1 After many days, Yahweh’s word came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth."

2 Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria. 3 Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared Yahweh greatly; 4 for when Jezebel cut off Yahweh’s prophets, Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) 5 Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals."

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. 7 As Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. He recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, "Is it you, my lord Elijah?"

8 He answered him, "It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here!’"

9 He said, "How have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me? 10 As Yahweh your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he took an oath of the kingdom and nation that they didn’t find you. 11 Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, "Behold, Elijah is here."’ 12 It will happen, as soon as I leave you, that Yahweh’s Spirit will carry you I don’t know where; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he can’t find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared Yahweh from my youth. 13 Wasn’t it told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed Yahweh’s prophets, how I hid one hundred men of Yahweh’s prophets with fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water? 14 Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, "Behold, Elijah is here".’ He will kill me."

15 Elijah said, "As Yahweh of Armies lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today." 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?"

18 He answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken Yahweh’s commandments and you have followed the Baals. 19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and four hundred fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table."

20 So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah came near to all the people, and said, "How long will you waver between the two sides? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him."

The people didn’t say a word.

22 Then Elijah said to the people, "I, even I only, am left as a prophet of Yahweh; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred fifty men. 23 Let them therefore give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it. 24 You call on the name of your god, and I will call on Yahweh’s name. The God who answers by fire, let him be God."

All the people answered, "What you say is good."

25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it."

26 They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, "Baal, hear us!" But there was no voice, and nobody answered. They leaped about the altar which was made.

27 At noon, Elijah mocked them, and said, "Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is deep in thought, or he has gone somewhere, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened."

28 They cried aloud, and cut themselves in their way with knives and lances until the blood gushed out on them. 29 When midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the evening offering; but there was no voice, no answer, and nobody paid attention.

30 Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me!"; and all the people came near to him. He repaired Yahweh’s altar that had been thrown down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom Yahweh’s word came, saying, "Israel shall be your name." 32 With the stones he built an altar in Yahweh’s name. He made a trench around the altar large enough to contain two seahs of seed. 33 He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. He said, "Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood." 34 He said, "Do it a second time;" and they did it the second time. He said, "Do it a third time;" and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

36 At the time of the evening offering, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "Yahweh, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Hear me, Yahweh, hear me, that this people may know that you, Yahweh, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again."

38 Then Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust; and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. They said, "Yahweh, he is God! Yahweh, he is God!"

40 Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Don’t let one of them escape!"

They seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.

41 Elijah said to Ahab, "Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain."

42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his face between his knees. 43 He said to his servant, "Go up now and look toward the sea."

He went up and looked, then said, "There is nothing."

He said, "Go again" seven times.

44 On the seventh time, he said, "Behold, a small cloud, like a man’s hand, is rising out of the sea."

He said, "Go up, tell Ahab, ‘Get ready and go down, so that the rain doesn’t stop you.’"

45 In a little while, the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. 46 Yahweh’s hand was on Elijah; and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

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 unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

2 And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab. And [there was] a severe famine in Samaria.

3 And Ahab called Obadiah, who [was] the governor of [his] house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly,

4 for when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took one hundred prophets and hid them in groups of fifty in caves and sustained them with bread and water.)

5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go through the land to all the fountains of water and to all the brooks; peradventure we may find herbage to save the horses and mules alive that we not lose all the beasts.

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.

7 And as Obadiah was in the way, Elijah met him; and when he recognized him, he fell on his face, and said, [Art] thou not my lord Elijah?

8 And he answered him, I [am]; go, tell thy lord, [Behold] Elijah.

9 And he said, In what have I sinned that thou should deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, for [him] to slay me?

10 [As] the LORD thy God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek thee; and when they [all] said, [He is] not [here]; he has caused kingdoms and nations to swear an oath if they have found thee [or] not.

11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold Elijah.

12 And it shall come to pass [as soon as] I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee where 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.

13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid one hundred men of the LORD'S prophets in groups of fifty in caves and sustained them with bread and water?

14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, [Behold] Elijah; and he shall slay me.

15 And Elijah said unto him, As the LORD of the hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him today.

16 Then Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab came to meet Elijah.

17 And it came to pass when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, [Art] thou he that troubles Israel?

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.

19 Now therefore send [and] gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel, and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of the groves, who eat at Jezebel's table.

20 Then Ahab sent unto all the sons of Israel and gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel.

21 And Elijah came near unto all the people and said, How long shall ye halt between two opinions? If the LORD [is] God, follow him; but if Baal, [then] follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.

22 Then Elijah spoke again unto the people, I, [even] I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets [are] four hundred and fifty men.

23 Give us, therefore, 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 it]; and I will dress the other bullock and lay [it] on wood and put no fire [under it].

24 And invoke ye in the name of your gods, and I will invoke in the name of the LORD; and it shall be that the God that answers by fire is God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

25 So Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves and dress [it] first, for ye [are] many, and invoke in the name of your gods, but put no fire [under it].

26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed [it] and invoked in the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, answer us. But [there was] no voice nor anyone that answered. And they jumped up and down near the altar which they had made.

27 And it came to pass at noon that Elijah mocked them and said, Cry aloud, for he [is] a god; peradventure he is talking or he had to go to the latrine, or he is on a journey, [or] he sleeps and will awake.

28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets until the blood gushed out upon them.

29 And when midday was past, [even] so they prophesied until the [time] of the offering of the [evening] sacrifice, and [there was] neither voice nor anyone that answered nor anyone that heard.

30 Then 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.

31 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;

32 and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; then he made a trench round about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bullock in pieces and laid [it] on the wood and said, Fill four pitchers with water and pour [it] on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.

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.

35 So that the water ran round about the altar, and he had filled the trench also with water.

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, of 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.

37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that thou [art] the LORD God and [that] thou shalt convert their heart back again [to thee].

38 Then fire of the LORD fell, which consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the water that [was] in the trench.

39 And seeing it, all the people fell on their faces, and they said, The LORD, he [is] the God; the LORD, he [is] the God.

40 And Elijah said unto them, Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they seized them; and Elijah took them down to the brook Kishon and slew them there.

41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, Go up, eat and drink; for [there is] a sound of abundance of rain.

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

43 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.

44 And the seventh time he said, Behold, a little cloud like the palm of a man's [hand] arises out of the sea. And he said, Go and say to Ahab, Prepare [thy chariot] and descend that the rain not stop thee.

45 And it came to pass in the meanwhile that the heavens became black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.

46 And the hand of the LORD was upon Elijah, who girded up his loins and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.: