And it came to passaftermanydays, that the word of the LORDcame to Elijah in the thirdyear, saying, Go, shewthyselfuntoAhab; and I willsendrainupon the earth.
For it was so, whenJezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, thatObadiahtook an hundredprophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed themwithbread and water.)
And AhabsaiduntoObadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may findgrass to save the horses and mulesalive, that we lose not all the beasts.
As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lordhath not sent to seekthee: and whentheysaid, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, thattheyfoundthee not.
And it shallcome to pass, as soon as I am gonefromthee, that the spirit of the LORDshallcarrytheewhither I know not; and so when I come and tellAhab, and he cannotfindthee, he shallslay me: but I thy servantfear the LORDfrom my youth.
Was it not told my lordwhat I did whenJezebelslew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the Lord’sprophets by fifty in a cave, and fed themwithbread and water?
And he answered, I have not troubledIsrael; but thou, and thy father’shouse, in that ye haveforsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thouhastfollowedBaalim.
Now thereforesend, and gather to me all IsraeluntomountCarmel, and the prophets of Baalfourhundred and fifty, and the prophets of the grovesfourhundred, which eat at Jezebel’stable.
And Elijahcameunto all the people, and said, How longhalt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, thenfollow him. And the peopleanswered him not a word.
Let themthereforegive us two bullocks; and let themchoose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fireunder: and I willdress the otherbullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fireunder:
And call ye on the name of yourgods, and I willcall on the name of the LORD: and the God thatanswereth by fire, let him be God. And all the peopleanswered and said, It is wellspoken.
And Elijahsaidunto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of yourgods, but put no fireunder.
And theytook the bullockwhich was giventhem, and theydressed it, and called on the name of Baalfrommorningevenuntilnoon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any thatanswered. And theyleapedupon the altarwhich was made.
And it came to pass at noon, thatElijahmockedthem, 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.
And it came to pass, whenmidday was past, and theyprophesieduntil the time of the offering of the eveningsacrifice, thatthere was neithervoice, nor any to answer, nor any thatregarded.
And Elijahtooktwelvestones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, untowhom the word of the LORDcame, saying, Israelshall be thy name:
And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fillfourbarrelswithwater, and pour it on the burntsacrifice, and on the wood.
And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the eveningsacrifice, thatElijah the prophetcamenear, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be knownthis day thatthou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I havedone all thesethings at thy word.
Then the fire of the LORDfell, and consumed the burntsacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the waterthat was in the trench.
And Elijahsaiduntothem, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of themescape. And theytookthem: and Elijahbroughtthemdown to the brookKishon, and slewthemthere.
And it came to pass at the seventhtime, that he said, Behold, thereariseth a littlecloud out of the sea, like a man’shand. And he said, Go up, say untoAhab, Prepare thy chariot, and get theedown, that the rainstopthee not.