1 Kings 18

And it was many days, and the word of God was to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will give rain on the face of the ground.”

So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. (Now the famine {was} strong in Samaria.) \*

And Ahab called to Obadiah, who {was} over the house. (Now Obadiah was fearing God greatly.

Now it had happened, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of God, that Obadiah had taken 100 prophets and hidden them, 50 men in the cave, and he had sustained them {with} bread and water.) \*

And Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go into the land, to all of the springs of water and to all of the wadis. Perhaps we will find grass, and we will keep alive a horse or a mule, and we will not cut off from the cattle.”

And they divided the land between them to pass through it. Ahab went in one way by himself, and Obadiah went in one way by himself.

And it happened that Obadiah {was} on the road, and behold, Elijah met him. And he recognized him, and he fell on his face and said, “{Is} this you, my lord Elijah?”

And he said to him, “{It is} I. Go, say to your master, ‘Behold, Elijah.’” \*

And he said, “How have I sinned, that you are putting your servant into the hand of Ahab to kill me?

The life of God your God, if {there} is a nation or a kingdom where my master has not sent to seek you there. If they said ‘Not,’ then he made the kingdom or the nation swear that it had not found you.

And now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah.”’ \*

And it will happen that I, I will go from with you, and the Spirit of God will carry you to where I do not know. And I will come to declare to Ahab, but he will not find you, and he will kill me. But your servant {has been} fearing God from my youth.

Has it not been declared to my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of God, that I hid 100 men from the prophets of God, 50, 50 men in the cave, and I sustained them with bread and water? \*

And now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah,”’ and he will kill me.”

And Elijah said, “The life of God of Armies, to whose face I stand, surely today I will show myself to him.” \*

So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and he declared to him. And Ahab went to meet Elijah.

And it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “{Is} this you, one troubling Israel?” \*

And he said, “I have not troubled Israel, but rather you and the house of your father, by your forsaking the commandments of God and going after the Baals.

And now, send, gather to me all of Israel to Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, eaters at the table of Jezebel.” \*

And Ahab sent among all of the sons of Israel, and he gathered the prophets to Mount Carmel.

And Elijah approached to all of the people, and he said, “Until when {will} you {be} limping on two opinions? If God {is} God, go after him, but if Baal, go after him.” But the people did not answer him a word. \*

And Elijah said to the people, “I, I remain a prophet of God by myself, but the prophets of Baal {are} 450 men.

Now let them give two bulls to us, and let them choose for themselves one bull, and let them cut it up. And let them set {it} on the wood, but let them not set a fire. And I, I will prepare one bull, and I will put {it} on the wood, but I will not set a fire.

And you will call on the name of your god, and I, I will call on the name of God. And it will happen that the God who answers with fire, he {is} God.” And all of the people answered and said, “The word {is} good.” \*

And Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull, and prepare {it} first, for you are many. And call on the name of your god, but you shall not set a fire.”

And they took the bull that one gave to them, and they prepared, and they called on the name of Baal from morning and to midday, saying, “Baal, answer us!” But {there was} no voice, and {there was} no answering. And they limped beside the altar that one had made. \*

And it happened at midday that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a great voice, for he is a god. Surely {he is in} contemplation, or surely {he has} a withdrawal for himself, or surely a way {is} to him. Perhaps he {is} asleep and he will awaken.”

And they called out with a great voice, and they cut themselves, according to their custom, with swords and with spears until a pouring of blood {was} on them.

And it happened, when midday passed, that they prophesied until the offering of the grain offering. But {there was} no voice, and {there was} no answering, and there was no attention. \*

And Elijah said to all of the people, “Come near to me.” And all of the people came near to him. And he repaired the broken-down altar of God.

And Elijah took 12 stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of God had been, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”

And with the stones he built an altar in the name of God. And he made a trench around the altar like the house of two seahs {of} seed. \*

And he arranged the wood, and he cut up the bull, and he set {it} on the wood.

And he said, “Fill four jars {with} water, and pour {it} on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do a second time,” and they did a second time. And he said, “Do a third time,” and they did a third time.

And the water went around the altar, and it even filled the trench with water. \*

And it happened at the offering of the grain offering that Elijah the prophet came near, and he said, “God, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and I {am} your servant and by your word I have done all these things.

Answer me, God! Answer me so that this people may know that you, God, {are} God, and you, you have turned their heart back.” \*

And the fire of God fell, and it consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust. And it licked up the water that {was} in the trench.

And all of the people saw, and they fell on their faces. And they said, “God, he {is} God! God, he {is} God!”

And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a man from them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah led them down to the wadi Kishon, and he slaughtered them there. \*

And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for {there is} the sound of the roar of a shower.”

So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the head of Carmel, and he bowed down to the ground, and he put his face between his knees. \*

And he said to his servant, “Go up, please, look the way of the sea.” And he went up, and he looked, and he said, “{There is} not anything.” And he said, “Return,” seven times.

And it happened on the seventh time that he said, “Behold, a small cloud like the palm of a man is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Harness and go down so the rain does not stop you.’” \*

And it happened to thus and to thus that the heavens darkened {with} clouds and wind, and {there} was a great shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.

And the hand of God was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins, and he ran to the face of Ahab to your coming {to} Jezreel. \*