31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.”(A) 32 With the stones he built an altar in the name(B) of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs[a] of seed. 33 He arranged(C) the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”

34 “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.

“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

36 At the time(D) of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham,(E) Isaac and Israel, let it be known(F) today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.(G) 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know(H) that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

38 Then the fire(I) of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 18:32 That is, probably about 24 pounds or about 11 kilograms

31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:

32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.

34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.

35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

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