Elijah's Word to Ahab
3 Kingdoms 18, verse 1. It came to pass many days later, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying, “Go and appear to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.” 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 2. So Elijah went and appeared to Ahab, and there was a severe famine in Samaria. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 3. Then Ahab called Obadiah, who was in charge of his house. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 4. For when Jezebel massacred the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them, fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 5. So Ahab said to Obadiah, “Let us go into the land, to the springs of water and brooks. Perhaps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, so none of the livestock dies.” 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 6. So to explore it, they divided the path between them. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 7. Now Obadiah was alone on his way, and Elijah came alone to meet him. Obadiah quickly fell on his face in Elijah's presence and said, “My lord Elijah, is that you?” 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 8. Elijah replied, “It is I; go, tell your master, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.’” 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 9. So Obadiah said, “What sin did I commit for you to give me, your servant, into the hand of Ahab to put me to death? 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 10. As the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent to hunt you. If they said, ‘He is not here,’ then he set fire to the kingdom and its territories, because he did not find you. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 11. So now you say to me, ‘Go, tell your master, “Behold, Elijah is here’”! 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 12. But if I so do, it shall come to pass, when I leave you, the Spirit of the Lord shall carry you to a land I do not know. Moreover, when I go and report this to Ahab, he will kill me. Yet your servant fears the Lord from his youth. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 13. Was it not reported to you, my lord, as to what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid one hundred men of the Lord's prophets, fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water? 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 14. But now you say to me, ‘Go, tell your master, “Behold, Elijah is here,’” but he will kill me.” 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 15. Then Elijah said, “As the Lord of hosts lives before whom I stand, today I will appear to him.” 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 16. So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab ran out and went to meet Elijah. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 17. When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Are you the one who is troubling Israel?” 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 18. Elijah answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but rather you and the house of your father, in that you forsook the Lord your God and followed after the Baals. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 19. Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of shame, and the four hundred prophets of the sacred groves who eat at Jezebel's table.”
The Victory over Baal
3 Kingdoms 18, verse 20. So Ahab went back to Israel and gathered all the prophets on Mount Carmel. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 21. Then Elijah came near to all of them and said, “How long will you be undecided between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him, but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 22. Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone remain as a prophet of the Lord, but there are four hundred and fifty men who are prophets of Baal and four hundred prophets of the sacred groves. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 23. Let them give us two oxen. Then let them choose one bull for themselves, to be cut into pieces and laid on the wood; but they shall not light a fire under it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood; and I will not light a fire under it. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 24. Then you will call loudly on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord, my God. So it shall come to pass that the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said, “The word you have spoken is good.” 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 25. Then Elijah said to the prophets of shame, “Choose one calf for yourselves and prepare it, for there are many of you. Then call on the name of your god, but do not put fire to the wood under it.” 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 26. So they took a calf and prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Hear us, O Baal, hear us.” But there was no voice, for no one answered, and they ran about the altar they had made. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 27. Then it came to pass at noon that Elijah the Tishbite mocked them and said, “Cry out with a loud voice, for he is a god; for either he is away meditating, or he is too busy, or preoccupied with other business. Perhaps he is sleeping and has need to be awakened from his nap.” 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 28. So they cried aloud and cut themselves with knives and lances, as is their custom, until blood gushes forth. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 29. They prophesied until early evening, until the appointed time to offer the evening sacrifice. But even still, there was no voice. Finally, Elijah the Tishbite spoke to the prophets of the idols, saying, “Now remove yourselves from this place, for I will offer my whole burnt offering.” And they turned away and departed. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 30. Then Elijah said to the people, “Come near me.” So all the people came near to him. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 31. Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, for the Lord said, “Israel shall be your name.” 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 32. Then he built an altar with the stones in the name of the Lord, and he repaired the altar of sacrifice that was scattered about, and around the altar he made a furrow holding two measures of seed. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 33. He piled the firewood on the altar he had made, divided the whole burnt offering, laid it on the firewood, and laid it in order on the altar. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 34. Then he said, “Bring me four pots of water, and pour it on the whole burnt offering and pour it on the unlit firewood.” They did so. Again Elijah said, “Do it a second time.” So they did it again. Again he said, “Do it a third time.” So they did it a third time. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 35. And the water ran all about the altar, and even the furrow became filled with water. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 36. After this, Elijah cried out to heaven and said, “O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, answer me, O Lord, answer me this day with fire, and let this people know You are the God of Israel, and I am Your servant; and for Your sake I do all these works. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 37. Hear me, O Lord, hear me with fire, and let these people know You are the Lord God, so as turn the heart of this people back.” 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 38. Then fire fell from the Lord out of the heaven and consumed the whole burnt offering, the firewood, and the water in the furrow. The fire also licked up the stones and the soil. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 39. So all the people fell on their faces, and they said, “Truly, the Lord is God; He is God.” 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 40. Elijah then said to the people, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Let not one of them escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon, where he slaughtered them.
End of the Drought
3 Kingdoms 18, verse 41. After this, Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up and eat and drink, for there is a sound of rain.” 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 42. So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, where he bowed down on the ground and put his face between his knees. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 43. He said to his servant, “Go up and look toward the sea.” So the servant went up, and looked and said, “There is nothing.” Then Elijah said, “Go again seven times, and return to me seven times.” 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 44. So it came to pass that on the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud, like the footprint of a man, bringing up water.” So Elijah said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Make ready your chariot and get down from here before the rain overcomes you.’” 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 45. Thus it came to pass that the sky darkened with black clouds and wind, and there was a heavy downpour of rain. But Ahab mourned and went to Jezreel. 3 Kingdoms 18, verse 46. Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab as far as Jezreel.