1 Kings 18

1After many days, Yahweh's word came to Elijah in the third year: "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth."

2Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. A severe famine gripped Samaria.

3Ahab summoned Obadiah, his palace steward. (Obadiah revered Yahweh profoundly.

4When Jezebel slaughtered Yahweh's prophets, Obadiah gathered a hundred prophets and hid them in caves, fifty to a cave, sustaining them with bread and water.

5Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and all the brooks; perhaps we will find grass to save the horses and mules alive, so we do not lose all the beasts."

6They divided the land between them to search it all: Ahab set out alone one way, and Obadiah alone another way.

7While Obadiah was on the road, Elijah met him. He recognized him, fell facedown, and said, "Is it you, my lord Elijah?"

8He said to him, "I am he. Go, tell your master, 'Elijah is here.'"

9He said, "What wrong have I done, that you would turn your servant over to Ahab to kill me?"

10As Yahweh your God lives, my master has sent to every nation and kingdom to search for you; when they said, "He is not here," he required an oath from that kingdom and nation that they had not found you.

11Now you say, "Go, tell your master, 'Elijah is here.'"

12As soon as I leave you, the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you to a place I do not know; then when I go and tell Ahab but he cannot find you, he will kill me—yet your servant has revered Yahweh since my youth.

13Hasn't my master heard what I did when Jezebel slaughtered Yahweh's prophets, hiding a hundred of them in caves, fifty to a cave, and supplying them bread and water?

14Now you tell me, "Go, say to your master, 'Elijah is here,'" but he will kill me.

15Elijah said, "As Yahweh of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today."

16Obadiah went to meet Ahab and informed him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, "Are you the one who troubles Israel?"

18He replied, "I have not brought trouble on Israel; instead, you and your father's house have, by abandoning Yahweh's commandments and chasing after the Baals."

19So now send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, with four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table.

20Ahab sent for all Israel and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel.

21Elijah approached all the people and said, "How long will you straddle both sides? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." The people gave him no answer.

22Elijah said to the people, "I alone remain Yahweh's prophet, but Baal has four hundred fifty prophets."

23Let them provide us two bulls; let them select one for themselves, cut it apart, place it on the wood, and set no fire beneath it; and I will prepare the other bull, place it on the wood, and set no fire beneath it.

24Invoke the name of your gods, and I will invoke the name of Yahweh. The God who answers with fire—he is God. All the people answered, "A good word."

25Elijah told the prophets of Baal, "Select one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, since you are numerous; invoke your god by name, but do not kindle fire beneath it."

26They took the bull given them, prepared it, and invoked Baal from morning until noon, crying out, "Baal, answer us." But no sound came, and no one replied. They danced around the altar they had built.

27At noon Elijah mocked them and said, "Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or relieving himself, or away on a trip, or asleep and needing to be woken."

28They shouted loudly and gashed themselves with swords and spears following their custom, until blood poured out over them.

29When midday had passed, they prophesied until the time of the evening offering, but there was no voice, no answer, and no one paid attention.

30Elijah said to all the people, "Come closer to me," and all the people came closer to him. He restored Yahweh's altar, which had been demolished.

31Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe among the sons of Jacob—to whom Yahweh's word had come, saying, "Israel shall be your name."

32He used the stones to build an altar in Yahweh's name. He dug a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed.

33He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces, and laid them on the wood. Then he said, "Fill four jars with water, and pour it over the offering and the wood."

34He said, "Do it again," and they did it again; he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it a third time.

35The waters flowed around the altar, and he also filled the trench with water.

36At the time of presenting the offering, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that by your words and by your word I have done all these things."

37Answer me, Yahweh; answer me, that this people may know you are God, Yahweh, and that you have turned their heart back again.

38Yahweh's fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, the dust, and the water that was in the trench, licking it up.

39When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “Yahweh—he is God; Yahweh—he is God.”

40Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal; let no man escape from them." They seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon brook and slaughtered them there.

41Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of abundant rain."

42Ahab went up to eat and drink. Elijah ascended to the top of Carmel, prostrated himself on the ground, and placed his face between his knees.

43He said to his servant, "Please go up and look toward the sea." He went up, looked, and said, "Nothing at all." He said, "Return seven times."

44At the seventh time he said, "Look, a little cloud like a man's hand is rising from the sea." He said, "Go up, tell Ahab, 'Gird and go down, lest the rain detain you.'"

45Soon the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a great rain fell; Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.

46The hand of Yahweh was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab until his arrival at Jezreel.