1 Kings 18

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1. 1After many days, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab. I will send rain on the land."
2. 2So Elijah set out to appear before Ahab. There was a severe famine in Samaria.
3. 3Ahab summoned Obadiah, who managed the royal household. Now Obadiah deeply feared the LORD.
4. 4For when Jezebel was cutting off the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took 100 prophets and hid them by 50 in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.
5. 5Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, so that we do not lose all the animals."
6. 6They split the territory between them. Ahab went one direction by himself, and Obadiah went the other direction by himself.
7. 7While Obadiah was traveling along, Elijah suddenly appeared in front of him. Obadiah recognized him immediately, dropped to the ground, and said, "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?"
8. 8"It's me," Elijah replied. "Go tell your master, 'Elijah is here.'"
9. 9And he said, What sin have I committed, that you would hand your servant over to Ahab to kill me?
10. 10"As the LORD your God lives, there isn't a nation or kingdom where my master hasn't sent people looking for you. And when each one said, 'He's not here,' Ahab made them swear an oath that they truly hadn't found you.
11. 11Now you're telling me to go say, 'Elijah is here'?
12. 12The moment I leave you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you off to who knows where. When I tell Ahab and he comes but can't find you, he'll kill me! And I've feared the LORD since I was young.
13. 13Hasn't anyone told you what I did when Jezebel was killing the LORD's prophets? I hid 100 of the LORD's prophets in a cave, fifty at a time, and provided them with bread and water.
14. 14And now you want me to go tell my master, 'Elijah is here'? He'll kill me!"
15. 15Elijah answered, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to Ahab today."
16. 16So Obadiah went and found Ahab and told him. Then Ahab went out to meet Elijah.
17. 17When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, 'Are you the one who troubles Israel?'
18. 18Elijah replied, "I have not troubled Israel; but you and your father's house have, by forsaking the commandments of the LORD and following the Baals."
19. 19Now send word and gather all Israel to Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table.
20. 20So Ahab sent word to all the children of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel.
21. 21Elijah stood before all the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him. But if Baal is God, follow him." The people said nothing.
22. 22Then Elijah told the crowd, "I am the only prophet of the LORD left; but Baal has 450 prophets."
23. 23Bring us 2 bulls. Let Baal's prophets choose one, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood — but don't light the fire. I'll prepare the other bull the same way — on the wood, with no fire underneath.
24. 24Then you call on the name of your gods, and I'll call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers by fire, let him be God." All the people answered, "It is well spoken."
25. 25Elijah told the prophets of Baal, "You go first since there are so many of you. Choose your bull, prepare it, and call on the name of your god — but don't light the fire."
26. 26So they took the bull given to them, prepared it, and called on Baal from morning until noon, crying out, "Baal, answer us!" But there was no voice, no response. They leaped upon the altar they had made.
27. 27At noon, Elijah mocked them and said, "Shout! For he is a god. Maybe he is talking, or he is in pursuit, or he is on a journey. Or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be woken up."
28. 28So they screamed even louder and slashed themselves with knives and spears, as was their custom, until blood poured down their bodies.
29. 29When midday was past, they continued to prophesy until the time of the evening sacrifice, but there was no voice, no answer, and no one regarded.
30. 30Then Elijah called to all the people, "Come closer to me." They gathered around him, and he rebuilt the LORD's altar that had been torn down.
31. 31Elijah took 12 stones — one for each tribe descended from Jacob, the man to whom the LORD had said, "Your name will be Israel."
32. 32With those stones, he built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he dug a trench around it, large enough to hold about two measures of seed.
33. 33He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces, and laid it on the wood. Then he said, "Fill 4 large jars with water and pour it over the offering and the wood."
34. 34"Do it again," he said. So they did it a 2nd time. "Do it a 3rd time," he said. And they did it a 3rd time.
35. 35Water ran down all around the altar and even filled the trench completely.
36. 36At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet stepped forward and prayed, "LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all of this because you told me to.
37. 37Hear me, O LORD, hear me, so these people will know that you are the LORD God, and that you have turned their hearts back again.
38. 38Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39. 39When all the people saw it, they threw themselves face down on the ground and cried out, "The LORD — he is God! The LORD — he is God!"
40. 40Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Don't let a single one escape!" The people grabbed them, and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, where he put them all to death.
41. 41Then Elijah told Ahab, "Go eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain coming."
42. 42So Ahab went off to eat and drink. Meanwhile, Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel, crouched down on the ground, and pressed his face between his knees.
43. 43He told his servant, 'Go look out toward the sea.' The servant went and looked, then came back and said, 'There's nothing there.' Elijah said, 'Go again seven times.'
44. 44On the 7th time, the servant reported, "There's a small cloud rising from the sea — about the size of a man's hand." Elijah said, "Hurry! Go tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and head down before the rain stops you.'"
45. 45Before long, the heaven turned black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.
46. 46The hand of the LORD came upon Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab's chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.