1 Kings, 18

1. A long time went by, and the word of Yahweh came to Elijah in the third year, 'Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the country.'

1. After many days the word of the LORD came to Eli'jah, in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth."

2. So Elijah set off to present himself to Ahab. As the famine was particularly severe in Samaria,

2. So Eli'jah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Sama'ria.

3. Ahab summoned Obadiah, the master of the palace -- Obadiah held Yahweh in great reverence:

3. And Ahab called Obadi'ah, who was over the household. (Now Obadi'ah revered the LORD greatly;

4. when Jezebel was butchering the prophets of Yahweh, Obadiah took a hundred of them and hid them, fifty at a time, in a cave, and kept them provided with food and water-

4. and when Jez'ebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, Obadi'ah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

5. and Ahab said to Obadiah, 'Come along, we must scour the country, all the springs and all the ravines in the hope of finding grass to keep horses and mules alive, or we shall have to slaughter some of our stock.'

5. And Ahab said to Obadi'ah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals."

6. They divided the country for the purpose of their survey; Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way by himself.

6. So they divided the land between them to pass through it; Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadi'ah went in another direction by himself.

7. While Obadiah was on his way, whom should he meet but Elijah. Recognising him he fell on his face and said, 'So it is you, my lord Elijah!'

7. And as Obadi'ah was on the way, behold, Eli'jah met him; and Obadi'ah recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, "Is it you, my lord Eli'jah?"

8. 'Yes,' he replied, 'go and tell your master, "Elijah is here." '

8. And he answered him, "It is I. Go, tell your lord, `Behold, Eli'jah is here.'"

9. But Obadiah said, 'What sin I have committed, for you to put your servant into Ahab's power and cause my death?

9. And he said, "Wherein have I sinned, that you would give your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?

10. As Yahweh your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent in search of you; and when they said, "He is not there," he made the kingdom or nation swear an oath that they did not know where you were.

10. As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom whither my lord has not sent to seek you; and when they would say, `He is not here,' he would take an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you.

11. And now you say to me, "Go and tell your master: Elijah is here."

11. And now you say, `Go, tell your lord, "Behold, Eli'jah is here."'

12. But as soon as I leave you, the spirit of Yahweh will carry you away and I shall not know where; I shall go and tell Ahab; he will not be able to find you, and then he will kill me. Yet from his youth your servant has revered Yahweh.

12. And as soon as I have gone from you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you whither I know not; and so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have revered the LORD from my youth.

13. Has no one told my lord what I did when Jezebel butchered the prophets of Yahweh, how I hid a hundred of them in a cave, fifty at a time, and kept them provided with food and water?

13. Has it not been told my lord what I did when Jez'ebel killed 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. And now you say to me, "Go and tell your master: Elijah is here." Why, he will kill me!'

14. And now you say, `Go, tell your lord, "Behold, Eli'jah is here"'; and he will kill me."

15. Elijah replied, 'As Yahweh Sabaoth lives, whom I serve, I shall present myself to him today!'

15. And Eli'jah said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today."

16. Obadiah went to find Ahab and tell him the news, and Ahab then went to find Elijah.

16. So Obadi'ah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Eli'jah.

17. When he saw Elijah, Ahab said, 'So there you are, you scourge of Israel!'

17. When Ahab saw Eli'jah, Ahab said to him, "Is it you, you troubler of Israel?"

18. 'Not I,' he replied, 'I am not the scourge of Israel, you and your family are; because you have deserted Yahweh and followed Baal.

18. And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father's house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and followed the Ba'als.

19. Now give orders for all Israel to gather round me on Mount Carmel, and also the four hundred prophets of Baal who eat at Jezebel's table.'

19. Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Ba'al and the four hundred prophets of Ashe'rah, who eat at Jez'ebel's table."

20. Ahab called all Israel together and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.

20. So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel, and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel.

21. Elijah stepped out in front of all the people. 'How long', he said, 'do you mean to hobble first on one leg then on the other? If Yahweh is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.' But the people had nothing to say.

21. And Eli'jah came near to all the people, and said, "How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Ba'al, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word.

22. Elijah then said to them, 'I, I alone, am left as a prophet of Yahweh, while the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty.

22. Then Eli'jah said to the people, "I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD; but Ba'al's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

23. Let two bulls be given us; let them choose one for themselves, dismember it but not set fire to it. I in my turn shall prepare the other bull, but not set fire to it.

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

24. You must call on the name of your god, and I shall call on the name of Yahweh; the god who answers with fire, is God indeed.' The people all answered, 'Agreed!'

24. And 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 answered, "It is well spoken."

25. Elijah then said to the prophets of Baal, 'Choose one bull and begin, for there are more of you. Call on the name of your god but light no fire.'

25. Then Eli'jah said to the prophets of Ba'al, "Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire to it."

26. They took the bull and prepared it, and from morning to midday they called on the name of Baal. 'O Baal, answer us!' they cried, but there was no voice, no answer, as they performed their hobbling dance round the altar which they had made.

26. And they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Ba'al from morning until noon, saying, "O Ba'al, answer us!" But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped about the altar which they had made.

27. Midday came, and Elijah mocked them. 'Call louder,' he said, 'for he is a god: he is preoccupied or he is busy, or he has gone on a journey; perhaps he is asleep and needs to be woken up!'

27. And at noon Eli'jah 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. So they shouted louder and gashed themselves, as their custom was, with swords and spears until the blood flowed down them.

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

29. Midday passed, and they ranted on until the time when the offering is presented; but there was no voice, no answer, no sign of attention.

29. And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice; no one answered, no one heeded.

30. Then Elijah said to all the people, 'Come over to me,' and all the people came over to him. He repaired Yahweh's altar which had been torn down.

30. Then Eli'jah said to all the people, "Come near to me"; and all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down;

31. Elijah took twelve stones, corresponding to the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of Yahweh had come, 'Israel is to be your name,'

31. Eli'jah 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. and built an altar in the name of Yahweh. Round the altar he dug a trench of a size to hold two measures of seed.

32. 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. He then arranged the wood, dismembered the bull, and laid it on the wood.

33. And he put the wood in order, and 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 offering, and on the wood."

34. Then he said, 'Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.' They did this. He said, 'Do it a second time;' they did it a second time. He said, 'Do it a third time;' they did it a third time.

34. 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.

35. The water flowed round the altar until even the trench itself was full of water.

35. And the water ran round about the altar, and filled the trench also with water.

36. At the time when the offering is presented, Elijah the prophet stepped forward. 'Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel,' he said, 'let them know today that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, that I have done all these things at your command.

36. And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Eli'jah the prophet came near and said, "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and 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. Answer me, Yahweh, answer me, so that this people may know that you, Yahweh, are God and are winning back their hearts.'

37. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that thou, O LORD, art God, and that thou hast turned their hearts back."

38. Then Yahweh's fire fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and licked up the water in the trench.

38. Then 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.

39. When all the people saw this they fell on their faces. 'Yahweh is God,' they cried, 'Yahweh is God!'

39. And 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. Elijah said, 'Seize the prophets of Baal: do not let one of them escape.' They seized them, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon, and there he slaughtered them.

40. And Eli'jah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Ba'al; let not one of them escape." And they seized them; and Eli'jah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.

41. Elijah said to Ahab, 'Go back now, eat and drink; for I hear the approaching sound of rain.'

41. And Eli'jah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of the rushing of rain."

42. While Ahab went back to eat and drink, Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel and bowed down to the ground, putting his face between his knees.

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

43. 'Now go up', he told his servant, 'and look out to sea.' He went up and looked. 'There is nothing at all,' he said. Seven times Elijah told him to go back.

43. And he 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. The seventh time, the servant said, 'Now there is a cloud, small as a man's hand, rising from the sea.' Elijah said, 'Go and say to Ahab, "Harness the chariot and go down before the rain stops you." '

44. And at the seventh time he said, "Behold, a little cloud like a man's hand is rising out of the sea." And he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, `Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.'"

45. And with that the sky grew dark with cloud and storm, and rain fell in torrents. Ahab mounted his chariot and made for Jezreel.

45. And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.

46. But the hand of Yahweh had come on Elijah and, hitching up his clothes, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

46. And the hand of the LORD was on Eli'jah; and he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.