1And it came to pass after many days , that the word of Jehovah came to Elijah, in the third year , saying , Go , show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. 2And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab. And the famine was sore in Samaria . 3And Ahab called Obadiah , who was over the household . ( Now Obadiah feared Jehovah greatly : 4for it was so , when Jezebel cut off the prophets of Jehovah , that Obadiah took a hundred prophets , and hid them by fifty in a cave , and fed them with bread and water .) 5And Ahab said unto Obadiah , Go through the land, unto all the fountains of water , and unto all the brooks : peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive , that we lose not all the beasts . 6So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it : Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. 7And as Obadiah was in the way , behold , Elijah met him : and he knew him , and fell on his face , and said, Is it thou , my lord Elijah? 8And he answered him, It is I : go , tell thy lord, Behold , Elijah is here . 9And he said, Wherein have I sinned , that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me ? 10As Jehovah 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 here , he took an oath of the kingdom and nation , that they found thee not . 11And now thou sayest, Go , tell thy lord, Behold , Elijah is here . 12And it will come to pass , as soon as I am gone from thee , that the Spirit of Jehovah will carry thee whither I know not ; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee , he will slay me : but I thy servant fear Jehovah from my youth . 13Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of Jehovah , how I hid a hundred men of Jehovah ’s prophets by fifty in a cave , and fed them with bread and water ? 14And now thou sayest, Go , tell thy lord, Behold , Elijah is here ; and he will slay me . 15And Elijah said, As Jehovah of hosts liveth , before whom I stand , I will surely show myself unto him to-day. 16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him ; and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17And it came to pass , when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him , Is it thou , thou troubler of Israel ? 18And he answered, I have not troubled Israel ; but thou , and thy father’s house , in that ye have forsaken the commandments of Jehovah , and thou hast followed the Baalim . 19Now 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 Asherah four hundred , that eat at Jezebel’s table . 20So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel , and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel . 21And Elijah came near unto all the people , and said , How long go ye limping between the two sides? if Jehovah be God , follow him ; but if Baal , then follow him . And the people answered him not a word . 22Then said Elijah unto the people , I , even I only, am left a prophet of Jehovah ; but Baal ’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men . 23Let them therefore give us two bullocks ; and let them choose one bullock for themselves , and cut it in pieces , and lay it on the wood , and put no fire under ; and I will dress the other bullock , and lay it on the wood , and put no fire under . 24And call ye on the name of your god , and I will call on the name of Jehovah ; and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God . And all the people answered and said , It is well spoken . 25And 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 god , but put no fire under . 26And 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 about the altar which was made . 27And it came to pass at noon , that Elijah mocked them , and said , Cry aloud ; for he is a god: either he is musing, or he is gone aside, or he is on a journey , or peradventure he sleepeth and must be awaked . 28And they cried aloud , and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances , till the blood gushed out upon them . 29And it was so , when midday was past , that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening oblation ; but there was neither voice , nor any to answer , nor any that regarded .
The Lord Answers by Fire
30And Elijah said unto all the people , Come near unto me ; and all the people came near unto him . And he repaired the altar of Jehovah that was thrown down . 31And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob , unto whom the word of Jehovah came , saying , Israel shall be thy name . 32And with the stones he built an altar in the name of Jehovah ; and he made a trench about the altar , as great as would contain two measures of seed . 33And he put the wood in order , and cut the bullock in pieces , and laid it on the wood . And he said, Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt-offering, and on the wood . 34And 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 . 35And the water ran round about the altar ; and he filled the trench also with water . 36And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening oblation , that Elijah the prophet came near , and said , O Jehovah , the God of Abraham, of 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 . 37Hear me , O Jehovah , hear me , that this people may know that thou , Jehovah , art God , and that thou hast turned their heart back again . 38Then the fire of Jehovah fell , and consumed the burnt-offering, and the wood , and the stones, and the dust , and licked up the water that was in the trench . 39And when all the people saw it , they fell on their faces : and they said, Jehovah , he is God ; Jehovah , he is God .
The Aftermath and the Rain
40And 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 . 41And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up , eat and drink ; for there is the sound of abundance of rain . 42So Ahab went up to eat and to drink . And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel ; and he bowed himself down upon the earth , and put his face between his knees . 43And he 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 . 44And it came to pass at the seventh time , that he said, Behold , there ariseth a cloud out of the sea , as small as a man’s hand . And he said, Go up , say unto Ahab, Make ready thy chariot , and get thee down , that the rain stop thee not . 45And it came to pass in a little while , that the heavens grew black with clouds and wind , and there was a great rain . And Ahab rode , and went to Jezreel : 46and the hand of Jehovah was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins , and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel .