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I KINGS ยท Chapter 18
18:1 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 unto Ahab;
and I will send rain upon the earth.
18:2 And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore
famine in Samaria.
18:3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house.
(Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:
18:4 For 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.)
18:5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains
of water, and unto all brooks: possibly we may find grass to save the horses
and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
18:6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab
went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
18:7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he
knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Are you that my lord Elijah?
18:8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah
is here.
18:9 And he said, What have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant
into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
18:10 As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom, where
my lord has not sent to seek you: and when they said, He is not there;
he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found you not.
18:11 And now you says, Go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
18:12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, that
the Spirit of the LORD shall carry you where I know not; and so when I
come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he shall slay me: but I your
servant fear the LORD from my youth.
18:13 Was 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?
18:14 And now you says, Go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here:
and he shall slay me.
18:15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand,
I will surely show myself unto him to day.
18:16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to
meet Elijah.
18:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto
him, Are you he that troubles Israel?
18:18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but you, and your
father's house, in that all of you have forsaken the commandments of the
LORD, and you have followed Baalim.
18:19 Now 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.
18:20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the
prophets together unto mount Carmel.
18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt
all of you between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if
Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
18:22 Then 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.
18:23 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 dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood,
and put no fire under:
18:24 And call all of you on the name of your gods, and I will call
on the name of the LORD: and the God that answers by fire, let him be God.
And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
18:25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock
for yourselves, and dress it first; for all of you are many; and call on
the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
18:26 And 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.
18:27 And 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 possibly he sleeps, and must be awaked.
18:28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with
knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
18:29 And 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.
18:30 And 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.
18:31 And 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 your name:
18:32 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.
18:33 And 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.
18:34 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.
18:35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench
also with water.
18:36 And 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 you are God in Israel,
and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your
word.
18:37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that you
are the LORD God, and that you have turned their heart back again.
18:38 Then 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.
18:39 And 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.
18:40 And 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.
18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get you up, eat and drink; for there
is a sound of abundance of rain.
18:42 So 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,
18:43 And 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.
18:44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold,
there arises a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said,
Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare your chariot, and get you down that the rain
stop you not.
18:45 And 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.
18:46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his
loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
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