¹⁷ When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, the one ruining Israel?” ^(A)

¹⁸ He replied, “I have not ruined Israel, but you and your father’s family have, because you have abandoned the Lord’s commands^(B) and followed the Baals.^{(C) 19} Now summon all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel,^(D) along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah^(E) 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 waver between two opinions?^[a](F) If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal, follow him.”^(G) 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,^(H) 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 the Lord.^(I) The God who answers with fire, he is God.”

All the people answered, “That’s fine.”

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;^(J) no one answered. Then they danced^[b] 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;^[c] or maybe he’s on the road. Perhaps he’s sleeping and will wake up!” ^{(K) 28} They shouted loudly, and cut themselves^(L) 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,^(M) but there was no sound; no one answered, no one paid attention.^(N)

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:^{(O) 31} Elijah took twelve 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”^(P)— ³² and he built an altar^(Q) with the stones in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons.^{[d][e] 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,^(R) the prophet Elijah approached the altar and said, “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,^(S) today let it be known^(T) 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, the Lord, are God^(U) and that you have turned their hearts back.”

³⁸ Then the Lord’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^(V) and said, “The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God!” ^(W)

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

⁴² So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the summit of Carmel.^(AB) He bent down on the ground and put his face between his knees.^{(AC) 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^(AD) time, he reported, “There’s a cloud as small as a man’s hand coming up 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.^{(AE) 46} The power of the Lord^(AF) was on Elijah, and he tucked his mantle under his belt^(AG) and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Elijah’s Journey to Horeb

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

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

Suddenly, an angel touched him.^(K) 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.^(L) So he ate and drank and lay down again. ⁷ Then the angel of the Lord^(M) 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 forty days and forty nights^(N) to Horeb, the mountain of God.^{(O) 9} He entered a cave^(P) there and spent the night.

Elijah’s Encounter with the Lord

Suddenly, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ^(Q)

¹⁰ He replied, “I have been very zealous^(R) for the Lord God of Armies, but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant,^(S) torn down your altars,^(T) and killed your prophets^(U) with the sword. I alone am left,^(V) and they are looking for me to take my life.”^(W)

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

At that moment, the Lord passed by.^(Y) A great and mighty wind^(Z) 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,^(AA) but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake there was a fire,^(AB) but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper.^{(AC) 13} When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle^(AD) 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 Armies,” 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.”^(AE)

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^(AF) as king over Aram. ¹⁶ You are to anoint Jehu^(AG) son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha^(AH) son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet in your place.

Psalm 56

A Call for God’s Protection

For the choir director: according to “A Silent Dove Far Away.” A Miktam of David. When the Philistines seized him in Gath.^(A)

Undeserved Suffering

¹³ Who then will harm you if you are devoted to what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for righteousness,^(A) you are blessed. Do not fear them^[a](B) or be intimidated,^{[b](C) 15} but in your hearts regard^[c] Christ^[d] the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.^{(D) 16} Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience,^(E) so that when you are accused,^[e] those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. ¹⁷ For it is better to suffer^(F) for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.