1 After many days, the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land."

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 So Elijah went to appear before Ahab. The famine in Samaria was severe.

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

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

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

4 When Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets, hidden them in two caves in groups of fifty, and provided them with bread and water.

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 Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs and brooks. Perhaps we can find grass to keep the horses and mules alive and avoid losing the animals."

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 search it. Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.

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 While Obadiah was walking along the road, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed to the ground, and said, "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?"

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 Elijah replied, "It is I. Go and tell your master, 'Elijah is here.'"

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

9 But Obadiah said, "What have I done wrong that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be killed?"

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

10 "As surely as the LORD your God lives," he continued, "there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever they said, 'He is not here,' he made the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you.

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 Now you tell me, 'Go and say to your master, Elijah is here!'

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

12 But I, your servant, fear that if I leave, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you off to some place I don't know, and when I go to tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me. Yet I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth.

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 Has it not been reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred of the LORD's prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with bread and water.

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 you say, 'Go and tell your master, Elijah is here,' and he will kill me!

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

15 But Elijah said, "As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, whom I serve, I will show myself to him today."

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.

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

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

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

18 Elijah replied, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, by abandoning the commandments of the LORD and following the Baals.

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 summon all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table.

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 word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.

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

21 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 said nothing.

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 Elijah said to the people, "I alone am left as a prophet of the LORD, but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

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 two bulls be given to us. Let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it into pieces, and lay it on the wood without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood without setting fire to it.

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 Then you 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." All the people answered, "What you say is good."

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 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, 'Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not set fire to the wood.'

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 So they took the bull that was given to them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, 'O Baal, answer us!' But there was no response, no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

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 At noon, Elijah began to mock them, saying, 'Shout louder! Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.'

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 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed.

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

29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening offering. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

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 Then Elijah said to all the people, 'Come here to me.' They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which had been torn down.

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 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, 'Your name shall be Israel.'

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 With the stones, he built an altar in the name of the LORD and dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed.

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 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces, and laid it on the wood.

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 Then he said, 'Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and the wood.' 'Do it again,' he said, and they did it again. 'Do it a third time,' he ordered, and they did it the third time.

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 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

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

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

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 Answer me, LORD, answer me, so that this people will know that You, LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back to Yourself.

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 offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

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 When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!"

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 Then Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Do not let any of them escape." So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.

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

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 drink, but Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel, crouched down to the ground, and put his face between his knees.

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 Then he said to his servant, "Go and look toward the sea." So he went and looked and said, "There is nothing." Seven times Elijah told him, "Go back."

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 On the seventh time, the servant reported, "Behold, a small cloud, as small as a man’s hand, is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.'"

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 In a short while, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain began to fall. Ahab mounted his chariot and rode to Jezreel.

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 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.

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