Now it happened aafter many
days
that the word
of the LORD
came
to Elijah
in the third
year
, saying
, "Go
, show
yourself to Ahab
, and bI will send
rain
on the face
of the earth
."
So Elijah went
to show
himself to Ahab
. Now the famine
was severe
in Samaria
.
Ahab called
Obadiah
awho
was over
the household
. (Now Obadiah
1 bfeared
the LORD
greatly
;
for awhen Jezebel 1destroyed
the prophets
of the LORD
, Obadiah
took
a hundred
prophets
and hid
them by fifties
in a cave
, and bprovided
them with bread
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 1have to kill
some
of the cattle
."
So they divided the land
between them to 1survey
it; Ahab
went
one
way
by himself
and Obadiah
went
another
way
by himself
.
Now as Obadiah was on the way
, behold
, Elijah
1met
him, aand he recognized
him and fell
on his face
and said
, "Is this
you, Elijah
my master
?"
He said to him, "It is I. Go
, say
to your master
, `Behold
, Elijah
is here."'
He said, "What
1sin
have I committed
, that you are giving
your servant
into the hand
of Ahab
to put
me to death
?
" aAs 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.
"And now you are saying
, `Go
, say
to your master
, "Behold
, Elijah
is here."'
"It will come about when I leave
you athat 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 1feared
the LORD
from my youth
.
" aHas it not been told to my master
what
I did
when Jezebel
killed
the prophets
of the LORD
, that I hid
1a hundred
prophets
of the LORD
by fifties
in a cave
, and provided
them with bread
and water
?
"And now you are saying
, `Go
, say
to your master
, "Behold
, Elijah
is here"'; he will then kill
me."
Elijah said
, " aAs the LORD
of hosts
lives
, before
whom
I stand
, I will surely
show
myself to him today
."
So Obadiah went
to meet
Ahab
and told
him; and Ahab
went
to meet
Elijah
.
When Ahab saw
Elijah
, aAhab
said
to him, "Is this
you, you troubler
of Israel
?"
He said, "I have not troubled
Israel
, but you and your father's
house
have, because ayou have forsaken
the commandments
of the LORD
and byou have followed
the Baals
.
"Now then send
and gather
to me all
Israel
at aMount
Carmel
, btogether with 450
prophets
of Baal
and 400
prophets
of cthe Asherah
, who eat
at Jezebel's
table
."
So Ahab sent
a message among all
the sons
of Israel
and brought
the prophets
together
at Mount
Carmel
.
Elijah came
near
to all
the people
and said
, " aHow
long
will you 1hesitate
between
two
opinions
? bIf
the LORD
is God
, follow
Him; but if
Baal
, follow
him." But the people
did not answer
him a word
.
Then Elijah said
to the people
, "I aalone
am left
a prophet
of the LORD
, but Baal's
prophets
are b450
men
.
"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.
"Then you call on the name
of your god
, and I will call
on the name
of the LORD
, and athe God
who
answers
by fire
, He is God
." And all
the people
said
, " 1That is a good
idea
."
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 they took the ox
which
1was 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 ano
voice
and no
one
answered
. And they 2leaped
about
the altar
which
3they 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
."
So they cried with a loud
voice
and acut
themselves according to their custom
with swords
and lances
until
the blood
gushed
out on them.
When midday was past
, they 1raved
auntil
the time of the offering
of the evening sacrifice
; but there
was no
voice
, no
one
answered
, and no
2one
paid
attention
.
Then Elijah said
to all
the people
, "Come
near
to me." So all
the people
came
near
to him. And ahe repaired
the altar
of the LORD
which 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
, " aIsrael
shall be your name
."
So with the stones he built
an altar
in athe name
of the LORD
, and he made
a trench
around
the altar
, large
enough to hold
two 1measures
of seed
.
aThen he arranged the wood
and cut
the ox
in pieces
and laid
it on 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
.
The water flowed
around
the altar
and he also
filled
the trench
with water
.
aAt the time of the offering
of the evening sacrifice
, Elijah
the prophet
came
near
and said
, " bO LORD
, the God
of Abraham
, Isaac
and Israel
, today
let it be known
that cYou are God
in Israel
and that I am Your servant
and dI have done
all
these
things
at Your word
.
"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
."
Then the afire 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
.
When all the people
saw
it, they fell
on their faces
; and they said
, " aThe LORD
, He is God
; the LORD
, He 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 athe brook
Kishon
, band slew
them there
.
Now Elijah said
to Ahab
, "Go
up, eat
and drink
; for there is the sound
of the roar
of a heavy shower
."
So Ahab went
up to eat
and drink
. But Elijah
went
up to the top
of aCarmel
; and he bcrouched
down
on the earth
and put
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
.
It came about at the seventh
time, that he said
, "Behold
, aa cloud
as small
as a man's
hand
is coming
up from the sea
." And he said
, "Go
up, say
to Ahab
, ` 1Prepare
your chariot and go
down
, so that the heavy shower
does not 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 aJezreel
.
Then athe hand of the LORD
was on Elijah
, and bhe girded
up his loins
and 1outran
Ahab
2to Jezreel
.