Dual Panel1Some <07227> time <03117> later, in the third <07992> year <08141> of the famine, the Lord <03068> told <0559> Elijah <0452>, “Go <01980>, make an appearance <07200> before <0413> Ahab <0256>, so I may send <05414> rain <04306> on <05921> the surface <06440> of the ground <0127>.”
2So Elijah <0452> went <01980> to make an appearance <07200> before <0413> Ahab <0256>. Now the famine <07458> was severe <02389> in Samaria <08111>.
3So Ahab <0256> summoned <0413> <07121> Obadiah <05662>, who <0834> supervised <05921> the palace <01004>. (Now Obadiah <05662> was <01961> a very <03966> loyal follower <03373> of the Lord <03068>.
4When <01961> Jezebel <0348> was killing <03772> the Lord’s <03068> prophets <05030>, Obadiah <05662> took <03947> one hundred <03967> prophets <05030> and hid <02244> them in two caves <04631> in two groups of fifty <02572>. He also brought <03557> them food <03899> and water <04325>.)
5Ahab <0256> told <0559> Obadiah <05662>, “Go <01980> through the land <0776> to <0413> all <03605> the springs <04325> <04599> and valleys <05158>. Maybe <0194> we can find <04672> some grazing areas <02682> so we can keep <02421> the horses <05483> and mules <06505> alive <02421> and not <03808> have to kill <03772> some of the animals <0929>.”
6They <01992> divided up <02505> the land <0776> between them; Ahab <0256> went <01980> one <0259> way <01870> and Obadiah <05662> went <01980> the other <0259>.
7As Obadiah <05662> was <01961> traveling <01870> along, Elijah <0452> met <07125> him. When he recognized <05234> him, he fell <05307> facedown <06440> to <05921> the ground and said <0559>, “Is it <02088> really you <0859>, my master <0113>, Elijah <0452>?”
8He replied <0559>, “Yes, go <01980> and say <0559> to your master <0113>, ‘Elijah <0452> is back.’”
9Obadiah said <0559>, “What <04100> sin <02398> have I committed <02398> that you <0859> are ready to hand <05414> your servant <05650> over <05414> to Ahab <0256> for execution <04191>?
10As certainly as <0518> the Lord <03068> your God <0430> lives <02416>, my master <0113> has sent <07971> to every <08033> nation <01471> and kingdom <04467> in an effort to find <01245> you. When they say <0559>, ‘He’s not <0369> here,’ he makes them <04467> swear an oath <07650> that <03588> they <01471> could not <03808> find <04672> you.
11Now <06258> you <0859> say <0559>, ‘Go <01980> and say <0559> to your master <0113>, “Elijah <0452> is back.”’
12But when <01961> I <0589> leave <01980> you, the Lord’s <03068> spirit <07307> will carry <05375> you away <05375> so I can’t <03808> find you. If <0834> I go <0935> tell <05046> Ahab <0256> I’ve seen <03045> you, he won’t <03808> be able to find <04672> you and he will kill <02026> me. That would not be fair, because your servant <05650> has been a loyal follower of the Lord <03068> from my youth <05271>.
13Certainly my master <0113> is aware <05046> of what <0834> I did <06213> when <02026> Jezebel <0348> was killing <02026> the <0853> Lord’s <03068> prophets <05030>. I hid <02244> one hundred <03967> of the Lord’s <03068> prophets <05030> in two caves <04631> in two groups of fifty <02572> <02572> and I brought <03557> them food <03899> and water <04325>.
14Now <06258> you <0859> say <0559>, ‘Go <01980> and say <0559> to your master <0113>, “Elijah <0452> is back,”’ but he will kill <02026> me.”
15But Elijah <0452> said <0559>, “As certainly as the Lord <03068> who rules over all <06635> lives <02416> (whom <0834> I serve <05975>), I will make an appearance <07200> before <0413> him today <03117>.”
16When Obadiah <05662> went <07125> <01980> and informed <05046> Ahab <0256>, the king <0256> went <01980> to meet <07125> Elijah <0452>.
17When <01961> Ahab <0256> saw <07200> Elijah <0452>, he <0256> said <0559> to <0413> him, “Is it <02088> really you <0859>, the one who brings disaster <05916> on Israel <03478>?”
18Elijah replied <0559>, “I have not <03808> brought disaster <05916> on Israel <03478>. But <0518> you <0859> and your father’s <01> dynasty <01004> have, by abandoning <05800> the Lord’s <03068> commandments <04687> and following <0310> <01980> the Baals <01168>.
19Now <06258> send out <07971> messengers and assemble <06908> all <03605> Israel <03478> before <0413> me at <0413> Mount <02022> Carmel <03760>, as well as the 450 <02572> <03967> <0702> prophets <05030> of Baal <01168> and 400 <03967> <0702> prophets <05030> of Asherah <0842> whom Jezebel <0348> supports <07979> <0398>.
20Ahab <0256> sent <07971> messengers to all <03605> the Israelites <03478> <01121> and had the prophets <05030> assemble <06908> at Mount <02022> Carmel <03760>.
21Elijah <0452> approached <05066> all <03605> the people <05971> and said <0559>, “How <04970> long <05704> are you <0859> going to be paralyzed <06452> by <05921> indecision <05587> <08147>? If <0518> the Lord <03068> is the true God <0430>, then follow <0310> <01980> him, but if <0518> Baal <01168> is, follow <0310> <01980> him!” But the people <05971> did not <03808> say <06030> a word <01697>.
22Elijah <0452> said <0559> to <0413> them <05971>: “I <0589> am the only <0905> prophet <05030> of the Lord <03068> who is left <03498>, but there are 450 <02572> <03967> <0702> prophets <05030> of Baal <01168>.
23Let them bring <05414> us two <08147> bulls <06499>. Let them <01992> choose <0977> one <0259> of the bulls <06499> for themselves, cut <05408> it up into pieces <05408>, and place <07760> it on <05921> the wood <06086>. But they must not <03808> set <07760> it on fire <0784>. I <0589> will do <06213> the same to the other <0259> bull <06499> and place <05414> it on <05921> the wood <06086>. But I will not <03808> set <07760> it on fire <0784>.
24Then you will invoke <07121> the name <08034> of your god <0430>, and I <0589> will invoke <07121> the name <08034> of the Lord <03068>. The god <0430> who <0834> responds <06030> with fire <0784> will demonstrate <06030> that he <01931> is the true God <0430>.” All <03605> the people <05971> responded <0559>, “This will be a fair <02896> test <01697>.”
25Elijah <0452> told <0559> the prophets <05030> of Baal <01168>, “Choose <0977> one <0259> of the bulls <06499> for yourselves and go <06213> first <07223>, for <03588> you <0859> are the majority <07227>. Invoke <07121> the name <08034> of your god <0430>, but do not <03808> light <07760> a fire <0784>.”
26So they took <03947> a bull <06499>, as <0834> he had suggested <05414>, and prepared <06213> it. They invoked <07121> the name <08034> of Baal <01168> from morning <01242> until <05704> noon <06672>, saying <0559>, “Baal <01168>, answer <06030> us.” But there was no <0369> sound <06963> and no <0369> answer <06030>. They jumped around <06452> on <05921> the altar <04196> they had made <06213>.
27At noon <06672> Elijah <0452> mocked <02048> them, “Yell <07121> louder <01419> <06963>! After all, he is a god <0430>; he may be deep in thought <07879>, or perhaps he stepped out <07873> for <03588> a moment or has taken a trip <01870>. Perhaps <0194> he is sleeping <03463> and needs to be awakened <03364>.”
28So they yelled <07121> louder <01419> <06963> and, in accordance with their prescribed <04941> ritual, mutilated <01413> themselves with swords <02719> and spears <07420> until <05704> their bodies were covered <08210> with blood <01818>.
29Throughout the afternoon <06672> they were in an ecstatic frenzy, but there was no sound <06963>, no <0369> answer <06030>, and no <0369> response <07182>.
30Elijah <0452> then told <0559> all <03605> the people <05971>, “Approach <05066> me.” So all <03605> the people <05971> approached <05066> him. He repaired <07495> the altar <04196> of the Lord <03068> that had been torn down <02040>.
31Then Elijah <0452> took <03947> twelve <06240> <08147> stones <068>, corresponding to the number <04557> of tribes <07626> that descended <01121> from Jacob <03290>, to whom <0834> the Lord <03068> had said <0559>, “Israel <03478> will be <01961> your new name <08034>.”
32With <0854> the stones <068> he constructed <01129> an altar <04196> for <08034> the Lord <03068>. Around <05439> the altar <04196> he made <06213> a trench <08585> large enough to contain <01004> two seahs <05429> of seed <02233>.
33He arranged <06186> the wood <06086>, cut <05408> up the bull <06499>, and placed <07760> it on <05921> the wood <06086>.
34Then he said, “Fill four water jars and pour the water on the offering and the wood.” When they had done so, he said <0559>, “Do it again <08138>.” So they did it again <08138>. Then he said <0559>, “Do it a third <08027> time.” So they did it a third <08027> time.
35The water <04325> flowed down <01980> all sides <05439> of the altar <04196> and filled <04390> the trench <08585>.
36When it was <01961> time for <05927> the evening offering <04503>, Elijah <0452> the prophet <05030> approached <05066> the altar and prayed <0559>: “O Lord <03068> God <0430> of Abraham <085>, Isaac <03327>, and Israel <03478>, prove <03045> today <03117> that <03588> you <0859> are God <0430> in Israel <03478> and that I <0589> am your servant <05650> and have done <06213> all <03605> these <0428> things <01697> at your command <01697>.
37Answer <06030> me, O Lord <03068>, answer <06030> me, so these <02088> people <05971> will know <03045> that <03588> you <0859>, O Lord <03068>, are the true God <0430> and that you <0859> are winning <05437> back <0322> their allegiance <03820>.”
38Then fire <0784> from the Lord <03068> fell <05307> from the sky. It consumed <0398> the offering <05930>, the wood <06086>, the stones <068>, and the dirt <06083>, and licked up <03897> the water <04325> in the trench <08585>.
39When all <03605> the people <05971> saw <07200> this, they threw <05307> themselves down <05307> with <05921> their faces <06440> to the ground and said <0559>, “The Lord <03068> is the true God <0430>! The Lord <03068> is the true God <0430>!”
40Elijah <0452> told <0559> them, “Seize <08610> the prophets <05030> of Baal <01168>! Don’t <0408> let even one <0376> of them escape <04422>!” So they <01992> seized <08610> them, and Elijah <0452> led <03381> them down <03381> to <0413> the Kishon <07028> Valley <05158> and executed <07819> them there <08033>.
41Then Elijah <0452> told <0559> Ahab <0256>, “Go <05927> on up <05927> and eat <0398> and drink <08354>, for <03588> the sound <06963> of a heavy <01995> rainstorm <01653> can be heard.”
42So Ahab <0256> went on up <05927> to eat <0398> and drink <08354>, while Elijah <0452> climbed <05927> to <0413> the top <07218> of Carmel <03760>. He bent down <01457> toward the ground <0776> and put <07760> his face <06440> between <0996> his knees <01290>.
43He told <0559> his servant <05288>, “Go <05927> on up <05927> and look <05027> in the direction <01870> of the sea <03220>.” So he went <05927> on up <05927>, looked <05027>, and reported <0559>, “There is nothing <03972> <0369>.” Seven <07651> times <06471> Elijah sent <07725> him to look.
44The seventh <07637> time the servant said <0559>, “Look <02009>, a small <06996> cloud <05645>, the size of the palm of a man’s <0376> hand <03709>, is rising up <05927> from the sea <03220>.” Elijah then said <0559>, “Go <05927> and tell <0559> Ahab <0256>, ‘Hitch up <0631> the chariots and go down <03381>, so that the rain <01653> won’t <03808> overtake <06113> you.’”
45Meanwhile <03541> <05704> the sky <08064> was covered <01961> with dark <06937> clouds <05645>, the wind <07307> blew, and there was <01961> a heavy <01419> rainstorm <01653>. Ahab <0256> rode <07392> toward <01980> Jezreel <03157>.
46Now the Lord <03068> energized Elijah <0452> with power; he tucked <08151> his robe into his belt <04975> and ran <07323> ahead <06440> of Ahab <0256> all the way to Jezreel <03157>.