¶ And it came to pass after many days¹, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year², saying, Go³, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain⁴ upon the earth.

And Elijah went to shew⁵ himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore⁶ famine in Samaria.

And Ahab called Obadiah⁷, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD⁸ greatly:

For it was so, when Jezebel⁹ cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave¹⁰, and fed them¹¹ with bread and water¹².)

And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass¹³ to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts¹⁴.

So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went¹⁵ one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

And as Obadiah was in the way¹⁶, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew¹⁷ him, and fell on¹⁸ his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah¹⁹?

And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord²⁰, Behold, Elijah is here.

And he said, What have I sinned²¹, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?

¶ As the LORD²² thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord²³ 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 not²⁴.

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

And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD²⁶ shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me:²⁷ but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth²⁸.

Was it not told my lord what I did²⁹ when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred³⁰ men of the LORD'S prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them³¹ with bread and water?

And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me³².

And Elijah said, As the LORD³³ of hosts liveth³⁴, before whom I³⁵ stand, I will surely³⁶ shew myself unto him to day.

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

¶ And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel³⁷?

And he answered, I have not³⁸ troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have³⁹ forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.

Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel⁴⁰, and the prophets of Baal⁴¹ four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves⁴² four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table⁴³.

¶ So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered⁴⁴ the prophets together unto mount Carmel.

¶ And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long⁴⁵ halt ye between two opinions⁴⁶? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered⁴⁷ him not a word.

Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only,⁴⁸ remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets⁴⁹ are four hundred and fifty men.

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:

And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire⁵⁰, let him be God. And all the people answered and said⁵¹, It is well spoken⁵².

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.

And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning⁵³ even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear⁵⁴ us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered⁵⁵. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.

And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah⁵⁶ mocked them, and said, Cry aloud⁵⁷: for he is a god; either⁵⁸ he is talking⁵⁹, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

And they cried aloud, and cut themselves⁶⁰ after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them⁶¹.

And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied⁶² until the time of the offering⁶³ of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice⁶⁴, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded⁶⁵.

¶ And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired⁶⁶ the altar of the LORD⁶⁷ that was broken down.

And Elijah took twelve stones⁶⁸, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying⁶⁹, Israel shall be thy name:

And with⁷⁰ the stones he built an altar in the name⁷¹ of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

And he put⁷² the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four⁷³ barrels with water, and pour it⁷⁴ on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.

And he said, Do it the second⁷⁵ time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.

And the water ran⁷⁶ round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

And it came to pass at the time⁷⁷ of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God⁷⁸ of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it⁷⁹ be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have⁸⁰ done all these things at thy word.

Hear me,⁸¹ O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned⁸² their heart back again.

Then the⁸³ fire⁸⁴ 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.

And when all the people saw it, they fell⁸⁵ on their faces: and they said, The LORD⁸⁶, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.

¶ And Elijah said unto them, Take⁸⁷ the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon⁸⁸, and slew them there⁸⁹.

¶ And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get⁹⁰ thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound⁹¹ of abundance of rain.

So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah⁹² went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself⁹³ down upon the earth, and put his face⁹⁴ between his knees,

And said to his servant, Go up⁹⁵ now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again⁹⁶ seven times.

And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud⁹⁷ out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare⁹⁸ thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.

And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was⁹⁹ a great rain. And Ahab¹⁰⁰ rode, and went to Jezreel.

And the hand¹⁰¹ of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded¹⁰² up his loins, and ran before¹⁰³ Ahab to the entrance of¹⁰⁴ Jezreel.