1 After a long time, the word of Jehovah came to Elijah. In the third year he said: »Go and let Ahab see you. I will send rain on the earth.«

2 So Elijah went to let Ahab see him. There was no food to be had in Samaria.

3 Ahab sent for Obadiah, the controller of the king's house. Obadiah had great respect for Jehovah.

4 When Jezebel massacred the prophets of Jehovah, Obadiah took a hundred of them, and hid them secretly in a hole in the rock, fifty at a time, and gave them bread and water.

5 Ahab said to Obadiah: »Come! Let us go through all the country, to all the fountains of water and all the rivers. Let us see if there is any grass for the horses and the transport beasts. We must save some of the livestock.«

6 They went through all the country by dividing it between them. Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another by himself.

7 While Obadiah was on his way, he came face to face with Elijah. Seeing who it was, he went down on his face and said: »Is it you, my lord Elijah?«

8 Elijah answered: »It is I. Go tell your lord Elijah is here.«

9 He said: »What sin have I done that you are delivering your servant into the hand of Ahab to kill him?

10 »By the life of Jehovah your God, there is not a nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent in search of you. When they said: He is not here; he made them take an oath that they had not seen you.

11 »Now you say: ‘Go, say to your lord Elijah is here.’«

12 »What if the Spirit of Jehovah carries you off to some unknown place as soon as I leave? Then, when I tell Ahab that you are here and he cannot find you, he will put me to death. Remember that I have been a devout worshiper of Jehovah ever since I was a boy.

13 »Have you not heard that when Jezebel was killing Jehovah’s prophets I hid a hundred of them in caves, in two groups of fifty, and supplied them with food and water?

14 »So how can you order me to go and tell the king that you are here? He will kill me!«

15 Elijah said: »By the life of Jehovah of armies, whose servant I am, I will certainly let him see me today.«

16 So Obadiah went to Ahab and gave him the news. Ahab went to see Elijah.

17 Ahab saw Elijah. He said: »Is it you, Israel’s troublemaker?«

18 Then he said in answer: »I have not made trouble for Israel. You and your family have. You have disobeyed Jehovah’s commands and have gone after the Baals.

19 »Now gather all Israel together before me at Mount Carmel. Also gather the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal who get their food at Jezebel's table.«

20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and assembled the prophets together at Mount Carmel.

21 Elijah came near to all the people and said: »How long will you balance bounce back and forth between two opinions? If Jehovah is God, then give worship to him. If Baal is, give worship to him.« The people did not answer him.

22 Then Elijah said to the people: »I, even I, am the only living prophet of Jehovah but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.«

23 »Let them give us two bulls. Let them take one for themselves and have it cut up, and put it on the wood, but put no fire under it. I will get the other bull ready, and put it on the wood, and put no fire under it.

24 »You pray to your god and I will pray to Jehovah. The God who answers with fire is God!« All the people answered: »It is well said.«

25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal: »Take one bull for yourselves and get it ready first, for there are so many of you; and make your prayers to your god, but do not light the fire.

26 So they took the bull that was given them, and made it ready. They cried out to Baal from morning till the middle of the day. They said: »O Baal, give ear to us.« But there was no voice and no answer. They jumped up and down before the altar they had made.

27 In the middle of the day, Elijah made sport of them, saying: »Give louder cries, for he is a god; he may be deep in thought. He may have gone away for some purpose. Perhaps he is on a journey. By chance he is sleeping and must be woke up.«

28 So they gave loud cries and they cut themselves with knives and swords till the blood came streaming out all over them.

29 They went on with their prayers from midday till the time of the offering; but there was no voice, or any answer, or any who gave attention to them.

30 Then Elijah said to all the people: »Come near to me.« Then all the people came near. He repaired the altar of Jehovah that was broken down.

31 Elijah took twelve stones, the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom Jehovah said: »Israel will be your name.«

32 He used the stones to make an altar to the name of Jehovah. He dug a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two seahs of seed.

33 He put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on there. Then he said: Get four vessels full of water and put it on the burned offering and on the wood. Do it a second time, and they did it a second time.

34 Then he said: »Get four vessels full of water and put it on the burned offering and on the wood. Do it a second time« They did it a second time. Then he said: »Do it a third time« and they did it a third time.

35 The water went all round the altar until the drain was full.

36 Then at the time of the offering, Elijah the prophet came near and said, »Jehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be seen this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things by your order.

37 »Give me an answer, O Jehovah. Give me an answer so that this people may see that you are God. That you have made their hearts come back again.«

38 Then the fire of Jehovah came down. It burned up the offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and drinking up the water in the drain.

39 When the people saw it, they all went down on their faces. They said: »Jehovah is God! Jehovah is God!«

40 Elijah said to them: »Take the prophets of Baal. Do not let one of them get away.« So they took them, and Elijah made them go down to the stream Kishon, and executed them there.

41 Then Elijah said to Ahab: »Get up and take food and drink, for there is a sound of much rain.«

42 So Ahab went up to have food and drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel. He bowed down to the earth and put his face between his knees.

43 He told his servant to look in the direction of the sea. After he looked the servant said: »There is nothing.« Elijah said: »Go again seven times.« So he went seven times.

44 The seventh time he said: »I see a cloud coming up out of the sea, as small as a man's hand.« Then Elijah said: »Go up and say to Ahab, Get your carriage ready and go down or the rain will keep you back.«

45 After a very little time, the heaven became black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab went in his carriage to Jezreel.

46 The hand of Jehovah was on Elijah. Jehovah gave special strength to Elijah and he ran ahead of Ahab until they came to Jezreel.