1 Kings 18

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN 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 Long afterward, in the third year, the LORD spoke to Elijah, "Go, present yourself to Ahab," he said, "that I may 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 Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.
3 Ahab summoned Obadiah, the master of the palace -- Obadiah held Yahweh in great reverence:	3 Now the famine in Samaria was bitter,
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 Ahab had summoned Obadiah, his vizier, who was a zealous follower of the LORD. When Jezebel was murdering the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets, hid them away fifty each in two caves, and supplied them with food and drink.
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 Ahab said to Obadiah, "Come, let us go through the land to all sources of water and to all the streams. We may find grass and save the horses and mules, so that we shall not have to slaughter any of 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 Dividing the land to explore between them, Ahab went one way by himself, Obadiah 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 As Obadiah was on his way, Elijah met him. Recognizing him, Obadiah fell prostrate and asked, "Is it you, my lord Elijah?"
8 'Yes,' he replied, 'go and tel your master, "Elijah is here." '	8 "Yes," he answered. "Go tell your master, '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 But Obadiah said, "What sin have I committed, that you are handing me over to Ahab to have me killed?
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, your God, lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent in search of you. When they replied, 'He is not here,' he made each kingdom and nation swear they could not find you.
11 And now you say to me, "Go and tel your master: Elijah is here."	11 And now you say, 'Go tell your master: 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 After I leave you, the spirit of the LORD will carry you to some place I do not know, and when I go to inform Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. Your servant has revered the LORD from his 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 Have you not been told, my lord, what I did when Jezebel was murdering the prophets of the LORD--that I hid a hundred of the prophets of the LORD, fifty each in two caves, and supplied them with food and drink?
14 And now you say to me, "Go and tel your master: Elijah is here." Why, he wil kill me!'	14 And now you say, 'Go tell your master: Elijah is here!' He will kill me!"
15 Elijah replied, 'As Yahweh Sabaoth lives, whom I serve, I shal present myself to him today!'	15 Elijah answered, "As the LORD of hosts lives, whom I serve, I will present myself to him today."
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 informed him. Ahab came to meet Elijah,
17 When he saw Elijah, Ahab said, 'So there you are, you scourge of Israel!'	17 and when he saw Elijah, said to him, "Is it you, you disturber of 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 "It is not I who disturb Israel," he answered, "but you and your family, by forsaking the commands of the LORD and following the Baals.
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 summon all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, as well as the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table."
20 Ahab cal ed al Israel together and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.	20 So Ahab sent to all the Israelites and had the prophets assemble on 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 Elijah appealed to all the people and said, "How long will you straddle the issue? If the LORD is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him." The people, however, did not answer him.
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 So Elijah said to the people, "I am the only surviving prophet of the LORD, and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal.
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 Give us two young bulls. Let them choose one, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood, but start no fire. I shall prepare the other and place it on the wood, but shall start no fire.
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 You shall call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers with fire is God." All the people answered, "Agreed!"
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 Elijah then said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one young bull and prepare it first, for there are more of you. Call upon your gods, but do not start the fire."
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 Taking the young bull that was turned over to them, they prepared it and called on Baal from morning to noon, saying, "Answer us, Baal!" But there was no sound, and no one answering. And they hopped around the altar they had prepared.
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 When it was noon, Elijah taunted them: "Call louder, for he is a god and may be meditating, or may have retired, or may be on a journey. Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened."
28 So they shouted louder and gashed themselves, as their custom was, with swords and spears untilthe blood flowed down them.	28 They called out louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until blood gushed over 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 Noon passed and they remained in a prophetic state until the time for offering sacrifice. But there was not a sound; no one answered, and no one was listening.
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 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." When they had done so, he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been destroyed.
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 He took twelve stones, for the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the LORD had said, "Your name shall be Israel."
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 He built an altar in honor of the LORD with the stones, and made a trench around the altar large enough for two seahs of grain.
33 He then arranged the wood, dismembered the bull, and laid it on the wood.	33 When he had arranged the wood, he cut up the young bull and laid it 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 "Fill four jars with water," he said, "and pour it over the holocaust and over the wood." "Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he said, and they did it a third time.
35 The water flowed round the altar until even the trench itself was ful of water.	35 The water flowed around the altar, and the trench was filled with the 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 At the time for offering sacrifice, the prophet Elijah came forward and said, "LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things by your command.
37 Answer me, Yahweh, answer me, so that this people may know that you, Yahweh, are God and arewinning back their hearts.'	37 Answer me, LORD! Answer me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to their senses."
38 Then Yahweh's fire fel and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and licked up the water in thetrench.	38 The LORD'S fire came down and consumed the holocaust, wood, stones, and dust, and it lapped up the water in the trench.
39 When al the people saw this they fell on their faces. 'Yahweh is God,' they cried, 'Yahweh is God!'	39 Seeing this, all the people fell prostrate and said, "The LORD is God! The LORD is 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 Then Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Let none of them escape!" They were seized, and Elijah had them brought down to the brook Kishon and there he slit their throats.
41 Elijah said to Ahab, 'Go back now, eat and drink; for I hear the approaching sound of rain.'	41 Elijah then said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy 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 drink, while Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, crouched down to the earth, and put his head 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 "Climb up and look out to sea," he directed his servant, who went up and looked, but reported, "There is nothing." Seven times he said, "Go look again!"
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 the seventh time the youth reported, "There is a cloud as small as a man's hand rising from the sea." Elijah said, "Go and say to Ahab, 'Harness up and leave the mountain before the rain stops you.'"
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 In a trice, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain fell. Ahab mounted his chariot and made for 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 But the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, who girded up his clothing and ran before Ahab as far as the approaches to Jezreel.