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¹ AND it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.² And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. And there was a severe famine in Samaria.³ And Ahab called Obadiah, who was the steward of his household. (Now Obadiah revered the LORD greatly;⁴ For when Jezebel slew the prophets of God, Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)⁵ And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go through the land, to all fountains of water and to all brooks; perhaps we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we may not lose all the beasts.⁶ So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.⁷ And as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him; and he recognized him, and fell on his face and said, Is that you, my lord Elijah?⁸ And he answered him, It is I; then he said to him, Go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here.⁹ And Obadiah said, What sin have I committed, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?¹⁰ As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom whither my lord has not sent to seek you; and when they said, He is not here, he took an oath of the kingdoms and nations, that they had not found you.¹¹ And now you say to me, Go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here.¹² And as soon as I am gone from you, the Spirit of the LORD will take you up and carry you whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he shall slay me; but I your servant have revered the LORD from my youth.¹³ Has it not been told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of God, how I took a hundred of the prophets of the LORD and hid them by fifty in a cave and fed them with bread and water?¹⁴ And now you say to me, Go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here; and he shall slay me.¹⁵ And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.¹⁶ So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told Ahab; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

¹⁷ And when Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, Are you he who troubles Israel?¹⁸ And Elijah said to him, I have not troubled Israel; but it is you and your fathers house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed Baal.¹⁹ Now therefore send and gather to me all Israel at mount Carmel and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty and the prophets of the idols four hundred and fifty who eat at Jezebels table.²⁰ So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to mount Carmel.

²¹ Then Elijah came near to all the people, and said, How long will you halt between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him, but if Baal is god, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.²² Then Elijah said, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baals prophets are four hundred and fifty men.²³ 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 prepare the other bullock and cut it in pieces and lay it on wood and put no fire under it.²⁴ And you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD my God; and the God who answers by fire, he is God. And all the people answered and said, You have spoken well.²⁵ Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose for yourselves one bullock, and prepare it first; for you are many;²⁶ And they took the bullock which was given them and prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, answer us. But there was no voice nor any that answered. And they cut themselves upon the altar which they had made.²⁷ And when it was noon, Elijah mocked them and said, Cry with a loud voice; for he is a god; perhaps he is meditating or he is busy or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.²⁸ And they cried with a loud voice and they cut themselves after their custom with daggers and lances, until their blood gushed out upon them.²⁹ And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, but there was no voice nor any to answer nor any to listen. Then Elijah said to the prophets of the idols, Now you can move, so that I may prepare my burnt offerings. And they moved aside.³⁰ And Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.³¹ And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be your name;³² And 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.³³ And he put the wood in order and cut the bullock in pieces and laid it on the wood and said, Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.³⁴ 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.³⁵ And the water ran round about the altar; and they filled the trench also with water.³⁶ And at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, O LORD 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.³⁷ Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that all this people may know that thou art the LORD God and that thou hast turned their perverse heart back again.³⁸ Then the fire of the LORD 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.³⁹ And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God.⁴⁰ And Elijah said to them, Seize the prophets of Baal, and let not one of them escape. And they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slew them there.

⁴¹ And Elijah said to Ahab, Go up, eat and drink; for there is a rushing sound of heavy rain.⁴² So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bent himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees;⁴³ And said to his servant, Go up now, and look toward the sea. And he went up and looked, and said, There is nothing. And Elijah said to him, Go again seven times.⁴⁴ And at the seventh time, he said, Behold, there is a little cloud like a mans hand rising out of the sea. And he said to him, Go up, say to Ahab, Mount your horse, and get down before the rain stops you.⁴⁵ And while he busied himself here and there, the heavens were black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.⁴⁶ And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab till he entered Jezreel.