FIRST KINGS

 

1 Kings Chapter 18

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

2 And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. And there was a severe famine in Samaria.

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

4 For when Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with food and water.)

5 And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go into the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the streams: perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, so that we do not lose all the beasts.

6 So they divided the land between them to go through it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

7 And as Obadiah was on his way Elijah met him: and he recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, Are you my lord Elijah?

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

9 And he said, What sin have I committed, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to be slain?

10 As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom, where my master 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 had not found you.

11 And now you say, Go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

12 Then, as soon as I have left you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you I know not where; and so when I go and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me: but I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth.

13 Were you not told my lord what I did when Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD, how I hid a hundred of the LORD’S prophets by groups of fifty in a cave, and provided them with food and water?

14 And now you say, Go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he will kill me.

15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.

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

17 ¶ And when Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, Are you he who troubles Israel?

18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father’s house, by forsaking the commandments of the LORD, and by following Baalim.

19 Therefore send men, and gather all Israel to me at mount Carmel, including the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of the groves, who eat at Jezebel’s table.

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

21 ¶ And Elijah approached the people, and said, How long will you halt between two opinions? if the LORD is God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. But the people did not say a word.

22 Then Elijah said to the people, I, even I alone, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

23 Let two bulls be given to us; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it: and I will dress the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire to it:

24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God who answers by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered saying, That is a good plan.

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

26 And they took the bullock that had been given to them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning to noon, crying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, no one answered. And they danced at the altar they had made.

27 At noon, Elijah started to mock them, saying, Shout louder: for he is a god; perhaps he is thinking, or is busy, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep, and must be awakened.

28 And they shouted louder, and cut themselves after their custom with knives and lances, until the blood flowed on them.

29 And in the afternoon, they raved on until the time of the evening sacrifice, but no one spoke, or answered, or paid any attention.

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been broken down.

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

32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench around the altar, deep enough to hold two measures of seed.

33 And he arranged the wood, and cut the bull in pieces, laying 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 a second time. And they did it a second time. And he said, Do it a third time. And they did it a third time.

35 And the water flowed around the altar; and even the trench was filled with water.

36 And at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, 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.

37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that you are the LORD God, and that you have turned their hearts back.

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 said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.

40 And Elijah said to them, Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape. And they seized them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and executed them there.

41 ¶ Then Elijah said to Ahab, Go 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 bowed 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 the seventh time, the servant said, Behold, a little cloud is arising out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say to Ahab, Prepare your chariot, and go down, lest the rain stop you.

45 In the mean time, the heavens grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab got in his chariot, and went to Jezreel.

46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he tucked his robe in his belt, and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.