1 Kings 18

And 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.

1A long time passed. It was now the third year with no rain. God spoke to Elijah, a prophet who told people what God said. God told him, "Go and let King Ahab see you. Then I will send rain on the land."

2And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.

2So Elijah went to let Ahab see him. There was very little food in Samaria. People were hungry.

3And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:

3King Ahab called for a man named Obadiah. Obadiah was in charge of the king's house. Obadiah loved God and obeyed him.

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.)

4Earlier, Queen Jezebel had killed many prophets of the LORD. Obadiah had saved a hundred of them. He hid them in two caves, fifty men in each cave. He brought them 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.

5Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go all over the land. Check every spring and every stream. Maybe we will find grass. Then our horses and mules can live. We will not lose all our animals."

6So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

6They split the land between them to search it. Ahab went one way alone. Obadiah went another way alone.

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?

7While Obadiah was walking, Elijah met him. Obadiah knew who he was. He bowed with his face to the ground. He said, "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?"

8And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

8Elijah said, "Yes, it is me. Go tell your master the king that Elijah is here."

9And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?

9Obadiah said, "What have I done wrong? Why would you hand me over to Ahab? He will kill 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.

10"I promise you, before the living LORD your God, the king has looked everywhere for you. He sent men to every nation and kingdom. When they said you were not there, he made them promise it was true."

11And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

11"And now you tell me to go say to my master, '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.

12"But as soon as I leave, God's Spirit may carry you away. I will not know where. Then I will tell Ahab, and he will not find you. He will kill me. Yet I have obeyed the LORD since I was young."

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?

13"Did no one tell you what I did? When Jezebel was killing the LORD's prophets, I hid a hundred of them. I put fifty in each of two caves. I brought them bread and water."

14And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.

14"And now you tell me, 'Go say to your master, Elijah is here.' He will kill me!"

15And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.

15Elijah said, "I promise you, before the living LORD of heaven's armies, whom I serve. I will let Ahab see me today."

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

16So Obadiah went and told Ahab. Then Ahab went out to meet Elijah.

17And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?

17When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, "Is that you? You are the man who brings trouble to 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.

18Elijah answered, "I have not brought trouble to Israel. You have, and your father's family too. You have turned away from God's commands. You have followed the Baals, false gods."

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.

19"Now send word to all Israel. Have everyone meet me on Mount Carmel. Bring the 450 prophets of Baal. Bring the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."

NoteThe KJV says "prophets of the groves." This means prophets of Asherah, a goddess some people worshiped.

20So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.

20So Ahab sent word to all the people of Israel. He gathered the prophets on 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.

21Elijah came to all the people and said, "How long will you go back and forth? If the LORD is God, follow him. If Baal is God, follow him." The people said nothing at all.

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.

22Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only prophet of the LORD left here. But Baal has 450 prophets."

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:

23"Bring us two bulls. Let them pick one bull for themselves. Let them cut it up and lay it on the wood. But they must not light a fire. I will get the other bull ready the same way. I will not light a fire either."

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.

24"Then you call on the name of your god. I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers with fire is the real God." All the people said, "That is a good plan."

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.

25Elijah said to Baal's prophets, "You go first, since there are so many of you. Pick a bull and get it ready. Call on the name of your god. But do not light a fire."

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.

26They took the bull and got it ready. They called on Baal's name from morning until noon. They shouted, "Baal, answer us!" But no voice came. No one answered. They danced around the altar they had 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.

27At noon Elijah made fun of them. He said, "Shout louder! He is a god, after all. Maybe he is talking. Maybe he is busy or away on a trip. Maybe he is asleep and needs waking up."

28And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.

28So they shouted louder. They cut themselves with knives and spears, the way they always did. Blood ran down over 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.

29Noon went by. They kept shouting until the time of the evening offering. But no voice came. No one answered. No one paid attention.

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.

30Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come close to me." They all came close. He fixed the LORD's altar, which had been torn 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:

31Elijah took twelve stones, one for each family group of Jacob's sons. God had spoken to Jacob and said, "Your name will be Israel."

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.

32He built an altar with those stones to honor the LORD. Then he dug a ditch around the altar. It was big enough to hold a lot of seed.

NoteThe KJV says the ditch could hold "two measures of seed." That is about three gallons, so the ditch was wide and deep.

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.

33He laid the wood in order. He cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said, "Fill four big jars with water. Pour it on the offering 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.

34He said, "Do it again." They did it again. He said, "Do it a third time." They did it a third time.

35And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

35The water ran down all around the altar. It even filled the ditch.

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.

36At the time of the evening offering, Elijah the prophet came close. He prayed, "LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Show everyone today that you are God in Israel. Show them I am your servant. Show them I did all this because you told me to."

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.

37"Answer me, LORD. Answer me. Then these people will know that you are the LORD God. They will know you are turning their hearts back to you."

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.

38Then fire from the LORD came down. It burned up the offering, the wood, the stones, and the dirt. It even dried up the water in the ditch.

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.

39When the people saw it, they bowed with their faces to the ground. They said, "The LORD, he is God! The LORD, he is 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.

40Elijah said, "Grab the prophets of Baal. Do not let one of them get away." So they grabbed them. Elijah took them down to the Kishon brook and killed them there.

41And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

41Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up and eat and drink. I hear the sound of heavy rain coming."

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,

42So Ahab went up to eat and drink. Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel. He bent down low to the ground 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.

43He said to his helper, "Go up and look toward the sea." The helper went and looked. He said, "There is nothing there." Elijah said, "Go and look again." He said this 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.

44The seventh time the helper said, "I see a little cloud coming up from the sea. It is as small as a man's hand." Elijah said, "Go tell Ahab to hitch up his chariot and go down. The rain will stop him if he waits."

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.

45Soon the sky turned black with clouds and wind. Heavy rain began to fall. Ahab climbed into his chariot and rode 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.

46The LORD's power came on Elijah. He tucked his long robe into his belt. Then he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

NoteThe KJV says Elijah "girded up his loins." Men wore long robes. He tucked his robe into his belt so his legs were free to run.