1 Kings 18
1 After many days the word of the Lord came to Elias, in the third year, saying: Go and shew thyself to Achab, that I may give rain upon the face of the earth.
And it happened after many days that the word of YHWH came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth."
2 And Elias went to shew himself to Achab, and there was a grievous famine in Samaria.
So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. And the famine was severe in Samaria.
3 And Achab called Abdias the governor of his house: now Abdias feared the Lord very much.
And Ahab summoned Obadiah, the steward of the house. (Now Obadiah feared YHWH greatly.
4 For when Jezabel killed the prophets of the Lord, he took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifty and fifty in caves, and fed them with bread and water.
And it came about, when Jezebel was killing the prophets of YHWH, that Obadiah took one hundred prophets and hid them, fifty by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
5 And Achab said to Abdias: Go into the land unto all fountains of waters, and into all valleys, to see if we can find grass, and save the horses and mules, that the beasts may not utterly perish.
And 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 save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals."
6 And they divided the countries between them, that they might go round about them: Achab went one way, and Abdias another way by himself.
So they divided the land between them to explore it; Ahab went one way alone, and Obadiah went another way alone.
7 And as Abdias was in the way, Elias met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said: Art thou my lord Elias?
And as Obadiah was on the way, look, Elijah met him; and he recognized him and fell on his face and said, "Is it you, my lord Elijah?"
8 And he answered: I am. Go, and tell thy master: Elias is here.
He answered him, "It is I. Go, tell your lord, 'Look, Elijah is here.'"
9 And he said: What have I sinned, that thou wouldst deliver me thy servant into the hand of Achab, that he should kill me?
And he said, "How have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?
10 As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when all answered: He is not here: he took an oath of every kingdom and nation, because thou wast not found.
As YHWH 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 did not find you.
11 And now thou sayest to me: Go, and tell thy master: Elias is here.
Now you say, 'Go, tell your lord, "Look, Elijah is here."'
12 And when I am gone from thee, the spirit of the Lord will carry thee into a place that I know not: and I shall go in and tell Achab, and he not finding thee, will kill me: but thy servant feareth the Lord from his infancy.
It will happen, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of YHWH will carry you I do not 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 YHWH from my youth.
13 Hath it not been told thee, my lord, what I did when Jezabel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred men of the prophets of the Lord, by fifty and fifty in caves, and fed them with bread and water?
Wasn't it told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of YHWH, how I hid one hundred men of YHWH's prophets, fifty by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
14 And now thou sayest: Go, and tell thy master: Elias is here: that he may kill me.
Now you say, 'Go, tell your lord, "Look, Elijah is here";' and he will kill me."
15 And Elias said: As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whose face I stand, this day I will shew myself unto him.
Elijah said, "As YHWH of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today."
16 Abdias therefore went to meet Achab, and told him: and Achab came to meet Elias.
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
17 And when he had seen him, he said: Art thou he that troublest Israel?
It happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?"
18 And he said: I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father’s house, who have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and have followed Baalim.
He answered, "I have not troubled Israel; but you, and your father's house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of YHWH, and you have followed the Baals.
19 Nevertheless send now, and gather unto me all Israel, unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, who eat at Jezabel’s table.
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 Achab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered together the prophets unto mount Carmel.
So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel.
21 And Elias coming to all the people, said: How long do you halt between two sides? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.
Elijah came near to all the people, and said, "How long will you keep limping between two positions? If YHWH is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." But the people did not answer him a word.
22 And Elias said again to the people: I only remain a prophet of the Lord: but the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men.
Then Elijah said to the people, "I, even I only, am left a prophet of YHWH; but the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men, and the prophets of Asherah four hundred.
23 Let two bullocks be given us, and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces and lay it upon wood, but put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under it.
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 prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it.
24 Call ye on the names of your gods, and I will call on the name of my Lord: and the God that shall answer by fire, let him be God. And all the people answering said: A very good proposal.
You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of YHWH, and the god who answers by fire, he is God." All the people answered, "It is well said."
25 Then Elias said to the prophets of Baal: Choose you one bullock and dress it first, because you are many: and call on the names of your gods, but put no fire under.
Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for yourselves, and prepare it first, for you are the majority, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it."
26 And they took the bullock which he gave them, and dressed it: and they called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying: O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered: and they leaped over the altar that they had made.
And they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, "Baal, answer us." But there was no voice, nor any who answered. And they limped about the altar they had made.
27 And when it was now noon, Elias jested at them, saying: Cry with a louder voice: for he is a God, and perhaps he is talking, or is in an inn, or on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep, and must be awaked.
And it came about, at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, "Cry aloud, for he is a god. Maybe he is thinking about it, or he is busy, or he is on a trip, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened."
28 So they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till they were all covered with blood.
And they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with swords and spears, until the blood gushed out on them.
29 And after midday was past, and while they were prophesying, the time was come of offering sacrifice, and there was no voice heard, nor did any one answer, nor regard them as they prayed:
And when midday was past, they prophesied until the offering up of the offering; but there was no voice, no answer, and no response.
30 Elias said to all the people: Come ye unto me. And the people coming near unto him, he repaired the altar of the Lord, that was broken down:
Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me"; and all the people came near to him. He repaired the altar of YHWH that had been torn down.
31 And he 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 shall be thy name.
Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of YHWH came, saying, "Israel shall be your name."
32 And he built with the stones an altar to the name of the Lord: and he made a trench for water, of the breadth of two furrows round about the altar.
And with the stones he built an altar in the name of YHWH. And he made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two seahs of seed.
33 And he laid the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it upon the wood.
And he arranged the wood, and cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood.
34 And he said: Fill four buckets with water, and pour it upon the burnt offering, and upon the wood. And again he said: Do the same the second time. And when they had done it the second time, he said: Do the same also the third time. And they did so the third time.
And he said, "Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering, and on the wood." And they did so. And he said, "Do it a second time"; and they did it the second time. And he said, "Do it a third time"; and they did it the third time.
35 And the water run round about the altar, and the trench was filled with water.
And the water ran around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
36 And when it was now time to offer the holocaust, Elias the prophet came near and said: O Lord God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, shew this day that thou art the God of Israel, and I thy servant, and that according to thy commandment I have done all these things.
It happened at the time of the offering up of the offering, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, "YHWH, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day 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, O Lord, hear me: that this people may learn, that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart again.
Hear me, YHWH, hear me, that this people may know that you, YHWH, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again."
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the holocaust, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
Then the fire of YHWH fell, and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw this, they fell on their faces, and they said: The Lord he is God, the Lord he is God.
And when all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said, "YHWH, he is God. YHWH, he is God."
40 And Elias said to them: Take the prophets of Baal, and let not one of them escape. And when they had taken them, Elias brought them down to the torrent Cison, and killed them there.
And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Do not let one of them escape." And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon, and killed them there.
41 And Elias said to Achab: Go up, eat, and drink: for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
And Elijah said to Ahab, "Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of a heavy rain."
42 Achab went up to eat and drink: and Elias went up to the top of Carmel, and casting himself down upon the earth put his face between his knees,
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down toward the ground, and put his face between his knees.
43 And he said to his servant: Go up, and look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said: There is nothing. And again he said to him: Return seven times.
And he said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." So he went up, and looked, and said, "There is nothing." Then he said, "Go again" seven times. And the servant went again seven times.
44 And at the seventh time, behold, a little cloud arose out of the sea like a man’s foot. And he said: Go up and say to Achab: Prepare thy chariot and go down, lest the rain prevent thee.
It happened at the seventh time, that he said, "Look, 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 And while he turned himself this way and that way, behold the heavens grew dark, with clouds, and wind, and there fell a great rain. And Achab getting up went away to Jezrahel:
It happened in a little while, that the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
46 And the hand of the Lord was upon Elias, and he girded up his loins and ran before Achab, till he came to Jezrahel.
The hand of YHWH was on Elijah; and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
