Elijah’s Message to Ahab

1And after many days it came to pass that the word of YHWH came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the face of the earth.”

2And Elijah went to appear to Ahab. And the famine was severe in Samaria. 3And Ahab called to Obadiah, who was over the house.

(And Obadiah was one who feared YHWH greatly, 4for it was in Jezebel cutting off the prophets of YHWH, that Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men to a cave, and he sustained them with bread and water.)

5And Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go into the land, to all the springs of the waters and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass and keep alive the horses and mules, so that we will not have to cut off any livestock.”

6And they divided between them the land to explore it. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went one way by himself.

7And Obadiah was on the way, and behold, Elijah met him, and he recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Are you this one—my lord Elijah?”

8And he answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your master, ‘Behold, Elijah.’”

9And he said, “How have I sinned, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me? 10As YHWH your God lives, there is neither nation nor kingdom where my master has not sent to hunt for you. And they said, ‘He is not here.’ And from the kingdom or the nation he took an oath that they could not find you. 11And you say, ‘Go, tell your master: Behold, Elijah!’

12And it shall come to pass when I am gone from you, that the Spirit of YHWH will carry you to a place that I know not. And when I go and tell Ahab, and he does not find you, he will kill me. And I your servant have feared YHWH from my youth. 13Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of YHWH, that I hid of the prophets of YHWH, a hundred men, fifty by fifty in the cave, and I sustained them with bread and water? 14And you say, ‘Go, tell your master: Behold, Elijah.’ And He will kill me!”

15And Elijah said, “As YHWH of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely today present myself to him.”

Elijah on Mount Carmel

16And Obadiah went to meet Ahab and reported to him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Are you he, O troubler of Israel?”

18And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but rather you and the house of your father have, in your⁺ forsaking the commandments of YHWH and following after the Baals. 19And now send, gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and the four hundred and fifty prophets of the Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at the table of Jezebel.”

20And Ahab sent for all the sons of Israel, and he gathered together the prophets to Mount Carmel. 21And Elijah came to all the people and said, “Until when will you⁺ pass over between the two opinions? If YHWH is God, follow him; but if the Baal, follow him.”

And the people did not answer Him a word.

22And Elijah said to the people, “I am left, a prophet of YHWH, alone. And the prophets of the Baal are four hundred and fifty men. 23And let them give to us two bulls, and let them choose for themselves one bull, and let them cut it into pieces, and let them set it on the wood, and they will not set a fire. And I will prepare one bull and lay it on the wood, I will not set a fire. 24And you⁺ call on the name of your⁺ gods, and I will call on the name of YHWH. And the God who answers by the fire, He is God.”

And all the people answered and said, “Well spoken.”

25And Elijah said to the prophets of the Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you⁺ are many. And call on the name of your⁺ god, and do not set a fire.”

26And they took the bull that was given to them, and they prepared it and called on the name of the Baal from the morning and until the noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us.”

And there was no voice, and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar that they had made.

27And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out in a louder voice, for he is a god. Either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”

28And they called out in a loud voice, and they cut themselves according to their custom with the swords and with the spears, until the blood gushed out over them.

29And when was past the noon they prophesied until the going up of the sacrifice, and there was no voice, and no one answered, and no one paid attention.

30And Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him, and he repaired the altar of YHWH that had been torn down.

31And Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of YHWH had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32And he built with the stones an altar in the name of YHWH, and he made a trench like the house of two seahs of seed† around the altar.

33And he arranged the wood, and he cut into pieces the bull and laid it on the wood. 34And he said, “Fill four pitchers, waterpots, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.”†

And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time.

And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time.

35And the water ran around the altar, and even the trench he filled with water.

Elijah’s Prayer

36And it came to pass at the going up of the sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O YHWH, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it this day be known that You are God in Israel, and I am Your servant, and at Your word I have done all these things. 37Answer me, O YHWH! Answer me, that this people may know that You are YHWH God, and You have turned their hearts back again.”

38And the fire fell of YHWH and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust. And the water that was in the trench it licked up.

39And all the people saw it, and they fell on their faces and said, “YHWH, He is God! YHWH, He is God!”

40And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of the Baal! Let not a man escape of them.” And they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.

Yahweh Sends Rain

41And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, because of the sound of the roar of the rain.”

42And Ahab went up to eat and drink, and Elijah went up to the top of Carmel. And he bowed down on the ground and put his face between his knees, 43and he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the way the sea.”

And he went up and looked and said, “There is not anything.”

And he said, “Go again,” seven times.

44And it came to pass on the seventh time that he said, “There is a cloud as small as the palm of man rising out of the sea.”

And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Harness and go down, and do not let the rain restrain you.’”

45And it came to pass in the meantime thus, and in the meantime the heavens became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. And Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.

46And the hand of YHWH came upon Elijah, and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.