And it came to pass after many days
, that the word
of the LORD
came to Elijah
in the third
year
, saying
, Go
, shew
thyself unto Ahab
; and I will send
rain
upon
the earth
.
And Elijah went
to shew
himself unto Ahab
. And there was a sore
famine
in Samaria
.
And Ahab called
Obadiah
, which was the governor of his house
. (Now Obadiah
feared
the LORD
greatly
:
For it was so , when Jezebel cut off
the prophets
of the LORD
, that Obadiah
took
an hundred
prophets
, and hid
them by fifty
in a cave
, and fed
them with bread
and water
.)
And Ahab said
unto Obadiah
, Go
into the land
, unto all fountains
of water
, and unto all brooks
: peradventure
we may find
grass
to save
the horses
and mules
alive
, that we lose
not all the beasts
.
So they divided the land
between them to pass throughout
it: Ahab
went
one
way
by himself, and Obadiah
went
another
way
by himself.
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
?
And he answered him, I am : go
, tell
thy lord
, Behold, Elijah
is here .
And he said, What have I sinned
, that thou wouldest deliver
thy servant
into the hand
of Ahab
, to slay
me?
As the LORD thy God
liveth
, there is no
nation
or 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.
And now thou sayest, Go
, tell
thy lord
, Behold, Elijah
is here .
And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit
of the LORD
shall carry
thee whither I know
not; and so when I come
and tell
Ahab
, and he cannot find
thee, he shall slay
me: but I thy servant
fear
the LORD
from my youth
.
Was it not told my lord
what I did
when Jezebel
slew
the prophets
of the LORD
, how I hid
an hundred
men
of the LORD'S
prophets
by fifty
in a cave
, and fed
them with bread
and water
?
And now thou sayest, Go
, tell
thy lord
, Behold, Elijah
is here : and he shall slay
me.
And Elijah said
, As the LORD
of hosts
liveth
, before
whom I stand
, I will surely shew
myself unto him to day
.
So Obadiah went
to meet
Ahab
, and told
him: and Ahab
went
to meet
Elijah
.
And it came to pass, when Ahab saw
Elijah
, that Ahab
said
unto him, Art thou he that troubleth
Israel
?
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
.
Now therefore send, and gather
to me all Israel
unto mount
Carmel
, and the prophets
of Baal
four
hundred
and fifty
, and the prophets
of the groves
four
hundred
, which eat
at Jezebel's
table
.
So Ahab sent
unto all the children
of Israel
, and gathered
the prophets
together
unto mount
Carmel
.
And Elijah came
unto all the people
, and said
, How long
halt
ye between two
opinions
? if the LORD
be God
, follow him: but if Baal
, then follow
him. And the people
answered
him not a word
.
Then said Elijah
unto the people
, I, even I only, remain
a prophet
of the LORD
; but Baal's
prophets
are four
hundred
and fifty
men
.
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 :
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
.
And Elijah said
unto 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 .
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
.
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 in a journey
, or peradventure
he sleepeth
, and must be awaked
.
And they cried aloud
, and cut
themselves after their manner
with knives
and lancets
, till the blood
gushed out
upon them.
And it came to pass, when midday 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
.
And Elijah said
unto all the people
, Come near
unto me. And all the people
came near
unto him. And he repaired
the altar
of the LORD
that was broken down
.
And Elijah took
twelve
stones
, according to the number
of the tribes
of the sons
of Jacob
, unto whom the word
of the LORD
came, saying
, Israel
shall be thy name
:
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
.
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
.
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
.
And the water ran
round about
the altar
; and he filled
the trench
also with water
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
And Elijah said
unto 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.
And Elijah said
unto Ahab
, Get thee up
, eat
and drink
; for there is a sound
of abundance
of rain
.
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
,
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
.
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
unto Ahab
, Prepare
thy chariot , and get thee down
, that the rain
stop
thee not.
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
.
And the hand of the LORD
was on Elijah
; and he girded up
his loins
, and ran
before
Ahab
to the entrance
of Jezreel
.