Obadiah Meets Elijah

1Now it happened after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will provide rain on the face of the earth.” 2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. 3Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the household. (Now Obadiah [a]feared the LORD greatly; 4for when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water.) 5Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the river valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle.” 6So they divided the land between them to [b]survey it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

7Now as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him, and he recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Is it you, Elijah my master?” 8And he said to him, “It is I. Go, say to your master, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.’” 9But he said, “What [c]sin have I committed, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab, to put me to death? 10As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom to which my master has not sent word to search for you; and whenever they say, ‘He is not here,’ he makes the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you. 11Yet now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here!”’ 12And it will come about when I leave you that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you to where I do not know; so when I come and inform Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, though I, your servant, have [d]feared the LORD from my youth. 13Has it not been reported to my master what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, that I hid a hundred [e]prophets of the LORD by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water? 14Yet now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here”’; he will then kill me!” 15Then Elijah said, “As surely as the LORD of armies lives, before whom I stand, I will certainly present myself to him today.” 16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and informed him; then Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is this you, the cause of disaster to Israel?” 18He said, “I have not brought disaster to Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have abandoned the commandments of the LORD and you have followed the Baals. 19Now then, send orders and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and four hundred prophets of [f]the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

God or Baal on Mount Carmel

20So Ahab sent orders among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long are you going to [g]struggle with the two choices? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him so much as a word. 22Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left as a prophet of the LORD, while Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23Now have them give us two oxen; and have them choose the one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. 24Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people replied, “[h]That is a good idea.”

25So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose the one ox for yourselves and prepare it first, since there are many of you, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under the ox.” 26Then they took the ox which [i]was given them and they prepared it, and they called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they [j]limped about the altar which [k]they had made. 27And at noon Elijah ridiculed them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, since he is a god; undoubtedly he is attending to business, or is on the way, or is on a journey. Perhaps he is asleep, and will awaken.” 28So they cried out with a loud voice, and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until blood gushed out on them. 29When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and [l]no one paid attention.

30Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come forward to me.” So all the people came forward to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been torn down. 31Then Elijah took twelve stones, corresponding to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two [m]measures of seed. 33Then he laid out the wood, and he cut the ox in pieces and placed it on the wood. 34And he said, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time,” so they did it a second time. Then he said, “Do it a third time,” so they did it a third time. 35The water flowed around the altar, and he also filled the trench with water.

Elijah’s Prayer