Elijah’s Message to Ahab

18 After a long time, the word of the Lord^(A) came to Elijah in the third year:^(B) “Go and present yourself to Ahab.^(C) I will send rain on the surface of the land.” ² So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.

The famine was severe in Samaria.^{(D) 3} Ahab called for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace.^(E) Obadiah was a man who greatly feared the Lord^{(F) 4} and took 100 prophets and hid them, 50 men to a cave, and provided them with food and water when Jezebel^(G) slaughtered the Lord’s prophets.^{(H) 5} Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring of water and to every wadi. Perhaps we’ll find grass so we can keep the horses and mules alive and not have to destroy any cattle.”^{(I) 6} They divided the land between them in order to cover it. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself.

⁷ While Obadiah was walking along the road, Elijah suddenly met him.^(J) When Obadiah recognized him, he fell with his face to the ground and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”

⁸ “It is I,” he replied. “Go tell your lord, ‘Elijah is here!’”

⁹ But Obadiah said, “What sin have I committed,^(K) that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death? ¹⁰ As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made that kingdom or nation swear they had not found you.

¹¹ “Now you say, ‘Go tell your lord, “Elijah is here!”’ ¹² But when I leave you, the Spirit of the Lord may carry you off^(L) to some place I don’t know. Then when I go report to Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the Lord from my youth. ¹³ Wasn’t it reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the Lord’s prophets? I hid 100 of the prophets of the Lord, 50 men to a cave, and I provided them with food and water. ¹⁴ Now you say, ‘Go tell your lord, “Elijah is here!”’ He will kill me!”

¹⁵ Then Elijah said, “As the Lord of Hosts lives,^(M) before whom I stand, today I will present myself to Ahab.”

¹⁶ Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him. Then Ahab went to meet Elijah. ¹⁷ When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you destroyer of Israel?”^(N)

¹⁸ He replied, “I have not destroyed Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have abandoned the Lord’s commands^(O) and followed the Baals.^{(P) 19} Now summon all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel,^(Q) along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah^(R) who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

Elijah at Mount Carmel

²⁰ So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. ²¹ Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions?^(S) If Yahweh is God, follow Him. But if Baal, follow him.”^(T) But the people didn’t answer him a word.

²² Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the Lord,^(U) but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. ²³ Let two bulls be given to us. They are to choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire. ²⁴ Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh.^(V) The God who answers with fire, He is God.”

All the people answered, “That sounds good.”

²⁵ Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god but don’t light the fire.”

²⁶ So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound;^(W) no one answered. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made.

²⁷ At noon Elijah mocked them. He said, “Shout loudly, for he’s a god! Maybe he’s thinking it over; maybe he has wandered away;^[a] or maybe he’s on the road. Perhaps he’s sleeping and will wake up!”^{(X) 28} They shouted loudly, and cut themselves^(Y) with knives and spears, according to their custom, until blood gushed over them. ²⁹ All afternoon they kept on raving until the offering of the evening sacrifice,^(Z) but there was no sound; no one answered, no one paid attention.^(AA)

³⁰ Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near me.” So all the people approached him. Then he repaired the Lord’s altar that had been torn down:^{(AB) 31} Elijah took 12 stones—according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel will be your name”^(AC)— ³² and he built an altar^(AD) with the stones in the name of Yahweh. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons.^{[b][c] 33} Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. He said, “Fill four water pots with water and pour it on the offering to be burned and on the wood.” ³⁴ Then he said, “A second time!” and they did it a second time. And then he said, “A third time!” and they did it a third time. ³⁵ So the water ran all around the altar; he even filled the trench with water.

³⁶ At the time for offering the evening sacrifice,^(AE) Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,^(AF) today let it be known^(AG) that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that at Your word I have done all these things. ³⁷ Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that You, Yahweh, are God^(AH) and that You have turned their hearts back.”

³⁸ Then Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹ When all the people saw it, they fell facedown^(AI) and said, “Yahweh, He is God! Yahweh, He is God!”^(AJ)

⁴⁰ Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal!^(AK) Do not let even one of them escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon^(AL) and slaughtered them there.^{(AM) 41} Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a rainstorm.”^(AN)

⁴² So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the summit of Carmel.^(AO) He bowed down on the ground and put his face between his knees.^{(AP) 43} Then he said to his servant, “Go up and look toward the sea.”

So he went up, looked, and said, “There’s nothing.”

Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

⁴⁴ On the seventh^(AQ) time, he reported, “There’s a cloud as small as a man’s hand coming from the sea.”

Then Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Get your chariot ready and go down so the rain doesn’t stop you.’”

⁴⁵ In a little while, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a downpour. So Ahab got in his chariot and went to Jezreel.^{(AR) 46} The power of the Lord^(AS) was on Elijah, and he tucked his mantle under his belt^(AT) and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Elijah’s Journey to Horeb

19 Ahab told Jezebel^(AU) everything that Elijah had done^(AV) and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.^{(AW) 2} So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods punish me and do so severely^(AX) if I don’t make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow!”

³ Then Elijah became afraid^[d](AY) and immediately ran for his life.^(AZ) When he came to Beer-sheba^(BA) that belonged to Judah, he left his servant there,^{(BB) 4} but he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree^(BC) and prayed that he might die. He said, “I have had enough! Lord, take my life,^(BD) for I’m no better than my fathers.” ⁵ Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree.

Suddenly, an angel touched him.^(BE) The angel told him, “Get up and eat.” ⁶ Then he looked, and there at his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones, and a jug of water.^(BF) So he ate and drank and lay down again. ⁷ Then the angel of the Lord^(BG) returned for a second time and touched him. He said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” ⁸ So he got up, ate, and drank. Then on the strength from that food, he walked 40 days and 40 nights^(BH) to Horeb, the mountain of God.^{(BI) 9} He entered a cave^(BJ) there and spent the night.

Elijah’s Encounter with the Lord

Then the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”^(BK)

¹⁰ He replied, “I have been very zealous^(BL) for the Lord God of Hosts, but the Israelites have abandoned Your covenant,^(BM) torn down Your altars,^(BN) and killed Your prophets^(BO) with the sword. I alone am left,^(BP) and they are looking for me to take my life.”^(BQ)

¹¹ Then He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.”^(BR)

At that moment, the Lord passed by.^(BS) A great and mighty wind^(BT) was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake,^(BU) but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake there was a fire,^(BV) but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper.^{(BW) 13} When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle^(BX) and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁴ “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they’re looking for me to take my life.”^(BY)

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael^(BZ) as king over Aram. ¹⁶ You are to anoint Jehu^(CA) son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha^(CB) son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. ¹⁷ Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael,^(CC) and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.^{(CD) 18} But I will leave 7,000 in Israel^(CE)—every knee that has not bowed to Baal^(CF) and every mouth that has not kissed him.”^(CG)

Elisha’s Appointment as Elijah’s Successor

¹⁹ Elijah left there and found Elisha^(CH) son of Shaphat as he was plowing. Twelve teams of oxen were in front of him, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah walked by him and threw his mantle over him.^{(CI) 20} Elisha left the oxen, ran to follow Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you.”^(CJ)

“Go on back,” he replied, “for what have I done to you?”

²¹ So he turned back from following him, took the team of oxen, and slaughtered them. With the oxen’s wooden yoke and plow,^(CK) he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he left, followed Elijah, and served him.^(CL)