Verse 1
It happened after many days, that the word of Yahweh came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.
Verse 2
Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was sore in Samaria.
Verse 3
Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared Yahweh greatly:
Verse 4
for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of Yahweh, that Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
Verse 5
Ahab said to Obadiah, Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks: peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals.
Verse 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.
Verse 7
As Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Is it you, my lord Elijah?
Verse 8
He answered him, It is I: go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah [is here].
Verse 9
He said, Wherein have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?
Verse 10
As Yahweh your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom, where my lord has not sent to seek you: and when they said, He is not here, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they didn't find you.
Verse 11
Now you say, Go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah [is here].
Verse 12
It will happen, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you I don't know where; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he can't find you, he will kill me: but I your servant fear Yahweh from my youth.
Verse 13
Wasn't it told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of Yahweh, how I hid one hundred men of Yahweh's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
Verse 14
Now you say, Go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah [is here]; and he will kill me.
Verse 15
Elijah said, As Yahweh of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.
Verse 16
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
Verse 17
It happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, Is it you, you troubler of Israel?
Verse 18
He answered, I have not troubled Israel; but you, and your father's house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of Yahweh, and you have followed the Baals.
Verse 19
Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, who eat at Jezebel's table.
Verse 20
So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel.
Verse 21
Elijah came near to all the people, and said, "How long will you waver between the two sides? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." The people answered him not a word.
Verse 22
Then Elijah said to the people, "I, even I only, am left a prophet of Yahweh; but Baal's prophets are four hundred fifty men.
Verse 23
Let them therefore give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under.
Verse 24
You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh; and the God who answers by fire, let him be God." All the people answered, "It is well said."
Verse 25
Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first; for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it."
Verse 26
They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any who answered. They leaped about the altar which was made.
Verse 27
It happened at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud; for he is a god: either he is musing, or he is gone aside, or he is on a journey, or peradventure he sleeps and must be awakened.
Verse 28
They cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.
Verse 29
It was so, when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the [evening] offering; but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any who regarded.
Verse 30
Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me; and all the people came near to him. He repaired the altar of Yahweh that was thrown down.
Verse 31
Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of Yahweh came, saying, Israel shall be your name.
Verse 32
With the stones he built an altar in the name of Yahweh; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
Verse 33
He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering, and on the wood.
Verse 34
He said, Do it the second time; and they did it the second time. He said, Do it the third time; and they did it the third time.
Verse 35
The water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
Verse 36
It happened at the time of the offering of the [evening] offering, 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.
Verse 37
Hear me, Yahweh, hear me, that this people may know that you, Yahweh, are God, and [that] you have turned their heart back again.
Verse 38
Then the fire of Yahweh fell, and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
Verse 39
When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, Yahweh, he is God; Yahweh, he is God.
Verse 40
and Elijah said to them, Take the prophets of Baal; don't let one of them escape. They took them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.
Verse 41
Elijah said to Ahab, Get you up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.
Verse 42
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his face between his knees.
Verse 43
He said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. He went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. He said, Go again seven times.
Verse 44
It happened at the seventh time, that he said, "Behold, a small cloud, like a man's hand, is rising out of the sea." He said, Go up, tell Ahab, Make ready [your chariot], and get you down, that the rain not stop you.
Verse 45
It happened in a little while, that the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel:
Verse 46
and the hand of Yahweh was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.