1 Kings 18:1 And it came to pass
after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year,
saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.
1 Kings 18:2 And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab. And
there was a sore famine in Samaria.
1 Kings 18:3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of
his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:
1 Kings 18:4 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.)
1 Kings 18:5 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.
1 Kings 18:6 So they divided the land between them to pass
throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by
himself.
1 Kings 18:7 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?
1 Kings 18:8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord,
Behold, Elijah is here.
1 Kings 18:9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou
wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
1 Kings 18:10 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.
1 Kings 18:11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold,
Elijah is here.
1 Kings 18:12 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.
1 Kings 18:13 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?
1 Kings 18:14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold,
Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.
1 Kings 18:15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth,
before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him to day.
1 Kings 18:16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and
Ahab went to meet Elijah.
1 Kings 18:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that
Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
1 Kings 18:18 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.
1 Kings 18:19 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.
1 Kings 18:20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and
gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
1 Kings 18:21 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.
1 Kings 18:22 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.
1 Kings 18:23 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:
1 Kings 18:24 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.
1 Kings 18:25 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.
1 Kings 18:26 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.
1 Kings 18:27 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.
1 Kings 18:28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after
their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
1 Kings 18:29 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.
1 Kings 18:30 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.
1 Kings 18:31 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:
1 Kings 18:32 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.
1 Kings 18:33 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.
1 Kings 18:34 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.
1 Kings 18:35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he
filled the trench also with water.
1 Kings 18:36 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.
1 Kings 18:37 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.
1 Kings 18:38 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.
1 Kings 18:39 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.
1 Kings 18:40 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.
1 Kings 18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and
drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
1 Kings 18:42 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,
1 Kings 18:43 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.
1 Kings 18:44 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.
1 Kings 18:45 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.
1 Kings 18:46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he
girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
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