1 A fter 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.”

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

So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.

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

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

4 F or 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.)

For when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.)

5 T hen 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.

And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go into the land to all the fountains of water and to all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, that we lose none of the beasts.

6 S o they divided the land between them to pass through 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 and Obadiah went another way, each by himself.

7 A s 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?”

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

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

He answered him, It is I. Go tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

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

And he said, What sin have I committed, that you would deliver your servant into the hands of Ahab to be slain?

10 A s 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.

As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. And when they said, He is not here, he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they had not found you.

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

And now you say, Go tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

12 A nd 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.

And as soon as I have gone out from you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you I know not where; so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me. But I your servant have feared and revered the Lord from my youth.

13 H ave 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.

Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred men of the Lord’s prophets by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water?

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

And now you say, Go tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here; and he will kill me.

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

Elijah said, As the Lord of hosts lives, before Whom I stand, I will surely show myself to Ahab today.

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

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, Are you he who troubles Israel?

18 E lijah 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.

Elijah replied, I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, by forsaking the commandments of the Lord and by following the Baals.

19 S o 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

Therefore send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.

20 S o Ahab sent news among all the people of Israel. And he brought the men who speak for the false gods together at Mount Carmel.

So Ahab sent to all the Israelites and assembled the prophets at Mount Carmel.

21 E lijah 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.

Elijah came near to all the people and said, How long will you halt and limp 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 T hen Elijah said to the people, “I am the only man left who speaks for God. But here are 450 men who speak for Baal.

Then Elijah said to the people, I, I only, remain a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.

23 B ring 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.

Let two bulls be given us; let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood but put no fire to it. I will dress the other bull, lay it on the wood, and put no fire to it.

24 T hen 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.”

Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the One Who answers by fire, let Him be God. And all the people answered, It is well spoken.

25 S o 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.”

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 S o 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.

So they took the bull given them, dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, O Baal, hear and answer us! But there was no voice; no one answered. And they leaped upon or limped about the altar they had made.

27 A t 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.”

At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.

28 S o 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.

And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with knives and lances until the blood gushed out upon them.

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

Midday passed, and they played the part of prophets until the time for offering the evening sacrifice, but there was no voice, no answer, no one who paid attention.

30 T hen 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.

Then Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been broken down.

31 T hen 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.”

Then Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be your name.

32 W ith 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.

And with the stones Elijah built an altar in the name of the Lord. He made a trench about the altar as great as would contain two measures of seed.

33 T hen 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.”

He put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood and said, Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and the wood.

34 T hen 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.

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 filled the ditch also.

The water ran round about the altar, and he filled the trench also with water.

36 T hen 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.

At 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, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and that I have done all these things at Your word.

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

Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You, the Lord, are God, and have turned their hearts back.

38 T hen 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.

Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust, and also licked up the water that was in the trench.

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

When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said, The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!

40 T hen 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

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

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

And Elijah said to Ahab, Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain.

42 S o 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.

So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees

43 A nd 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.”

And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up and looked and said, There is nothing. Elijah said, Go again seven times.

44 T he 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.’”

And at the seventh time the servant said, A cloud as small as a man’s hand is arising out of the sea. And Elijah said, Go up, say to Ahab, Hitch your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.

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

In a little while, the heavens were black with wind-swept clouds, and there was a great rain. And Ahab went to Jezreel.

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

The hand of the Lord was on Elijah. He girded up his loins and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.