The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Kings 18
1 After many days, Yahweh’s word came
to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go,
show yourselfto Ahab; and I will send rain
on the earth.”
2 Elijah went to show himself to Ahab.
The famine was severe in Samaria.
3Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the
household. (Now Obadiah feared Yahweh
greatly;
4 for when Jezebel cut off Yahweh’s
prophets, Obadiah took one hundred
prophets, and hid them fifty to a cave, and
fed them with bread and water.)
5 Ahab 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.”
6 So they divided the land between them
to pass throughout it. Ahab went one way
by himself, and Obadiah went another
way by himself.
7 As Obadiah was on the way, behold,
Elijah met him. He recognized him, and
fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord
Elijah?”
8 He answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your
lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here!’ ”
9 He said, “How have I sinned, that you
would deliver your servant into the hand
of Ahab, to kill me?
10 As Yahweh 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.
11 Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here.” ’
12 It will happen, as soon as I leave you,
that Yahweh’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 Yahweh
from my youth.
13 Wasn’t it told my lord what I did
when Jezebel killed Yahweh’s prophets,
how I hid one hundred men of Yahweh’s
prophets with fifty to a cave, and fed them
with bread and water?
14 Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here”.’ He will kill me.”
15 Elijah said, “As Yahweh of Armies
lives, before whom I stand, I will surely
show myself to him today.”
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and
told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to
him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”
18 He answered, “I have not troubled
Israel, but you and your father’s house,
in that you have forsaken Yahweh’s commandments and you have followed the
Baals.
19 Now therefore send, and gather to me
all Israel to Mount Carmel, and four hundred fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four
hundred of the prophets of the Asherah,
who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
20 So Ahab sent to all the children of
Israel, and gathered the prophets together
to Mount Carmel.
21 Elijah came near to all the people, and
said, “How long will you waver between
the two sides? If Yahweh is God, follow
him; but if Baal, then follow him.”
The people didn’t say a word.
22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even
I only, am left as a prophet of Yahweh;
but Baal’s prophets are four hundred fifty
men.
23 Let 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.
24 You call on the name of your god, and
I will call on Yahweh’s name. The God who
answers by fire, let him be God.”
All the people answered, “What you say
is good.”
25 Elijah 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.”
26 They 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
leaped about the altar which was made.
27 Atnoon, Elijahmockedthem, andsaid,
“Cry aloud,for he is a god. Either he is deep
in thought, or he has gone somewhere, or
he is ona journey, or perhapshe sleeps and
must be awakened.”
28 They cried aloud, and cut themselves
in their way with knives and lances until
the blood gushed out on them.
29 When midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the evening offering;
but there was no voice, no answer, and
nobody paid attention.
30 Elijah said to all the people, “Come
near to me!”; and all the people came near
to him. He repaired Yahweh’s altar that
had been thrown down.
31 Elijah took twelve stones, according
to the number of the tribes of the sons
of Jacob, to whom Yahweh’s word came,
saying, “Israel shall be your name.”
32 With the stones he built an altar in
Yahweh’s name. He made a trench around
the altar large enough to contain two
seahs† of seed.
33 He 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.”
34 He 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.
35 The water ranaround the altar; andhe
also filled the trench with water.
36 At the time of the evening offering,
Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Yahweh, 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.
37 Hear me, Yahweh, hear me, that this
people may know that you, Yahweh, are
God, and that you have turned their heart
back again.”
38 Then Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed
the burnt offering, the wood, the stones,
andthedust; anditlickedupthe water that
was in the trench.
39 When all the people saw it, they fell on
their faces. They said, “Yahweh, he is God!
Yahweh, he is God!”
40 Elijahsaidto them, “Seize theprophets
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.
41 Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and
drink; for there is the sound of abundance
of rain.”
42 So 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.
43 He said to his servant, “Go up now and
look toward the sea.” He went up and looked, then said,
“There is nothing.” He said, “Go again” seven times.
44 On 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.’ ”
45 In a little while, the sky grew black
with clouds and wind, and there was a
great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
46 Yahweh’s hand was on Elijah; and he
tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.