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| 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,
shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the
earth. |
| 18:2 | And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there
was a sore famine in Samaria. |
| 18:3 | And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of
his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly: |
| 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.) |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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? |
| 18:8 | And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold,
Elijah is here. |
| 18:9 | And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest
deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? |
| 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. |
| 18:11 | And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold,
Elijah is here. |
| 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. |
| 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? |
| 18:14 | And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold,
Elijah is here: and he shall slay me. |
| 18:15 | And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before
whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day. |
| 18:16 | So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab
went to meet Elijah. |
| 18:17 | And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab
said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 18:20 | So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and
gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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: |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 18:28 | And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their
manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out
upon them. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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: |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 18:35 | And the water ran round about the altar; and he
filled the trench also with water. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 18:41 | And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and
drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. |
| 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, |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |