1Ki 18 | ABEn | STEP | And it came to pass after [ 2 days 1 many], and the word of the lord came to Elijah in [ 3 year 1 the 2 third], saying, Go, and appear to Ahab! and I will put rain upon the face of the earth.

1 Kings 18

CHAPTER 18 Elijah Sent to Ahab

1 And it came to pass after [²days ¹many], and the word of the lord came to Elijah in [³year ¹the ²third], saying, Go, and appear to Ahab! and I will put rain upon the face of the earth. 2 And Elijah went to appear to Ahab, and there was [²famine ¹a strong] in Samaria. 3 And Ahab called Obadiah the manager. And Obadiah was fearing the lord exceedingly.

Obadiah Hides the Prophets

4 And it came to pass when Jezebel struck the prophets of the lord, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and he hid them by fifty in two caves, and nourished them with bread and water. 5 And Ahab said to Obadiah, Come, and we should go through in the land unto the springs of the waters, and unto all the rushing streams, if perchance we should find pasturage, and we should preserve the horses and mules, and [²shall not be destroyed ³from ⁴us ¹cattle]. 6 And they divided to themselves the way to go by it; Ahab went by [²way ¹one], and Obadiah went by [²way ¹another] alone. 7 And Obadiah was in the way alone, and behold, Elijah came to meet with him. And Obadiah hastened and fell upon his face, and he said, Are you he, O my master, Elijah?

Elijah Sends Obadiah to Ahab

8 And Elijah said to him, I am, Go, tell your master, Behold, Elijah! 9 And Obadiah said, How have I sinned that you appoint your servant into the hands of Ahab to kill me? 10 As [³lives ¹the lord ²your God], is there a nation or kingdom of which [²did not ³send ¹my master] to seek you? And if they said, He is not here; then he adjured the kingdom and its places, for he did not find you. 11 And now you say, Go announce to your master, Behold, Elijah! 12 And it will be if I should go forth from you, and a wind of the lord shall lift you into the land which I do not know, and I shall enter to report to Ahab, and he should not find you, then he will kill me. But your servant is fearing the lord from out of his youth. 13 Or was it not reported to you, O my master, what things I have done when Jezebel killed the prophets of the lord, that I took some of the prophets of the lord -- a hundred men, and I hid them in the caves by fifty, and I maintained them with bread loaves and water? 14 And now you say, Go, tell your master, Behold, Elijah! and he will kill me. 15 And Elijah said, As [⁴lives ¹the lord ²of the ³forces], in which I stand before him, that today I will appear to him. 16 And Obadiah went to meet with Ahab, and he reported to him. And Ahab ran forth and went to meet with Elijah. 17 And it came to pass as Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to Elijah, Are you he turning aside Israel?

Elijah and the Prophets of Baal

18 And Elijah said, I do not turn aside Israel, but you, and the house of your father, in your leaving the lord your God, and to go after the Baalim. 19 And now, send and gather together to me all Israel at mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal -- four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the sacred groves -- four hundred, eating at the table of Jezebel! 20 And Ahab sent into all Israel, and he assembled all the prophets to mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came near to all the people, and he said to them, For how long will you be lame upon both your hams? If the lord is God, go after him! But if Baal, go after him! And [³answered not ¹the ²people] a word. 22 And Elijah said to the people, I am left [²a prophet ³of the lord ¹alone], and the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men. 23 Give then to us two oxen, and let them choose for themselves one, and let them dismember it, and place it upon the wood, and [³fire ¹do not ²put] upon it! And I will do the same [²ox ¹with the other], and [³fire ¹in no way ²will I put] upon it. 24 And you yell out in the name of your gods, and I will call upon the name of the lord my God. And it will be the God who ever heeds by fire, this is God. And [⁴answered ¹all ²the ³people] and said, [³is good ¹The ²word] which you have spoken. 25 And Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose for yourselves the [²ox ¹one], and prepare it first! for you are many; and call in the name of your god, and [³fire ¹do not ²put] upon it! 26 And they took the ox, and offered it, and they called in the name of Baal from morning until midday. And they said, Heed us, O Baal, heed us! And there was no sound, and there was no hearing a thing. And they ran upon the altar of which they made. 27 And it became midday, and [⁴sneered at ⁵them ¹Elijah ²the ³Tishbite], and he said, Call with [²voice ¹a great]! perhaps [³in ⁵meditation ⁴some ¹he is ²himself], and at the same time perhaps [²executing business ¹he is], or perhaps he sleeps and shall rise up. 28 And they called out with [²voice ¹a great], and mutilated themselves according to their custom with knives and by spears, until [²poured out ¹blood] of them. 29 And they prophesied until of which time it went into the midday. And it came to pass as the time of the midday to ascend for the sacrifice -- and there was no sound, and there was no hearing. 30 And Elijah said to the people, Come forward to me! And [⁴came forward ¹all ²the ³people] to him. And he repaired the altar, the one having been razed. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, as the lord spoke to him, saying, Israel will be your name. 32 And he built the stones in the name of the lord, and he repaired the altar of the lord, the one having been razed. And he made a sea, having the space to hold two measures of seed, round about the altar. 33 And he put the kindling upon the altar which he made. And he dismembered the whole burnt-offering, and he put it upon the kindling, and he piled upon the altar. And Elijah said, Bring to me four [²pitchers ¹water], and pour upon the whole burnt-offering, and upon the kindling! 34 And he said, Repeat it a second time! And they repeated it a second time. And he said, Do it a third time! And they did it a third time. 35 And [³went ¹the ²water] round about the altar, and the sea filled with water. 36 And as it was time of the offering the sacrifice, and [⁴came ¹Elijah ²the ³prophet] and said, O lord God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known to all this people! that you are the lord God of Israel, and I am your servant, and through you I have done all these things. 37 Heed me, O lord, heed me! And let [²know ¹this people] that you are the lord God! and you turned the heart of this people back.

The Whole Burnt-offering and Altar Devoured

38 And [²fell ¹fire] from the lord from out of the heaven, and it devoured the whole burnt-offering, and the kindling, and the water in the sea, and the stones, and the dust was licked up by the fire. 39 And [⁴saw ¹all ²the ³people], and fell upon their face. And they said, Truly, the lord is God. The lord, he is God. 40 And Elijah said to the people, Seize the prophets of Baal, let not one [³escape ¹of ²them]! And they seized them. And [²led them down ¹Elijah] unto the rushing stream Kishon, and slew them there. 41 And Elijah said to Ahab, Ascend, and eat, and drink! for it is the sound of the noise of the rain. 42 And Ahab ascended to eat and to drink. And Elijah ascended unto Carmel, and bowed upon the ground, and put his face between his knees. 43 And he said to his servant-lad, Ascend, and look the way of the sea! And [³ascended ⁴and ⁵looked ¹the ²servant-lad]. And he said, There is nothing. And Elijah said, Return seven times! 44 And it came to pass in the seventh time, and behold, [²cloud ¹a small] as the sole of a man's foot came with water from the sea. And he said, Ascend and say to Ahab! Team up your chariot, and go down, lest [³should overtake ⁴you ¹the ²rain]! 45 And it happened from here and here, and the heaven darkened with clouds and wind, and there became [²rain ¹a great]. And Ahab rode horseback, and went unto Jezreel. 46 And the hand of the lord came upon Elijah, and he fastened his loin, and he ran in front of Ahab unto Jezreel.