was past, they prophesied until the meat offering should be offered: and there was no voice, nor answer, nor hearkening.

30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come unto me, all ye people. And when all the people came unto him, he healed the altar of the LORD that was broken.

31 And he took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the children of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD spake, saying, Thou shalt be called Israel.

32 And he built of the stones an altar in the name of the LORD, and made round about the altar a pit two measures broad.

33 And he dressed the wood, and cut up the bullock, and laid it upon the wood.

34 And he said, Bring four measures of water, and pour it upon the burnt offering, and upon the wood. And he said, Do it again. And they did it again. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.

35 And the waters ran round about the altar, and the pit was filled with water.

36 And when the time was come to offer the meat offering, Elijah the prophet came near, and said, O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and I am thy servant; and that I have done all these things according to thy word.

37 Hear me, O LORD; hear me, that this people may know that thou, O LORD, art God, that thou mayest turn their hearts afterward.

38 And the fire of the LORD came down, and devoured burnt offerings, and wood, and stones, and earth, and licked up the waters of the pit.

39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and said: The LORD is GOD, the LORD is GOD!

40 And Elijah said unto them: Seize the prophets of Baal, that none of them escape. And they took them. And Elijah brought them down unto the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

41 And Elijah said unto Ahab: Go up, eat, and drink; for it is rushing as if it would rain very much.

42 And when Ahab went up to eat and to drink, Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and bowed himself to the ground, and put his head between his knees.

43 And said unto his lad: Go up and look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing there. And he said, Go again seven times.

44 And the seventh time he said, Behold, a little cloud cometh up out of the sea, as the hand of a man. And he said, Go up, and tell Ahab: Tend, and go down, that the rain take thee not.

45 And before they looked, the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab departed, and went to Jezreel.

46 And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab, until he came to Jezreel.