1 Kings 18

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 After many days, the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go and show yourself to Ahab, so that I may grant rain upon the face of the earth.”
2 So Elijah set off to present himself to Ahab. As the famine was particularly severe in Samaria,	2 Therefore, Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. For there was a severe famine in Samaria.
3 Ahab summoned Obadiah, the master of the palace -- Obadiah held Yahweh in great reverence:	3 And Ahab called Obadiah, the manager of his household. 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 when Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord, he took one hundred prophets, and concealed them, fifty and fifty, in caves. And he 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 Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go into the land, to all fountains of water, and to all the valleys, for perhaps we will be able to find plants, and save the horses and mules, so that the beasts of burden may not perish entirely.”
6 They divided the country for the purpose of their survey; Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiahwent another way by himself.	6 And they divided the regions among themselves, so that they might travel through them. Ahab went one way alone, 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 while Obadiah was on the way, Elijah met him. And when he had recognized him, he fell on his face, and he said, “Are you not my lord Elijah?”
8 'Yes,' he replied, 'go and tel your master, "Elijah is here." '	8 And he responded to him: “I am. Go and tell your lord that 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: “How have I sinned that you would deliver me, your servant, into the hand of Ahab, so that he would put me to death?
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 to which my lord has not sent, seeking you. And when all responded, ‘He is not here,’ he swore each kingdom and nation to an oath, because you were not found at all.
11 And now you say to me, "Go and tel your master: Elijah is here."	11 And now, you say to me, ‘Go and tell your lord that 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 when I will have departed from you, the Spirit of the Lord will transport you to a place that I do not know. And entering, I will report to Ahab. And he, not finding you, will put me to death. Yet your servant has feared the Lord from his infancy.
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 Has it not been revealed to you, my lord, what I did when Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord: how I hid one hundred men from the prophets of the Lord, fifty and fifty, in caves, and how I 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 you say: ‘Go and tell your lord that Elijah is here,’ so that he may kill 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 lives, before whose face I stand, this day I will appear to him.”
16 Obadiah went to find Ahab and tel him the news, and Ahab then went to find Elijah.	16 Therefore, Obadiah went away to meet Ahab, and he reported to him. And Ahab went to meet Elijah.
17 When he saw Elijah, Ahab said, 'So there you are, you scourge of Israel!'	17 And when he had seen him, he said, “Are you the one who is disturbing 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 said: “I have not troubled Israel. But it is you, and the house of your father, who have abandoned the commandments of the Lord, and have followed 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 Yet truly now, send and gather to me all of Israel, on Mount Carmel, with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of the sacred groves, who eat from the table of Jezebel.”
20 Ahab cal ed al Israel together and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.	20 Ahab sent to all the sons of Israel, and he gathered together the prophets 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 Then Elijah, drawing near to all the people, said: “How long will you waver between two sides? If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal is, then follow him.” And the people did not respond a word to 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 And Elijah said again to the people: “I alone remain as a prophet of the Lord. But the prophets of Baal 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 two oxen be given to us. And let them choose one ox for themselves, and, cutting it into pieces, let them set it on the wood. But they may not place fire under it. And I will prepare the other ox, and set it on the wood. But I will not place fire under it.
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 Call upon the names of your gods. And I will call on the name of my Lord. And the God who will have heeded with fire, let him be God.” And in response, all the people said, “Excellent proposition.”
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 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal: “Choose for yourselves one ox, and prepare it first. For you are many. And call on the names of your gods, but do not place fire under it.”
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 when they had taken an ox, which he had given to them, they prepared it. And they called on the name of Baal, from morning even until midday, saying, “O Baal, heed us.” And there was no voice, nor did anyone respond. And so they leaped upon the altar that they had 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 when it was now midday, Elijah ridiculed them, saying: “Cry out with a louder voice. For he is a god, and perhaps he is talking, or at an inn, or on a journey, or certainly he may be 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 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and they cut themselves, in accord with their ritual, with knives and lancets, until they were entirely covered in blood.
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 Then, after midday had passed, and they were prophesying, the time had arrived when the sacrifice is usually offered. And there was no voice heard, neither did anyone heed or respond to the praying.
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 Elijah said to all the people, “Draw near to me.” And as the people were drawing near to him, he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn 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 he took twelve stones, in accord with 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 twomeasures of seed.	32 And he built from the stones an altar to the name of the Lord. And he made a trench for water, like two furrows of plowed land, all around the altar.
33 He then arranged the wood, dismembered the bull, and laid it on the wood.	33 And he arranged the wood, and he cut the ox into pieces, and he placed 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 And he said, “Fill four containers with water, and pour it over the holocaust, and over the wood.” And again, he said, “Do this a second time.” And when they had done it a second time, he said, “Do it also a third time.” And they did so a third time.
35 The water flowed round the altar until even the trench itself was ful of water.	35 And the water was running down around the altar, and the pit of the trench was filled 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 when it was now time for the holocaust to be offered, the prophet Elijah, drawing near, said: “O Lord, God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, reveal this day that you are the God of Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have acted, in all these things, in accord with your precept.
37 Answer me, Yahweh, answer me, so that this people may know that you, Yahweh, are God and arewinning back their hearts.'	37 Heed me, O Lord, heed me, so that this people may learn that you are the Lord God, and that you have converted their heart 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 down and devoured the holocaust, and the wood, and the stones, and even the dust, and it absorbed 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 had seen it, they fell upon their face, and they said: “The Lord himself is God! The Lord himself 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 And Elijah said to them, “Apprehend the prophets of Baal, and do not let even one of them escape.” And when they had apprehended them, Elijah led them down to the torrent Kishon, and he put them to death there.
41 Elijah said to Ahab, 'Go back now, eat and drink; for I hear the approaching sound of rain.'	41 And Elijah said to Ahab “Ascend; eat and drink. For there is the sound of an 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 Ahab ascended, so that he might eat and drink. But Elijah ascended to the top of Carmel, and bending down to the ground, he placed 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 he said to his servant, “Ascend, and gaze out toward the sea.” And when he had ascended, and had contemplated, he said, “There is nothing.” And again, he said to him, “Return 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 at the seventh time, behold, a little cloud ascended from the sea like the footstep of a man. And he said: “Ascend, and say to Ahab, ‘Yoke your chariot, and descend; otherwise, the rain may prevent 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 And as he was turning himself this way and that, behold, the heavens were darkened, and there were clouds and wind, and a great rainstorm occurred. And so Ahab, going up, went away 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 upon Elijah. And cinching his waist, he ran before Ahab, until he arrived at Jezreel.