Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
1 Kings 18
After many days, the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will give rain upon the face of the land.”
So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.
Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD.
For when Jezebel was cutting off the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them, fifty men in each cave, and sustained them with bread and water.
Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land, to all the springs of water and to all the wadis. Perhaps we may find grass and keep horse and mule alive, so that we will not have to destroy some of the livestock.”
So they divided the land between them to pass through it. Ahab went by one way by himself, and Obadiah went by another way by himself.
As Obadiah was on the way, there was Elijah coming toward him. He recognized him and fell upon his face, and said, “Is this you, my lord Elijah?”
He said to him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Elijah is here.’”
But he said, “What sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into Ahab’s hand 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 made the kingdom and nation swear that they could not find you.
And now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Elijah is here.”’
And when I go from you, the spirit of the LORD may carry you where I do not know. Then I will come and tell Ahab, and he will not find you, and he will kill me. Yet your servant has feared the LORD from my youth.
Has it not been told to my lord what I did when Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD—how I hid a hundred men of the prophets of the LORD, fifty men in each cave, and sustained them with bread and water?
And now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Elijah is here,”’ and he will kill me.”
Elijah said, “As the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, today I will surely show myself to him.”
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him. Then Ahab went to meet Elijah.
When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is this you, troubler of Israel?”
He said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, by forsaking the commandments of the LORD and following the Baals.
Now send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
So Ahab sent throughout all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel.
Then Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you limp between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.
Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone remain as a prophet of the LORD, while the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men.
Let them give us two bulls. Let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood—but they must put no fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood, and I will put no fire to it.
Then you will call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers by fire—that one is God.” All the people answered and said, “The word is good.”
Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, because you are the many. Call on the name of your god, but put no fire to it.”
So they took the bull that was given to them and prepared it. They called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice and no one answering. And they limped about the altar that had been made.
At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Call out loudly, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey. Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.”
So they called out loudly and cut themselves, according to their custom, with swords and spears, until blood poured out upon them.
When noon had passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the grain offering. But there was no voice, no one answering, and no one paying attention.
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the ruined altar of the LORD.
Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, “Israel will be your name.”
With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he made a trench around the altar, large enough for two seahs of seed.
He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces, and placed it on the wood.
Then he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” Then he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. Then he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time.
The water ran all around the altar, and he also filled the trench with water.
At the time when the grain offering was offered, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that at your word I have done all these things.
Answer me, LORD, answer me, so that this people may know that you, LORD, are God, and that you have turned their heart back.”
Then the fire of the LORD 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 upon their faces and said, “The LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!”
Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Let not one of them escape!” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon and slaughtered them there.
Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of the roar of rain.”
So Ahab went up to eat and drink, while Elijah went up to the top of Carmel. He bent down to the earth and put his face between his knees.
He said to his servant, “Go up now; look toward the sea.” So he went up, looked, and said, “There is nothing.” Then he said, “Go back seven times.”
On the seventh time he said, “Look, a small cloud, like a person’s palm, is rising from the sea.” Then he said, “Go up. Say to Ahab, ‘Harness your chariot and go down, so that the rain does not stop you.’”
And in a little while, the skies grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.
The hand of the LORD was upon Elijah. He girded up his waist and ran before Ahab as far as the entrance to Jezreel.