1 Kings 18

₁And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. ₂And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria. ₃And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly: ₄for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) ₅And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts. ₆So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

₇And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah? ₈And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. ₉And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? ₁₀As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither 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. ₁₁And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. ₁₂And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry 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 from my youth. ₁₃Was it not told my lord what 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? ₁₄And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me. ₁₅And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.

₁₆So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah. ₁₇And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? ₁₈And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim. ₁₉Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.

₂₀So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. ₂₁And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. ₂₂Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. ₂₃Let 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: ₂₄and call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

₂₅And 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. ₂₆And 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, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. ₂₇And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. ₂₈And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. ₂₉And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

₃₀And 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 broken down. ₃₁And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: ₃₂and with the stones he built 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. ₃₃And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. ₃₄And 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. ₃₅And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. ₃₆And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. ₃₇Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. ₃₈Then the 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. ₃₉And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. ₄₀And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

₄₁And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. ₄₂So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, ₄₃and said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. ₄₄And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. ₄₅And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. ₄₆And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.