1After many days, the LORD’s word came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.”

2Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria.

3Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly;

4for when Jezebel cut off the LORD’s prophets, Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

5Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the 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.

7As Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. He recognised him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”

8He answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here!’”

9He said, “How have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?

10As 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 took an oath of the kingdom and nation that they didn’t find you.

11Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here.”’

12It will happen, as soon as I leave you, that the LORD’s Spirit will carry you I don’t know where; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he can’t find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth.

13Wasn’t it told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the LORD’s prophets, how I hid one hundred men of the LORD’s prophets with fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water?

14Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here”.’ He will kill me.”

15Elijah said, “As the LORD of Armies lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”

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

17When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

18He answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken the LORD’s commandments and you have followed the Baals.

19Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and four hundred and fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

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

21Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you waver between the two sides? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people didn’t say a word.

22Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left as a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

23Let them therefore give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it.

24You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the LORD’s name. The God who answers by fire, let him be God.” All the people answered, “What you say is good.”

25Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”

26They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, “Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice, and nobody answered. They leapt about the altar which was made.

27At noon, Elijah mocked them, and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is deep in thought, or he has gone somewhere, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened.”

28They cried aloud, and cut themselves in their way with knives and lances until the blood gushed out on them.

29When midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the evening offering; but there was no voice, no answer, and nobody paid attention.

30Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me!”; and all the people came near to him. He repaired the LORD’s altar that had been thrown down.

31Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the LORD’s word came, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”

32With the stones he built an altar in the LORD’s name. He made a trench around the altar large enough to contain two seahs ²⁶of seed.

33He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.”

34He said, “Do it a second time;” and they did it the second time. He said, “Do it a third time;” and they did it the third time.

35The water ran around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

36At the time of the evening offering, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.

37Hear me, LORD, hear me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again.”

38Then the LORD’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust; and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

39When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. They said, “The LORD, he is God! The LORD, he is God!”

40Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Don’t let one of them escape!” They seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.

41Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”

42So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his face between his knees.

43He said to his servant, “Go up now and look towards the sea.” He went up and looked, then said, “There is nothing.” He said, “Go again” seven times.

44On the seventh time, he said, “Behold, a small cloud, like a man’s hand, is rising out of the sea.” He said, “Go up, tell Ahab, ‘Get ready and go down, so that the rain doesn’t stop you.’”

45In a little while, the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

46The LORD’s hand was on Elijah; and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.