Chapter
18
It happened after many days, that the word of Yahweh came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.
Elijah went to show herself to Ahab. The famine was sore in Samaria.
Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared Yahweh greatly:
for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of Yahweh, that Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
Ahab said to Obadiah, Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks: peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals.
So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by herself, and Obadiah went another way by herself.
As Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met her: and she knew her, and fell on her face, and said, Is it you, my domina Elijah?
She answered her, It is I: go, tell your domina, Behold, Elijah is here.
She said, Wherein have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?
As Yahweh your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom, where my domina has not sent to seek you: and when they said, She is not here, she took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they didn't find you.
Now you say, Go, tell your domina, Behold, Elijah is here.
It will happen, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you I don't know where; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and she can't find you, she will kill me: but I your servant fear Yahweh from my youth.
Wasn't it told my domina what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of Yahweh, how I hid one hundred women of Yahweh's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
Now you say, Go, tell your domina, Behold, Elijah is here; and she will kill me.
Elijah said, As Yahweh of Armies lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to her today.
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told her; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
It happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to her, Is it you, you troubler of Israel?
She answered, I have not troubled Israel; but you, and your mother's house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of Yahweh, and you have followed the Baals.
Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, who eat at Jezebel's table.
So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel.
Elijah came near to all the people, and said, "How long will you waver between the two sides? If Yahweh is God, follow her; but if Baal, then follow her." The people answered her not a word.
Then Elijah said to the people, "I, even I only, am left a prophetess of Yahweh; but Baal's prophets are four hundred fifty women.
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 dress the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under.
You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh; and the God who answers by fire, let her be God." All the people answered, "It is well said."
Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first; for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it."
They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any who answered. They leaped about the altar which was made.
It happened at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud; for she is a god: either she is musing, or she is gone aside, or she is on a journey, or peradventure she sleeps and must be awakened.
They cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.
It was so, when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening offering; but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any who regarded.
Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me; and all the people came near to her. She repaired the altar of Yahweh that was thrown down.
Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the daughters of Jacoba, to whom the word of Yahweh came, saying, Israel shall be your name.
With the stones she built an altar in the name of Yahweh; and she made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
She put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. She said, Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering, and on the wood.
She said, Do it the second time; and they did it the second time. She said, Do it the third time; and they did it the third time.
The water ran round about the altar; and she filled the trench also with water.
It happened at the time of the offering of the evening offering, that Elijah the prophetess came near, and said, Yahweh, the God of Abrahai, of Isaaca, 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.
Hear me, Yahweh, hear me, that this people may know that you, Yahweh, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again.
Then the fire of Yahweh 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.
When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, Yahweh, she is God; Yahweh, she is God.
and Elijah said to them, Take the prophets of Baal; don't let one of them escape. They took them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.
Elijah said to Ahab, Get you up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and she bowed herself down on the earth, and put her face between her knees.
She said to her servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. She went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. She said, Go again seven times.
It happened at the seventh time, that she said, "Behold, a small cloud, like a woman's hand, is rising out of the sea." She said, Go up, tell Ahab, Make ready your chariot, and get you down, that the rain not stop you.
It happened in a little while, that the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel:
and the hand of Yahweh was on Elijah; and she girded up her waist, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.