¹⁸ And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, ^(A)in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals. ¹⁹ Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on ^(B)Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, ^(C)and the four hundred prophets of ^[a]Asherah, who ^[b]eat at Jezebel’s table.”

Elijah’s Mount Carmel Victory

²⁰ So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and ^(D)gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. ²¹ And Elijah came to all the people, and said, ^(E)“How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, ^(F)follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.

⁹ So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.

⁴⁰ And Elijah said to them, ^(A)“Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook ^(B)Kishon and ^(C)executed them there.

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, ^[a]hear us!” But there was ^(A)no voice; no one answered. Then they ^[b]leaped about the altar which they had made.

²⁷ And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry ^[c]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 ^(B)cut themselves, as was their custom, with ^[d]knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.