1 Kings 18



Elijah and the Prophets of Baal



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

17 (Jos 7:25; 1Ki 21:20) When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him,

"Are you he that troubles Israel?"

18 (2Ch 15:2; 1Ki 9:9) And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you

and your father's house, in that you have forsaken the commandments

of the Lord and you have followed the Baals.

19 (Jos 19:26; 1Ki 16:33) Now send word out and gather for me all Israel

on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal

and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table."

20 So Ahab called out all the children of Israel a

nd gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.

21 (Jos 24:15; 2Ki 17:41) Elijah came to all the people and said,

"How long will you stay between two opinions?

If the Lord is God, follow Him, but if Baal, then follow him."

And the people did not say a word.

22 (1Ki 19:10; 19:14) Then Elijah said to the people, "I alone remain

a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets number 450 men.

23 Therefore, let them give us two bulls, and let them choose one bull

for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on some wood, but do not

light a fire under it, and I will prepare the other bull, lay it on some wood,

and not light a fire underneath it.

24 (1Ki 18:38; 1Ch 21:26) And you call on the name of your gods,

and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God that answers by fire,

let Him be God." And all the people answered and said, "It is well spoken."

25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for yourselves

and prepare it first, for there are many of you, and call on

the name of your god, but do not light a fire underneath."

26 (Jer 10:5; 1Co 8:4) They took the bull which was given to them,

and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon,

saying, "O Baal, hear us." But there was no voice, and no one answered.

And they leaped upon the altar which was made.

27 By noon, Elijah mocked them, saying, "Cry out loud, for he is a god.

Either he is talking or is gone away or is on a journey,

or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened."

28 (Lev 19:28; Dt 14:1) They cried out loud and cut themselves with knives

and spears according to their custom until the blood gushed out on them.

29 (Ex 29:41; 1Ki 18:26) And as midday passed, they prophesied

until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice.

But there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.

30 (1Ki 19:10; 19:14) Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me."

And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord

that was broken down.

31 (Ge 32:28; 35:10) Elijah 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 your name,"

32 (Col 3:17) and he built an altar in the name of the Lord with stones,

and he made a trench around the altar, so deep that it could contain two seahs

[Likely about 24 pounds, or 11 kilograms.] of seed.

33 (Ge 22:9; Lev 1:6-8) He arranged the wood and cut the bull in pieces

and laid him on the wood and said, "Fill four barrels with water,

and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood."

34 He said, "Do it a second time," and they did it a second time.

And he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it the third time.

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

36 (Ex 3:6; 1Ki 8:43) At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice,

Elijah the prophet came near and said, "The Lord, God of Abraham, 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, so that this people may know that

You are the Lord God and that You have turned their hearts back again."

38 (Lev 9:24; Jdg 6:21) Then the fire 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.

39 (1Ki 18:24; 18:21) When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces

and said, "The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!"

40 (Dt 13:5; 18:20) Elijah said to them, "Arrest the prophets of Baal,

and do not let one of them escape." And they arrested them,

and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon brook and executed them there.



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

17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art

thou he that troubleth Israel?

18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's

house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast

followed Baalim.

19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel,

and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty,

and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.



Mount Carmel



20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets

together unto mount Carmel.

21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between

two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.

And the people answered him not a word.

22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet

of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

23 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:

24 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 fire, let him be God. And all

the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

25 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.

26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it,

and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal,

hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon

the altar which was made.

27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud:

for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in

a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives

and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.

29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the

time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice,

nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people

came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was

broken down.

31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of

the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall

be thy name:

32 and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made

a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him

on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the

burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.

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

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

35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also

with water.

36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice,

that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac,

and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel,

and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD

God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

38 Then the fire 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.

39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said,

The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.

40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them

escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon,

and slew them there.



End of the Drought



41 Elijah said to Ahab, "Get up, eat and drink, for there is a sound

of a heavy rainfall."

42 So Ahab got up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel,

and he threw himself down on the ground and put his face between his knees.

43 And he said to his servant, "Go up now, and look toward the sea."

And he went up and looked and said, "There is nothing."

And he said, "Go again," seven times.

44 (Lk 12:54) On the seventh time, he said, "A small cloud as small

as a man's hand is rising out of the sea."

And he said, "Go up and say to Ahab, 'Mount your chariot and get down,

so that the rain does not stop you.' "

45 In the meantime, the sky turned black with clouds and wind,

and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.

46 (2Ki 3:15; 4:29) The hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up

his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.



41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a

sound of abundance of rain.

42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top

of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face

between his knees,

43 and said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up,

and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there

ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up,

say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop

thee not.

45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with

clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode,

and went to Jezreel.

46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins,

and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.



1 Kings 19



Elijah Flees From Jezebel



1 (1Ki 18:40) And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done

and how he had executed all the prophets with the sword.

2 (Ru 1:17; 1Ki 20:10) Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying,

"So let the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life

as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time."

3 (Ge 21:31) When he saw that she was serious, he arose and ran for his life

to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

4 (Nu 11:15; Jnh 4:8) But he went a day's journey into the wilderness

and came and sat down under a juniper tree and asked that he might die,

saying, "It is enough! Now, O Lord, take my life,

for I am not better than my fathers."

5 As he lay and slept under the juniper tree, an angel touched him

and said to him, "Arise and eat."

6 (Mt 4:11) He looked, and there was a cake baked on coals and a jar of water

at his head. And he ate and drank and then lay down again.

7 The angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said,

"Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you."

8 (Ex 34:28; 3:1; 24:18) He arose and ate and drank and went in the strength

of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.



On Mount Horeb



1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had

slain all the prophets with the sword.

2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me,

and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow

about this time.

3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to

Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat

down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die;

and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better

than my fathers.

5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel

touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals,

and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink,

and laid him down again.

7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him,

and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.

8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that

meat forty days and forty nights unto Hor