¹After many days , the LORD ’s word came to Elijah, in the third year , saying , “Go , show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.”

²Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria .

³Ahab called Obadiah , who was over the household . (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly ;

⁴for when Jezebel cut off the LORD ’s prophets , Obadiah took one hundred prophets , and hid them fifty to a cave , and fed them with bread and water .)

⁵Ahab said to Obadiah , “Go through the land, to all the springs of water , and to all the brooks . Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive , that we not lose all the animals .”

⁶So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it . Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

⁷As Obadiah was on the way , behold , Elijah met him . He recognised him , and fell on his face , and said, “Is it you , my lord Elijah?”

⁸He answered him, “It is I . Go , tell your lord, ‘Behold , Elijah is here !’”

⁹He said, “How have I sinned , that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me ?

¹⁰As the LORD your God lives , there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you . When they said, ‘He is not here ,’ he took an oath of the kingdom and nation that they didn’t find you .

¹¹Now you say, ‘Go , tell your lord, “Behold , Elijah is here .”’

¹²It will happen , as soon as I leave you , that the LORD ’s Spirit will carry you I don’t know where ; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he can ’t find you , he will kill me . But I , your servant , have feared the LORD from my youth .

¹³Wasn’t it told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the LORD ’s prophets , how I hid one hundred men of the LORD ’s prophets with fifty to a cave , and fed them with bread and water ?

¹⁴Now you say, ‘Go , tell your lord, “Behold , Elijah is here ”.’ He will kill me .”

¹⁵Elijah said, “As the LORD of Armies lives , before whom I stand , I will surely show myself to him today .”

¹⁶So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him ; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

¹⁷When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him , “Is that you , you troubler of Israel ?”

¹⁸He answered, “I have not troubled Israel , but you and your father’s house , in that you have forsaken the LORD ’s commandments and you have followed the Baals .

¹⁹Now therefore send , and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel , and four hundred and fifty of the prophets of Baal , and four hundred of the prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table .”

²⁰So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel , and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel .

²¹Elijah came near to all the people , and said , “How long will you waver between the two sides? If the LORD is God , follow him ; but if Baal , then follow him .”

The people didn’t say a word .

²²Then Elijah said to the people , “I , even I only, am left as a prophet of the LORD ; but Baal ’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men .

²³Let them therefore give us two bulls ; and let them choose one bull for themselves , and cut it in pieces , and lay it on the wood , and put no fire under ; and I will dress the other bull , and lay it on the wood , and put no fire under it .

²⁴You call on the name of your god , and I will call on the LORD ’s name . The God who answers by fire, let him be God .”

All the people answered , “What you say is good .”

²⁵Elijah said to the prophets of Baal , “Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first , for you are many ; and call on the name of your god , but put no fire under it .”

²⁶They took the bull which was given them , and they dressed it , and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon , saying , “Baal , hear us !” But there was no voice , and nobody answered . They leapt about the altar which was made .

²⁷At noon , Elijah mocked them , and said , “Cry aloud , for he is a god. Either he is deep in thought, or he has gone somewhere, or he is on a journey , or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened .”

²⁸They cried aloud , and cut themselves in their way with knives and lances until the blood gushed out on them .

²⁹When midday was past , they prophesied until the time of the evening offering ; but there was no voice , no answer , and nobody paid attention .

³⁰Elijah said to all the people , “Come near to me !”; and all the people came near to him . He repaired the LORD ’s altar that had been thrown down .

³¹Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob , to whom the LORD ’s word came , saying , “Israel shall be your name .”

³²With the stones he built an altar in the LORD ’s name . He made a trench around the altar large enough to contain two seahs of seed .[#18:32 1 seah is about 7 litres or 1.9 gallons or 0.8 pecks]

³³He put the wood in order , and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood . He said, “Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood .”

³⁴He said, “Do it a second time ;” and they did it the second time . He said, “Do it a third time ;” and they did it the third time .

³⁵The water ran around the altar ; and he also filled the trench with water .

³⁶At the time of the evening offering , Elijah the prophet came near and said , “LORD , the God of Abraham, of Isaac , and of Israel , let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant , and that I have done all these things at your word .

³⁷Hear me , LORD , hear me , that this people may know that you , LORD , are God , and that you have turned their heart back again .”

³⁸Then the LORD ’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering , the wood , the stones, and the dust ; and it licked up the water that was in the trench .

³⁹When all the people saw it , they fell on their faces . They said, “The LORD , he is God ! The LORD , he is God !”

⁴⁰Elijah said to them , “Seize the prophets of Baal ! Don’t let one of them escape !”

They seized them ; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon , and killed them there .

⁴¹Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up , eat and drink ; for there is the sound of abundance of rain .”

⁴²So Ahab went up to eat and to drink . Elijah went up to the top of Carmel ; and he bowed himself down on the earth , and put his face between his knees .

⁴³He said to his servant , “Go up now and look towards the sea .”

He went up and looked , then said, “There is nothing .”

He said, “Go again ” seven times .

⁴⁴On the seventh time , he said, “Behold , a small cloud , like a man’s hand , is rising out of the sea .”

He said, “Go up , tell Ahab, ‘Get ready and go down , so that the rain doesn’t stop you .’”

⁴⁵In a little while , the sky grew black with clouds and wind , and there was a great rain . Ahab rode , and went to Jezreel .

⁴⁶The LORD ’s hand was on Elijah; and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel .