1 Kings 18

New King James Version

Elijah’s Message to Ahab

18 And it came to passafter^(A)many days that the word of theLordcame to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and^(B)I will send rain on the earth.”

² So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab; andthere wasa severe famine in Samaria.³ And Ahab had called Obadiah, whowas^[a]in charge ofhishouse. (Now Obadiah feared theLordgreatly.⁴ For so it was, while Jezebel^[b]massacred the prophets of theLord, that Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and had fed them with bread and water.)⁵ And Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go into the land to all the springs of water and to all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, so that we will not have to kill any livestock.”⁶ So they divided the land between them to explore it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

⁷ Now as Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Elijah met him; and he^(C)recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, “Isthat you, my lord Elijah?”

⁸ And he answered him, “It isI. Go, tell your master, ‘Elijahis here.’ ”

⁹ So he said, “How have I sinned, that you are delivering your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?¹⁰ AstheLordyour God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you; and when they said, ‘He isnothere,’ he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they could not find you.¹¹ And now you say, ‘Go, tell your master, “Elijahis here” ’!¹² And it shall come to pass,as soon asI am gone from you, that^(D)the Spirit of theLordwill carry you to a place I do not know; so when I go and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me. But I your servant have feared theLordfrom my youth.¹³ Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of theLord, how I hid one hundred men of theLord’s prophets, fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water?¹⁴ And now you say, ‘Go, tell your master, “Elijahis here.” ’ He will kill me!”

¹⁵ Then Elijah said, “AstheLordof hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today.”

¹⁶ So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

¹⁷ Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him,^(E)“Is thatyou, O^(F)troubler of Israel?”

¹⁸ And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s househave,^(G)in that you have forsaken the commandments of theLordand have followed the Baals.¹⁹ Now therefore, sendandgather all Israel to me on^(H)Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal,^(I)and the four hundred prophets of^[c]Asherah, who^[d]eat at Jezebel’s table.”

Elijah’s Mount Carmel Victory

²⁰ So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and^(J)gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.²¹ And Elijah came to all the people, and said,^(K)“How long will you falter between two opinions? If theLordisGod, follow Him; but if Baal,^(L)follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.²² Then Elijah said to the people,^(M)“I alone am left a prophet of theLord;^(N)but Baal’s prophetsarefour hundred and fifty men.²³ Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and layiton the wood, but put no fireunder it;and I will prepare the other bull, and layiton the wood, but put no fireunder it.²⁴ Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of theLord; and the God who^(O)answers by fire, He is God.”

So all the people answered and said,^[e]“It is well spoken.”

²⁵ Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepareitfirst, for youaremany; and call on the name of your god, but put no fireunder it.”

²⁶ So they took the bull which was given them, and they preparedit,and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal,^[f]hear us!” Butthere was^(P)no voice; no one answered. Then they^[g]leaped about the altar which they had made.

²⁷ And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry^[h]aloud, for heisa god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey,orperhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”²⁸ So they cried aloud, and^(Q)cut themselves, as was their custom, with^[i]knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.²⁹ And when midday was past,^(R)they prophesied until thetimeof the offering of theeveningsacrifice. Butthere was^(S)no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.

³⁰ Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him.^(T)And he repaired the altar of theLordthat wasbroken down.³¹ And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of theLordhad come, saying,^(U)“Israel shall be your name.”³² Then with the stones he built an altar^(V)in the name of theLord; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.³³ And he^(W)put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laiditon the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and^(X)pouriton the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.”³⁴ Then he said, “Doita second time,” and they didita second time; and he said, “Doita third time,” and they didita third time.³⁵ So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled^(Y)the trench with water.

³⁶ And it came to pass, atthe time ofthe offering of theeveningsacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord^(Z)God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,^(AA)let it be known this day that YouareGod in Israel and IamYour servant, andthat^(AB)I have done all these things at Your word.³⁷ Hear me, OLord, hear me, that this people may know that YouaretheLordGod, andthatYou have turned their hearts backto Youagain.”

³⁸ Then^(AC)the fire of theLordfell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water thatwasin the trench.³⁹ Now when all the people sawit,they fell on their faces; and they said,^(AD)“TheLord, HeisGod! TheLord, HeisGod!”

⁴⁰ And Elijah said to them,^(AE)“Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook^(AF)Kishon and^(AG)executed them there.

The Drought Ends

⁴¹ Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; forthere isthe sound of abundance of rain.”⁴² So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel;^(AH)then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,⁴³ and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.”

So he went up and looked, and said, “There isnothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”

⁴⁴ Then it came to pass the seventhtime,that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab,^[j]‘Prepareyour chariot,and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”

⁴⁵ Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.⁴⁶ Then the^(AI)hand of theLordcame upon Elijah; and he^(AJ)girded^[k]up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.