1 Kings 18:20-29

New King James Version

Elijah’s Mount Carmel Victory

²⁰ So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and ^(A)gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. ²¹ And Elijah came to all the people, and said, ^(B)“How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, ^(C)follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. ²² Then Elijah said to the people, ^(D)“I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; ^(E)but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. ²³ Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. ²⁴ Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who ^(F)answers by fire, He is God.”

So all the people answered and said, ^[a]“It is well spoken.”

²⁵ Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”

²⁶ So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, ^[b]hear us!” But there was ^(G)no voice; no one answered. Then they ^[c]leaped about the altar which they had made.

²⁷ And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry ^[d]aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.” ²⁸ So they cried aloud, and ^(H)cut themselves, as was their custom, with ^[e]knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. ²⁹ And when midday was past, ^(I)they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was ^(J)no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.