Elijah and Obadiah

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

Now the famine was severe^(D) in Samaria,

¹⁷ When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler^(A) of Israel?”

¹⁸ “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you^(B) and your father’s family have. You have abandoned^(C) the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. ¹⁹ Now summon^(D) the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel.^(E) And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”^(F)

²⁰ So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.^{(G) 21} Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver^(H) between two opinions? If the Lord^(I) is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

But the people said nothing.

²² Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left,^(J) but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.^{(K) 23} Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. ²⁴ Then you call^(L) on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord.^(M) The god who answers by fire^(N)—he is God.”

Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

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

³⁸ Then the fire^(F) 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.

³⁹ When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate^(G) and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”^(H)