1 Kings 18

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 A long time went by, and the word of Yahweh came to Elijah in the third year, 'Go, present yourself toAhab, and I wil send rain on the country.'	1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto 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 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.
3 Ahab summoned Obadiah, the master of the palace -- Obadiah held Yahweh in great reverence:	3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared 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 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty 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 ravinesin 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 unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
6 They divided the country for the purpose of their survey; Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiahwent another way by himself.	6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
7 While Obadiah was on his way, whom should he meet but Elijah. Recognising him he fel on his faceand said, 'So it is you, my lord Elijah!'	7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?
8 'Yes,' he replied, 'go and tel your master, "Elijah is here." '	8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
9 But Obadiah said, 'What sin I have committed, for you to put your servant into Ahab's power and causemy death?	9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
10 As Yahweh your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent in search ofyou; and when they said, "He is not there," he made the kingdom or nation swear an oath that they did not knowwhere you were.	10 As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
11 And now you say to me, "Go and tel your master: Elijah is here."	11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
12 But as soon as I leave you, the spirit of Yahweh wil carry you away and I shal not know where; I shalgo and tel Ahab; he wil not be able to find you, and then he wil kil me. Yet from his youth your servant hasrevered Yahweh.	12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear 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 ahundred of them in a cave, fifty at a time, and kept them provided with food and water?	13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
14 And now you say to me, "Go and tel your master: Elijah is here." Why, he wil kill me!'	14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.
15 Elijah replied, 'As Yahweh Sabaoth lives, whom I serve, I shal present myself to him today!'	15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.
16 Obadiah went to find Ahab and tel him the news, and Ahab then went to find Elijah.	16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
17 When he saw Elijah, Ahab said, 'So there you are, you scourge of Israel!'	17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
18 'Not I,' he replied, 'I am not the scourge of Israel, you and your family are; because you have desertedYahweh and fol owed Baal.	18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.
19 Now give orders for all Israel to gather round me on Mount Carmel, and also the four hundredprophets of Baal who eat at Jezebel's table.'	19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.
20 Ahab cal ed al Israel together and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.	20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
21 Elijah stepped out in front of al the people. 'How long', he said, 'do you mean to hobble first on oneleg then on the other? If Yahweh is God, follow him; if Baal, fol ow him.' But the people had nothing to say.	21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
22 Elijah then said to them, 'I, I alone, am left as a prophet of Yahweh, while the prophets of Baal arefour hundred and fifty.	22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal'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 inmy turn shal prepare the other bul , but not set fire to it.	23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
24 You must cal on the name of your god, and I shal cal on the name of Yahweh; the god who answerswith fire, is God indeed.' The people al answered, 'Agreed!'	24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
25 Elijah then said to the prophets of Baal, 'Choose one bul and begin, for there are more of you. Call onthe name of your god but light no fire.'	25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
26 They took the bul and prepared it, and from morning to midday they called on the name of Baal. 'OBaal, answer us!' they cried, but there was no voice, no answer, as they performed their hobbling dance roundthe altar which they had made.	26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
27 Midday came, and Elijah mocked them. 'Cal louder,' he said, 'for he is a god: he is preoccupied or heis busy, or he has gone on a journey; perhaps he is asleep and needs to be woken up!'	27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
28 So they shouted louder and gashed themselves, as their custom was, with swords and spears untilthe blood flowed down them.	28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
29 Midday passed, and they ranted on until the time when the offering is presented; but there was novoice, no answer, no sign of attention.	29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
30 Then Elijah said to al the people, 'Come over to me,' and al the people came over to him. Herepaired Yahweh's altar which had been torn down.	30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
31 Elijah took twelve stones, corresponding to the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom theword of Yahweh had come, 'Israel is to be your name,'	31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
32 and built an altar in the name of Yahweh. Round the altar he dug a trench of a size to hold twomeasures 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 bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
34 Then he said, 'Fil 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 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 The water flowed round the altar until even the trench itself was ful of water.	35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
36 At the time when the offering is presented, Elijah the prophet stepped forward. 'Yahweh, God ofAbraham, 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 it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of 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 arewinning back their hearts.'	37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then Yahweh's fire fel and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and licked up the water in thetrench.	38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 When al 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 the God; the LORD, he is the God.
40 Elijah said, 'Seize the prophets of Baal: do not let one of them escape.' They seized them, and Elijahtook them down to the Kishon, and there he slaughtered them.	40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
41 Elijah said to Ahab, 'Go back now, eat and drink; for I hear the approaching sound of rain.'	41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
42 While Ahab went back to eat and drink, Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel and bowed down to theground, putting his face between his knees.	42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast 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 al ,'he said. Seven times Elijah told him to go back.	43 And 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, smal 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 it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
45 And with that the sky grew dark with cloud and storm, and rain fel in torrents. Ahab mounted hischariot and made for Jezreel.	45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was 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 al theway to Jezreel.	46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.