1And 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 . 2And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab . And there was a sore famine in Samaria . 3And Ahab called Obadiah , which was the governor of his house . (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly : 4For 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 .) 5And 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 . 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 , Art thou that my lord Elijah ? 8And he answered him, I am: go , tell thy lord , Behold, Elijah is here . 9And he said , What have I sinned , that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab , to slay me? 10As 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. 11And now thou sayest , Go , tell thy lord , Behold, Elijah is here . 12And 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 . 13Was 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 ? 14And now thou sayest , Go , tell thy lord , Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me. 15And Elijah said , As the LORD of hosts liveth , before whom I stand , I will surely shew 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, Art thou he that troubleth Israel ? 18And 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 . 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 groves four hundred , which 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 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 . 22Then 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 . 23Let 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: 24And 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 . 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 gods , 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 upon 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 talking , or he is pursuing , or he is in a journey , or peradventure he sleepeth , and must be awaked . 28And they cried aloud , and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets , till the blood gushed out upon them. 29And 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 .
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 the LORD that was broken down . 31And 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 : 32And 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 . 33And 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 . 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 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 . 37Hear 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 . 38Then 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 . 39And 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 .
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 a 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 cast himself down upon the earth , and put his face between his knees , 43And 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 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. 45And 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 . 46And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah ; and he girded up his loins , and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel .