CHAPTER 18
After
a long
time,
in the third
year of the drought,
the word
of the LORD
came
to
Elijah:
“Go
and present
yourself to
Ahab,
and I will send
rain
on
the face
of the earth.”
for when Jezebel
had slaughtered
the prophets
of the LORD,
Obadiah
had taken
a hundred
prophets
and hidden them,
fifty
men
per cave,
providing
them with food
and water.)
Then Ahab
said
to
Obadiah,
“Go
throughout the land
to
every
spring
and
every
valley.
Perhaps
we will find
grass
to keep the horses
and mules
alive
so that we will not
have to destroy
any livestock."
So they divided
the land
to explore.
Ahab
went
one
way
by himself,
and Obadiah
went
the other
way
by himself.
Now as Obadiah
went
on his way,
Elijah
suddenly
met him.
When Obadiah recognized him,
he fell
facedown
and said,
“Is it
you,
my lord
Elijah?”
But Obadiah replied,
“How
have I sinned,
that
you
are handing your servant
over to
Ahab
to put me to death?
As surely as the LORD
your God
lives,
there is
no
nation
or kingdom
where
my lord
has not
sent
someone to search for you.
When they said,
‘He is not here,’
he made that kingdom
or nation
swear
they had not
found you.
I do not
know
where
the Spirit
of the LORD
may carry you off
when I
leave
you.
Then when I go
and tell
Ahab
and he does not
find you,
he will kill me.
But I, your servant,
have feared
the LORD
from my youth.
Was it not
reported
to my lord
what
I did
when Jezebel
slaughtered
the prophets
of the LORD?
I hid
a hundred
prophets
of the LORD,
fifty
men
to a cave,
and I provided
them with food
and water.
Then Elijah
said,
“As surely as the LORD
of Hosts
lives,
before
whom
I stand,
I will present myself
to Ahab
today.”
“I have not
troubled
Israel,”
Elijah replied,
“but
you
and your father’s
house have,
for you have forsaken
the commandments
of the LORD
and have followed
the Baals.
Now
summon
all
Israel
to meet
me
on
Mount
Carmel,
along with
the four
hundred
and fifty
prophets
of Baal
and four
hundred
prophets
of Asherah
who eat
at Jezebel's
table."
Then Elijah
approached
all
the people
and said,
“How long
will you
waver
between
two
opinions?
If
the LORD
is God,
follow
Him.
But if
Baal is,
follow
him.”
But the people
did not
answer
a word.
Then Elijah
said
to
the people,
“I
am the only
remaining
prophet
of the LORD,
but Baal has
four
hundred
and fifty
prophets.
Get
two
bulls
for us.
Let the prophets of Baal choose
one
bull
for themselves,
cut it into pieces,
and place
it on
the wood,
but not
light
the fire.
And I
will prepare
the other
bull
and place
it on
the wood,
but not
light
the fire.
Then you may call
on the name
of your god,
and I
will call
on the name
of the LORD.
The God
who
answers
by fire,
He
is
God.”
And all
the people
answered,
“What you say
is good.”
Then Elijah
said
to the prophets
of Baal,
“Since
you
are so numerous,
choose
for yourselves
one
bull
and prepare
it first.
Then call
on the name
of your god,
but do not
light
the fire.”
And they took
the bull
that
was given
them,
prepared it,
and called
on the name
of Baal
from morning
until
noon,
shouting,
“O Baal,
answer us!”
But there was no
sound,
and no one
answered
as they leaped
around
the altar
they had made.
At noon
Elijah
began to taunt
them,
saying,
“Shout
louder,
for
he is
a god!
Perhaps he is deep in thought,
or occupied,
or on a journey.
Perhaps
he is
sleeping
and must be awakened!”
So they shouted louder
and cut
themselves with knives
and lances,
as was their custom,
until
the blood
gushed out
upon them.
Midday passed,
and they kept on raving
until
the time
of the evening sacrifice.
But there was no
response,
no
one answered,
no
one paid attention.
Then Elijah
said
to all
the people,
“Come near
to me.”
So all
the people
approached him,
and he repaired
the altar
of the LORD
that had been torn down.
And Elijah
took
twelve
stones—
one for each
tribe
of Jacob's
descendants
to
whom
the word
of the LORD
had come
and said,
“Israel
shall be
your name.”
And with the stones,
Elijah built
an altar
in the name
of the LORD.
Then he dug
a trench
around
the altar
large enough to hold
two seahs
of seed.
and said,
“Fill
four
waterpots
and pour the water
on
the offering
and on
the wood.”
“Do it a second time,”
he said,
and they did it a second time.
“Do it a third time,”
he said,
and they did it a third time.
At the time of
the evening sacrifice,
Elijah
the prophet
approached
the altar and said,
“O LORD,
God
of Abraham,
Isaac,
and Israel,
let it be known
this day
that
You
are God
in Israel
and that I am
Your servant
and have done
all
these
things
at Your command.
Answer me,
O LORD!
Answer me,
so that this
people
will know
that
You,
the LORD,
are God,
and that You
have turned
their hearts
back again.”
Then the fire
of the LORD
fell
and consumed
the sacrifice,
the wood,
the stones,
and the dust,
and it licked up
the water
in the trench.
When all
the people
saw this,
they fell
facedown
and said,
“The LORD,
He
is God!
The LORD,
He
is God!”
Then Elijah
ordered them,
“Seize
the prophets
of Baal!
Do not
let a single one
escape.”
So they seized them,
and Elijah
brought them down
to
the Kishon
Valley
and slaughtered
them there.
So Ahab
went up
to eat
and drink.
But Elijah
climbed
to
the summit
of Carmel,
bent down
on the ground,
and put
his face
between
his knees.
“Go
and look
toward
the sea,”
he said
to
his servant.
So the servant went
and looked,
and he said,
“There is nothing there.”
Seven
times
Elijah said,
“Go back.”
On the seventh time
the servant reported,
“There is
a cloud
as small
as a man’s
hand
rising
from the sea.”
And Elijah replied,
“Go
and tell
Ahab,
‘Prepare your chariot
and go down
before the rain
stops you.’”
Meanwhile,
the sky
grew dark
with clouds
and wind,
and a heavy
rain
began to fall.
So Ahab
rode away
and went
to Jezreel.
And the hand
of the LORD
came
upon
Elijah,
and he tucked his cloak
into his belt
and ran
ahead of
Ahab
all the way to
Jezreel.