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.

After many days, the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go show yourself to Ahab. And I will send rain upon the earth.”

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

So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the time without food was very hard in Samaria.

3 A nd Ahab called Obadiah, who was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly,

And Ahab called Obadiah who was the boss over his house. (Now Obadiah had much fear of the Lord.

4 f or 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.)

For when Jezebel destroyed the men who spoke for the Lord, Obadiah took 100 of these men and hid them by fifties in a cave. And he fed them with bread and water.)

5 A nd 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.

Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the wells of water and to all the valleys. It may be that we will find grass and keep the horses and donkeys alive, and not lose some of the animals.

6 S o they divided the land between them to pass throughout it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

So they divided the land between them to pass through it. Ahab went one way by himself. And Obadiah went another way by himself.

7 A nd 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?

As Obadiah was on the way, Elijah met him. Obadiah knew who he was, and fell on his face and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”

8 A nd he answered him, I am; go, tell thy lord, Behold Elijah.

He answered, “It is I. Go and tell your owner, ‘See, Elijah is here.’”

9 A nd he said, In what have I sinned that thou should deliver thy slave into the hand of Ahab, for him to slay me?

Obadiah said, “What sin have I done? Why are you giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to be killed?

10 A s 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.

As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation where the king has not sent men to look for you. And when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made the nation prove that they could not find you.

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

Now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your owner, “See, Elijah is here.” ‘

12 A nd 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 slave, fear the LORD from my youth.

And after I have left you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you where I do not know. So I will go and tell Ahab, and he will not be able to find you. Then he will kill me. But I your servant have honored the Lord since I was young.

13 W as 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?

Have you not been told what I did when Jezebel killed the men who spoke for the Lord? I hid 100 men of the Lord by fifties in a cave. And I gave them bread and water.

14 A nd now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold Elijah; and he shall slay me.

Now you are saying, ‘Go and tell your owner, “See, Elijah is here.”’ He will kill me.”

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

Elijah said, “As the Lord of All lives, before Whom I stand, I will show myself to Ahab today.”

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

So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him. And Ahab went to meet Elijah.

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

When he saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, the one who brings trouble to Israel?”

18 A nd 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.

Elijah said, “I have not brought trouble to Israel. But you and your father’s house have. Because you have turned away from the laws of the Lord, and have followed the false gods of Baal.

19 N ow 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.

So now call together all Israel to me at Mount Carmel. And gather together 450 men who speak for Baal and 400 men who speak for the false goddess Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” Elijah on Mount Carmel

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

So Ahab sent news among all the people of Israel. And he brought the men who speak for the false gods together at 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.

Elijah came near all the people and said, “How long will you be divided between two ways of thinking? If the Lord is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, then follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.

22 T hen 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.

Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only man left who speaks for God. But here are 450 men who speak for Baal.

23 G ive 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.

Bring two bulls to us. Let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it up and put it on the wood. But put no fire under it. I will make the other bull ready and lay it on the wood. And I will put no fire under it.

24 A nd 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.

Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The God Who answers by fire, He is God.” All the people answered and said, “That is a good idea.”

25 S o 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.

So Elijah said to the men who spoke for Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and make it ready first. For there are many of you. Then call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”

26 A nd 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.

So they took the bull which was given to them and made it ready. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice. No one answered. They jumped and danced around the altar they had made.

27 A nd 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.

At noon Elijah made fun of them. He said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god. It might be that he is in deep thought or has turned away. He could be away traveling. Or it may be that he is asleep and needs to have someone wake him.”

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

So they cried with a loud voice. They cut themselves as they had done in the past, with swords and spears until blood poured out on them.

29 A nd 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.

When noon passed, they cried out until the time for giving the evening gift. But there was no voice. No one answered. No one listened.

30 T hen 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.

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

31 A nd 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;

Then Elijah took twelve stones, by the number of the families of Jacob’s sons. The word of the Lord had come to Jacob’s sons, saying, “Israel will be your name.”

32 a nd 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.

With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a ditch around the altar, big enough to hold twenty-two jars of seed.

33 A nd 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.

Then he set the wood in place. He cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt gift and on the wood.”

34 A nd 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.

Then he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. He said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time.

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

The water flowed around the altar, and filled the ditch also.

36 A nd 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 slave and that I have done all these things at thy word.

Then the time came for giving the evening gift. Elijah the man who spoke for God came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that You are God in Israel. Let it be known that I am Your servant, and have done all these things at Your word.

37 A nswer 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.

Answer me, O Lord. Answer me so these people may know that You, O Lord, are God. Turn their hearts to You again.”

38 T hen 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.

Then the fire of the Lord fell. It burned up the burnt gift, the wood, the stones and the dust. And it picked up the water that was in the ditch.

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

All the people fell on their faces when they saw it. They said, “The Lord, He is God. The Lord, He is God.”

40 A nd 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.

Then Elijah said to them, “Take hold of the men who speak for Baal. Do not let one of them get away.” So they took hold of them. And Elijah brought them down to the river Kishon, and killed them there. The Rains Come

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

Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink. For there is the sound of much rain.”

42 S o 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

So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel. He got down on the ground and put his face between his knees.

43 a nd said to his slave, 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 he said to his servant, “Go up now and look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go again.”

44 A nd 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.

The seventh time, he said, “I see a cloud as small as a man’s hand coming up from the sea.” Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Make your war-wagon ready and go down, so that the rain does not stop you.’”

45 A nd 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.

Soon the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was much rain. And Ahab went to Jezreel.

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

Then the hand of the Lord was on Elijah. He pulled his clothing up under his belt and ran before Ahab to Jezreel.