1 Kings 18

1 Kings Chapter 18 KJV

1In the extremity of the famine Elijah is sent to meet Ahab. 3Ahab and Obadiah go different ways in search of pasture for the cattle. 7Elijah meeteth Obadiah, and sendeth him to call Ahab. 18Ahab, after receiving a reproof, by Elijah's direction gathereth together all the prophets of Baal. 21Elijah proposeth to decide by a sign from heaven between the Lord and Baal. 25Baal's prophets invoke him in vain. 30Elijah praying is answered by fire from heaven: the people own the Lord to be God: Baal's prophets are slain. 41Elijah giveth Ahab notice of rain, which he obtaineth by prayer, and runneth before Ahab to Jezreel.
1 And it came to pass after 1many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the 2third year, saying, 3Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I 4will send rain upon the earth.
2 And Elijah went 1to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.
3 And Ahab called aObadiah, which was bthe governor of his house. (Now Obadiah 1feared the Lord greatly:
4 For it was so, when aJezebel 1cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and 2fed them with bread and water.)
5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find 1grass to save the horses and mules alive, athat we lose not all the beasts.
6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way 1by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
7 ¶ And as Obadiah was 1in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and 2fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?
8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy 1lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
9 And he said, 1What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
10 as 1the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, 2whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord shall 1carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the Lord 2from my youth.
13 Was it not told my lord 1what 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?
14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.
15 And Elijah said, As the 1Lord of hosts liveth, before whom 2I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
17 ¶ And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, 1Art thou he that 2troubleth Israel?
18 And he answered, I 1have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and 2thou hast followed Baalim.
19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount 1Carmel, and the 2prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at 3Jezebel's table.
20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and 1gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, 1How long halt ye between two aopinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered 2him not a word.
22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, 1even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are 2four hundred and fifty men.
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:
24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that 1answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, aIt is well spoken.
25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
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, ahear us. But there was 1no voice, nor any that banswered. And they cleaped upon the altar which was made.
27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah 1mocked them, and said, Cry aaloud: for he is a god; either bhe is talking, or he cis pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, 2and must be awaked.
28 And they cried aloud, and 1cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till athe blood gushed out upon them.
29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they 1prophesied until the time of the aoffering of 2the evening sacrifice, that there was 3neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any bthat regarded.
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 1broken down.
31 And Elijah took 1twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, 2Israel shall be thy name:
32 And with the stones he 1built 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.
33 And he 1put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and 2pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
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.
35 And the water aran round about the altar; and he filled the 1trench also with water.
36 And it came to pass 1at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, 2Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, 3let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that 4I have done all these things at thy word.
37 1Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast 2turned their heart back again.
38 Then 1the 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.
39 And when all the people saw it, they 1fell on their faces: and 2they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.
40 And Elijah said unto them, aTake the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook 1Kishon, and slew them there.
41 ¶ And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, 1eat and drink; for there is aa sound of abundance of rain.
42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And 1Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he 2cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
43 And said to his servant, 1Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, 2Go again seven times.
44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth 1a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, aPrepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and 1there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to 2Jezreel.
46 And the 1hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he 2girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab ato the entrance of Jezreel.
1 Kings 18