¹⁹ Now summon^(A) the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel.^(B) And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”^(C)

²⁰ So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.^{(D) 21} Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver^(E) between two opinions? If the Lord^(F) 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,^(G) but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.^{(H) 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^(I) on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord.^(J) The god who answers by fire^(K)—he is God.”

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

²⁵ Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” ²⁶ So they took the bull given them and prepared it.

Then they called^(L) on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response;^(M) no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

²⁷ At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.”^{(N) 28} So they shouted louder and slashed^(O) themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. ²⁹ Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice.^(P) But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.^(Q)

³⁰ Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar^(R) of the Lord, which had been torn down. 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.”^{(S) 32} With the stones he built an altar in the name^(T) of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs^[a] of seed. ³³ He arranged^(U) 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^(V) of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham,^(W) Isaac and Israel, let it be known^(X) today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.^(Y)

⁴ Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim,^(A) in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Jeroboam and all Israel,^(B) listen to me! ⁵ Don’t you know that the Lord, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever^(C) by a covenant of salt?^{(D) 6} Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, an official of Solomon son of David, rebelled^(E) against his master. ⁷ Some worthless scoundrels^(F) gathered around him and opposed Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young and indecisive^(G) and not strong enough to resist them.

⁸ “And now you plan to resist the kingdom of the Lord, which is in the hands of David’s descendants.^(H) You are indeed a vast army and have with you^(I) the golden calves^(J) that Jeroboam made to be your gods. ⁹ But didn’t you drive out the priests^(K) of the Lord,^(L) the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own as the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull^(M) and seven rams^(N) may become a priest of what are not gods.^(O)

¹⁰ “As for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the Lord are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them. ¹¹ Every morning and evening^(P) they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense^(Q) to the Lord. They set out the bread on the ceremonially clean table^(R) and light the lamps^(S) on the gold lampstand every evening. We are observing the requirements of the Lord our God. But you have forsaken him. ¹² God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you.^(T) People of Israel, do not fight against the Lord,^(U) the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”^(V)