1 Kings 18

Now it happened 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 on the face of the earth.”

Later on, in the third year of the drought, the Lord said to Elijah, “Go and present yourself to King Ahab. Tell him that I will soon send rain!”

So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.

So Elijah went to appear before Ahab.

Meanwhile, the famine had become very severe in Samaria.

Ahab called Obadiah who was over the household. (Now Obadiah ^[a]feared the Lord greatly;

So Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Obadiah was a devoted follower of the Lord.

for when Jezebel ^[b]destroyed the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water.)

Once when Jezebel had tried to kill all the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had hidden 100 of them in two caves. He put fifty prophets in each cave and supplied them with food and water.)

Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not ^[c]have to kill some of the cattle.”

Ahab said to Obadiah, “We must check every spring and valley in the land to see if we can find enough grass to save at least some of my horses and mules.”

So they divided the land between them to ^[d]survey it; Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way by himself.

So they divided the land between them. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

Now as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah ^[e]met him, and he recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Is this you, Elijah my master?”

As Obadiah was walking along, he suddenly saw Elijah coming toward him. Obadiah recognized him at once and bowed low to the ground before him. “Is it really you, my lord Elijah?” he asked.

He said to him, “It is I. Go, say to your master, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.’”

“Yes, it is,” Elijah replied. “Now go and tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’”

He said, “What ^[f]sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to put me to death?

“Oh, sir,” Obadiah protested, “what harm have I done to you that you are sending me to my death at the hands of Ahab?

As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent to search for you; and when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you.

For I swear by the Lord your God that the king has searched every nation and kingdom on earth from end to end to find you. And each time he was told, ‘Elijah isn’t here,’ King Ahab forced the king of that nation to swear to the truth of his claim.

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

And now you say, ‘Go and tell your master, “Elijah is here.”’

It will come about when I leave you that the Spirit of the Lord will carry you where I do not know; so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have ^[g]feared the Lord from my youth.

But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you away to who knows where. When Ahab comes and cannot find you, he will kill me. Yet I have been a true servant of the Lord all my life.

Has it not been told to my master what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, that I hid ^[h]a hundred prophets of the Lord by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water?

Has no one told you, my lord, about the time when Jezebel was trying to kill the Lord’s prophets? I hid 100 of them in two caves and supplied them with food and water.

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

And now you say, ‘Go and tell your master, “Elijah is here.”’ Sir, if I do that, Ahab will certainly kill me.”

Elijah said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”

But Elijah said, “I swear by the Lord Almighty, in whose presence I stand, that I will present myself to Ahab this very day.”

So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come, and Ahab went out to meet Elijah.

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?”

When Ahab saw him, he exclaimed, “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?”

He said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed the Baals.

“I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.

Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

God or Baal on Mount Carmel

Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who are supported by Jezebel.^[a]”

So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel.

So Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel.

Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you ^[i]hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.

Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.

Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.

Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets.

Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it.

Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it.

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, He is God.” And all the people said, “^[j]That is a good idea.”

Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” And all the people agreed.

So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”

Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood.”

Then they took the ox which ^[k]was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they ^[l]leaped about the altar which ^[m]they made.

So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made.

It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.”

About noontime Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself.^[b] Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!”

So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them.

So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out.

When midday was past, they ^[n]raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no ^[o]one paid attention.

They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response.

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord which had been torn down.

Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down.

Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”

He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel,^[c]

So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two ^[p]measures of seed.

and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons.^[d]

Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood.

He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood.^[e]

Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.”

And he said, “Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 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.

After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said,

The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.

Elijah’s Prayer

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

At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word.

At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,^[f] prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command.

Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.”

O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

Then the fire of the Lord 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.

Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!

When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”

And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

Then Elijah commanded, “Seize all the prophets of Baal. Don’t let a single one escape!” So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there.

Elijah Prays for Rain

Now Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.”

Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!”

So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees.

So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.

He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times.

Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.”

The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.”

Seven times Elijah told him to go and look.

It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘^[q]Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’”

Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”

Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’”

In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.

And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel.

Then the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and ^[r]outran Ahab ^[s]to Jezreel.

Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt^[g] and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.