The First Book of the Kings

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 18 -

After many dayes, the worde of the Lord came to Eliiah, in the third yeere, saying, Goe, shewe thy selfe vnto Ahab, and I will sende rayne vpon the earth.

And Eliiah went to shew himselfe vnto Ahab, and there was a great famine in Samaria.

And Ahab called Obadiah the gouernour of his house: (and Obadiah feared God greatly:

For when Iezebel destroyed the Prophets of the Lord, Obadiah tooke an hundreth Prophets, and hid them, by fiftie in a caue, and he fed them with bread and water.)

And Ahab saide vnto Obadiah, Goe into the land, vnto all the fountaines of water, and vnto all the riuers, if so be that we may finde grasse to saue the horses and the mules aliue, lest we depriue the lande of the beastes.

And so they deuided the lande betweene them to walke thorowe it. Ahab went one way by him selfe, and Obadiah went another way by him selfe.

And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Eliiah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art not thou my lord Eliiah?

And he answered him, Yea, goe tell thy lord, Behold, Eliiah is here.

And he said, What haue I sinned, that thou wouldest deliuer thy seruant into the hande of Ahab, to slay me?

As the Lord thy God liueth, there is no nation or kingdome, whither my lorde hath not sent to seeke thee: and when they sayd, He is not here, he tooke an othe of the kingdome and nation, if they had not found thee.

And now thou sayest, Goe, tell thy lorde, Beholde, Eliiah is here.

And when I am gone from thee, the Spirit of the Lord shall cary thee into some place that I doe not know: so when I come and tell Ahab, if he cannot finde thee, then wil he kill me: But I thy seruant feare the Lord from my youth.

Was it not tolde my lord, what I did when Iezebel slew the Prophets of the Lord, how I hid an hundreth men of the Lordes Prophets by fifties in a caue, and fed them with bread and water?

And now thou sayest, Go, tel thy lord, Behold, Eliiah is here, that he may slay me.

And Eliiah said, As the Lord of hostes liueth, before whome I stand, I will surely shewe my selfe vnto him this day.

Elijah on Mount Carmel

So Obadiah went to meete Ahab, and tolde him: And Ahab went to meete Eliiah.

And when Ahab saw Eliiah, Ahab said vnto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?

And he answered, I haue not troubled Israel, but thou, and thy fathers house, in that ye haue forsaken the commandements of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.

Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel vnto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal foure hundreth and fiftie, and the prophets of the groues foure hundreth, which eate at Iezebels table.

So Ahab sent vnto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together vnto mount Carmel.

And Eliiah came vnto all the people, and said, How long halt ye betweene two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal be he, then goe after him. And the people answered him not a worde.

Then said Eliiah vnto the people, I onely remayne a Prophet of the Lord: but Baals prophets are foure hundreth and fiftie men.

Let them therefore giue vs two bullockes, and let them chuse the one, and cut him in pieces, and lay him on the wood, but put no fire vnder, and I will prepare the other bullocke, and lay him on the wood, and will put no fire vnder.

Then call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and then the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered, and sayde, It is well spoken.

And Eliiah said vnto the prophets of Baal, Chuse you a bullocke, and prepare him first, (for ye are many) and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire vnder.

So they tooke the one bullocke, that was giuen them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal, from morning to noone, saying, O Baal, heare vs: but there was no voyce, nor any to answere: and they leapt vpon the altar that was made.

And at noone Eliiah mocked them, and said, Crye loude: for he is a god: either he talketh or pursueth his enemies, or is in his iourney, or it may be that he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

And they cryed loude, and cut them selues as their maner was, with kniues and launcers, till the blood gushed out vpon them.

And when midday was passed, and they had prophecied vntil the offring of the euening sacrifice, there was neither voyce, nor one to answere, nor any that regarded.

And Eliiah said vnto all the people, Come to me. And all the people came to him. And he repayred the altar of the Lord that was broken downe.

And Eliiah tooke twelue stones, according to the nomber of the tribes of the sonnes of Iaakob, (vnto whome the worde of the Lord came, saying, Israel shalbe thy name)

And with the stones he buylt an altar in the Name of the Lord: and he made a ditch round about the altar, as great as woulde conteine two measures of seede.

And he put the wood in order, and hewed the bullocke in pieces, and layd him on the wood,

And said, Fill foure barrels with water, and powre it on the burnt offring and on the wood. Againe he said, Doe so againe. And they did so the second time. And he sayde, Doe it the third time. And they did it the third time.

And the water ran round about the altar: and he filled the ditch with water also.

Elijah’s Prayer

And when they should offer the euening sacrifice, Eliiah the Prophet came, and sayd, Lord God of Abraham, Izhak and of Israel, let it be knowen this day, that thou art the God of Israel, and that I am thy seruant, and that I haue done all these things at thy commandement.

Heare me, O Lord, heare me, and let this people know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart againe at the last.

Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offring, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked vp the water that was in the ditche.

And when all the people sawe it, they fell on their faces, and saide, The Lord is God, the Lord is God.

And Elijah said vnto them, Take the prophets of Baal, let not a man of them escape. and they tooke them, and Eliiah brought them to the brooke Kishon, and slewe them there.

The LORD Sends Rain

And Eliiah sayde vnto Ahab, Get thee vp, eate and drinke, for there is a sound of much rayne.

So Ahab went vp to eate and to drinke, and Eliiah went vp to the top of Carmel: and he crouched vnto the earth, and put his face betweene his knees,

And sayde to his seruant, Goe vp now and looke towarde the way of the Sea. And he went vp, and looked, and sayde, There is nothing. Againe he sayd, Goe againe seuen times.

And at the seuenth time he sayd, Behold, there ariseth a litle cloude out of the sea like a mans hand. Then he sayd, Vp, and say vnto Ahab, Make readie thy charet, and get thee downe, that the raine stay thee not.

And in the meane while the heauen was blacke with cloudes and winde, and there was a great rayne. Then Ahab went vp and came to Izreel.

And the hand of the Lord was on Eliiah, and he girded vp his Ioynes, and ran before Ahab till he came to Izreel.

After many days, the LORD’s word came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.”

Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria.

Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly;

for when Jezebel cut off the LORD’s prophets, Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals.”

So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

As Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. He recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”

He answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here!’”

He said, “How have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?

As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he took an oath of the kingdom and nation that they didn’t find you.

Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here.”’

It will happen, as soon as I leave you, that the LORD’s Spirit will carry you I don’t know where; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he can’t find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth.

Wasn’t it told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the LORD’s prophets, how I hid one hundred men of the LORD’s prophets with fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water?

Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here”.’ He will kill me.”

Elijah said, “As the LORD of Armies lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”

Elijah on Mount Carmel

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

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

He answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken the LORD’s commandments and you have followed the Baals.

Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and four hundred fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel.

Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you waver between the two sides? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people didn’t say a word.

Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left as a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred fifty men.

Let them therefore give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it.

You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the LORD’s name. The God who answers by fire, let him be God.” All the people answered, “What you say is good.”

Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”

They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, “Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice, and nobody answered. They leaped about the altar which was made.

At noon, Elijah mocked them, and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is deep in thought, or he has gone somewhere, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened.”

They cried aloud, and cut themselves in their way with knives and lances until the blood gushed out on them.

When midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the evening offering; but there was no voice, no answer, and nobody paid attention.

Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me!”; and all the people came near to him. He repaired the LORD’s altar that had been thrown down.

Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the LORD’s word came, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”

With the stones he built an altar in the LORD’s name. He made a trench around the altar large enough to contain two seahs

(a)

of seed.

He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.”

He said, “Do it a second time;” and they did it the second time. He said, “Do it a third time;” and they did it the third time.

The water ran around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

Elijah’s Prayer

At the time of the evening offering, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.

Hear me, LORD, hear me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again.”

Then the LORD’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust; and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. They said, “The LORD, he is God! the LORD, he is God!”

Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Don’t let one of them escape!” They seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.

The LORD Sends Rain

Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”

So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his face between his knees.

He said to his servant, “Go up now and look toward the sea.” He went up and looked, then said, “There is nothing.” He said, “Go again” seven times.

On the seventh time, he said, “Behold, a small cloud, like a man’s hand, is rising out of the sea.” He said, “Go up, tell Ahab, ‘Get ready and go down, so that the rain doesn’t stop you.’”

In a little while, the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

The LORD’s hand was on Elijah; and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Footnotes

(a)18:32 1 seah is about 7 liters or 1.9 gallons or 0.8 pecks