11:018:001 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.
11:018:002 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a
sore famine in Samaria.
11:018:003 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house.
(Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:
11:018:004 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.)
11:018:005 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.
11:018:006 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it:
Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by
himself.
11:018:007 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?
11:018:008 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah
is here.
11:018:009 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver
thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
11:018:010 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.
11:018:011 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is
here.
11:018:012 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.
11:018:013 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?
11:018:014 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is
here: and he shall slay me.
11:018:015 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I
stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.
11:018:016 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to
meet Elijah.
11:018:017 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto
him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
11:018:018 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.
11:018:019 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.
11:018:020 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the
prophets together unto mount Carmel.
11:018:021 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.
11:018:022 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.
11:018:023 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:
11:018:024 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.
11:018:025 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.
11:018:026 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.
11:018:027 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.
11:018:028 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner
with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
11:018:029 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.
11:018:030 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.
11:018:031 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:
11:018:032 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.
11:018:033 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.
11:018:034 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.
11:018:035 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the
trench also with water.
11:018:036 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.
11:018:037 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.
11:018:038 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.
11:018:039 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.
11:018:040 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.
11:018:041 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for
there is a sound of abundance of rain.
11:018:042 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,
11:018:043 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.
11:018:044 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.
11:018:045 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.
11:018:046 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his
loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.