1 Kings, Chapter 18:

Verses from 1 Kings, Chapter 18 of the book of 1 Samuel of the Bible.

Elijah and Obadiah

• 1. After a long time, in the third year of the drought, the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying, "Show yourself to Ahab, for I will send rain on the earth."
• 2. And Elijah went. While there was a severe famine in Samaria,
• 3. Ahab summoned Obadiah, the palace overseer, who greatly feared the Lord.
• 4. Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord. So Obadiah gathered a hundred prophets, hid them in two caves, fifty in each, and gave them food and water.
• 5. And Ahab said to Obadiah, “Let us go through all the springs of water and all the valleys of the land. Maybe we can find grass to keep the horses and mules alive and not have to kill any animals.”
• 6. They divided the territory they were going to go through; Ahab went one way, and Obadiah another.
• 7. When Obadiah was on his way, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed to the ground, and asked, “Is this really you, my lord Elijah?”
• 8. Elijah replied, “Yes, it's me. Go tell your lord, 'Elijah is here'”.
• 9. But Obadiah said, “What have I done wrong, that you have given your servant over to Ahab to be killed?
• 10. As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a country or kingdom claimed you weren't there, he made them swear they couldn't find you.
• 11. But now you tell me to go tell my lord, 'Elijah is here'. He will kill me!”
• 12. I have been worshiping the Lord since my youth.
• 13. Have you not heard, O my lord, what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of them in two caves, fifty in each, and supported them with food and water.
• 14. And now you tell me to go tell my lord, 'Elijah is here'. He will kill me!”
• 15. Elijah replied, "As surely as the Lord Almighty, whom I serve, today I will present myself to Ahab."

Elijah on Mount Carmel

• 16. So Obadiah went and informed Ahab, who went to find Elijah.
• 17. As soon as he saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Are you the troublemaker of Israel?”
• 18. Elijah replied, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's family, by abandoning the commandments of the Lord and following the Baals.
• 19. Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty and the prophets of Asherah four hundred, who eat at Jezebel's table.”
• 20. So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.
• 21. Elijah approached the people and said, ′′ How long will you vacillate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, follow him!” The people, however, did not respond at all.
• 22. Then Elijah said, “I am the only prophet of the Lord left, but the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty.
• 23. Bring two bulls. Let them choose one and prepare it first, cutting it into pieces and laying it on the wood, but not lighting a fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood, also without lighting a fire.
• 24. Then you shall call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who responds by sending fire, that is God.” And all the people agreed, saying, "What you said is good."
• 25. Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since you are many. Invoke the name of your god, but do not light a fire.”
• 26. They took the bull given to them and prepared it. And they began to call on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying: “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, no answer; and they danced around the altar they had made.
• 27. At noon Elijah began to mock them: “Shout louder! After all, he is a god! Perhaps you are thinking, busy, or travelling. Perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened!”
• 28. Then they shouted louder and, as was their custom, began to smite themselves with swords and spears until they bled.
• 29. After midday, they continued to prophesy frantically until the time of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice, no answer, no sign of attention.
• 30. Then Elijah said to all the people, “Approach me.” Everyone came to him, and he rebuilt the altar of the Lord, which had been knocked down.
• 31. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the descendants of Jacob, whom the Lord had named Israel,
• 32. and with the stones he rebuilt the altar in honor of the Lord. Then he dug a groove around the altar, big enough to hold two measures of seed.
• 33. Then he piled up the wood, cut the bull into pieces and placed it on the wood.
• 34. He also said, “Fill four large pots with water and pour it over the burnt offering and over the wood.” And so they did.
• 35. “Do it again,” he commanded, and they did it again. “Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it a third time.
• 36. Water flowed around the altar and filled the furrow.
• 37. When the time for the evening sacrifice came, Elijah the prophet approached and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, show today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things by thy command.
• 38. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are bringing back their hearts.”
• 39. Then the fire of the Lord fell, consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones and the dust, and licked up the water from the furrow.
• 40. When all the people saw this, they all prostrated themselves and exclaimed: ′′ The Lord is God! The Lord is God!”
• 41. Then Elijah ordered: “Arrest the prophets of Baal! Don’t let any of them escape!” And they arrested them. Elijah brought them down to the Kishon River, where he killed them.
• 42. Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go eat and drink, for I hear the sound of heavy rain."
• 43. Ahab went up to eat and drink. As Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, he bowed to the ground and put his face between his knees.
• 44. He said to his servant, "Go, look toward the sea." The servant went and came back, saying, "There is nothing there." Seven times Elijah commanded, "Go back."
• 45. The seventh time the servant said, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." Elijah said, "Go tell Ahab, Get your chariot ready and go down, so the rain won't stop you."
• 46. Meanwhile, the sky filled with clouds, the wind picked up and it began to rain heavily. Ahab got into his chariot and left for Jezreel.

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