1 N ow it happened after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.”

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.

2 S o Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.

And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.

3 A hab called Obadiah who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly;

And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly:

4 f or when Jezebel destroyed the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water.)

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.)

5 T hen 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 have to kill some of the cattle.”

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.

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

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 N ow as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him, and he recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Is this you, Elijah my master?”

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?

8 H e said to him, “It is I. Go, say to your master, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.’”

And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

9 H e said, “What sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to put me to death?

And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?

10 A s 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.

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.

11 A nd now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here.”’

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

12 I t will come about when I leave you that 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 feared the Lord from my youth.

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.

13 H as it not been told to my master what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, that I hid a hundred prophets of the Lord by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water?

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?

14 A nd now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here ”’; he will then kill me.”

And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.

15 E lijah said, “ As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”

And Elijah said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.

16 S o Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

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

17 W hen Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?”

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

18 H e said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed the Baals.

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 N ow then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” God or Baal on Mount Carmel

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.

20 S o Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel.

So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.

21 E lijah came near to all the people and said, “ How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.

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.

22 T hen Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.

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.

23 N ow 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.

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:

24 T hen you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people said, “ That is a good idea.”

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.

25 S o 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.”

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.

26 T hen they took the ox which was 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 no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made.

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.

27 I t 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.”

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.

28 S o they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them.

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

29 W hen midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.

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.

30 T hen Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord which had been torn down.

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.

31 E lijah 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, “ Israel shall be your name.”

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 S o with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed.

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.

33 T hen he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood.

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.

34 A nd 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.

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 T he water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water. Elijah’s Prayer

And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

36 A t the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “ O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word.

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.

37 A nswer 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.”

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.

38 T hen the fire 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.

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.

39 W hen all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “ The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”

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.

40 T hen 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 the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

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.

41 N ow Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.”

And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

42 S o Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees.

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 H e 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.

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 I t came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘ Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’”

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.

45 I n a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.

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.

46 T hen the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab 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.