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 thyself
to Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.
18:2 And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. And [there was] a
grievous famine in Samaria.
18:3 And Ahab called Obadiah who [was] the governor of [his]
house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:
18:4 For it was [so], when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the
LORD, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by
fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
18:5 And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go into the land, to all
fountains of water, and to all brooks: it may be we may find
grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all
the beasts.
18:6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout
it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way
by himself.
18:7 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?
18:8 And he answered him, I [am]: go, tell thy lord, Behold,
Elijah [is here].
18:9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver
thy servant into the hand of Ahab to slay me?
18:10 [As] the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation nor
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.
18:11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah [is
here].
18:12 And it will come to pass, [as soon as] I have gone from
thee, that the Spirit of the LORD will carry thee whither I
know not; and [so] when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot
find thee, he will slay me: but I thy servant fear the LORD
from my youth.
18:13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the
prophets of the LORD, how I hid a hundred men of the LORD'S
prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
18:14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah [is
here]: and he will slay me.
18:15 And Elijah said, [As] the LORD of hosts liveth, before
whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him to-day.
18:16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went
to meet Elijah.
18:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said
to him, [Art] thou he that troubleth Israel?
18:18 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.
18:19 Now therefore send, [and] gather to me all Israel to mount
Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and
the prophets of the groves four hundred, who eat at Jezebel's
table.
18:20 So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered
the prophets to mount Carmel.
18:21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, How long halt
ye between two opinions? if the LORD [is] God, follow him: but
if Baal, [then] follow him. And the people answered him not a
word.
18:22 Then said Elijah to the people, I [even] I only, remain a
prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophet's [are] four hundred
and fifty men.
18:23 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]:
18:24 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.
18:25 And Elijah said to 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].
18:26 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.
18:27 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 on a journey, [or] perhaps he sleepeth,
and must be awaked.
18:28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their
manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon
them.
18:29 And it came to pass, when mid-day 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.
18:30 And 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 was] broken down.
18:31 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 thy name:
18:32 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.
18:33 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.
18:34 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.
18:35 And the water ran around the altar; and he filled the
trench also with water.
18:36 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.
18:37 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.
18:38 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.
18:39 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.
18:40 And Elijah said to 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.
18:41 And Elijah said to Ahab, Go up, eat and drink; for [there
is] a sound of abundance of rain.
18:42 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,
18:43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look towards the sea.
And he went up and looked, and said, [There is] nothing. And he
said, Go again seven times.
18:44 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 to Ahab, Prepare [thy
chariot], and go down, that the rain may not hinder thee.
18:45 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.
18:46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded his
loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
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