THE FIRST BOOK OF
THE KINGS,
1 Kings 18 ©
Elijah is sent unto Ahab, v. 1, etc. He meets Obadiah, 7. Charges him to certify the king of his coming, 8. Speaks to Ahab, 17. And then to the congregation, and to the prophets of Baal, 21. These stand ashamed, 26. The LORD discovers Himself by a sign to Elijah’s offering, 30. The prophets of Baal are slain, 40. Rain is obtained by Elijah’s prayer, 41.
AND it came to pass after 1many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah 2in the third year, saying, Go, 3shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.
And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine 4in Samaria.
And Ahab called 5Obadiah, which was 6the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:
For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them 7by fifty in a cave, and fed them 8with bread and water.)
And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find 9grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we 10lose not all the beasts.
So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
¶And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met 11him: and he knew him, and 12fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?
And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
And he said, 13What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: 14and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath 15of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the 16Spirit of the LORD shall carry 17thee whither I know not; and so when I come and 18tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay 19me: but I thy 20servant fear the LORD from my youth.
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 21by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.
And Elijah said, As 22the LORD of hosts liveth, 23before whom I stand, 24I will surely shew myself unto him to day.
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and 25told him: and Ahab 26went to meet Elijah.
¶And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Arta thou he that 27troubleth Israel?
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 28Baalim.
29Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount 30Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets 31of the groves four hundred, which eat 32at Jezebel’s table.
So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye 33between two opinions? if the LORDbbe 34God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I 35only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are 36four hundred and fifty men.
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 37lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth 38by fire, let him be 39God. And all the people answered and said, 40It is well spoken.
And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dresscit first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
And they took the bullock 41which was given them, and they dresseddit, 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 42they leaped 43upon the altar which was made.
And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either 44he is talking, or he is 45pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventuree he sleepeth, 46and must be awaked.
And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their 47manner with knives and lancets, 48till the blood gushed out upon them.
And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they 49prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening 50sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the 51altar of the LORD that was broken down.
And 52Elijah tookf twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israelg shall be thy name:
And with the stones 53he built an altar 54in the name of the LORD: and he made a 55trench about the altar, 56as great as would contain two 57measures of seed.
And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four 58barrels 59with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
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.
And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the 60trench also with water.
And it came to pass 61at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet 62came near, and said, LORD Godh63of 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 64all these things at thy word.
65Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart 66back again.
67Then 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.
And when all the people saw it, 68they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the 69God; the LORD, he is the God.
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 70Kishon, and 71slew them there.
¶And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is 72a sound of abundance of rain.
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; 73and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
And said to his servant, Go up now, look 74toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
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 75stop thee not.
And it came to pass 76in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there 77was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to 78Jezreel.
And 79the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he 80girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab 81to the entrance of Jezreel.