Elijah Announces a Great Drought

17 Now Elijah^(A) the Tishbite, from Tishbe^[a] in Gilead,^(B) said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain^(C) in the next few years except at my word.”

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.

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.”^{(A) 32} With the stones he built an altar in the name^(B) of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs^[a] of seed. ³³ He arranged^(C) 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^(D) of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham,^(E) Isaac and Israel, let it be known^(F) today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.^{(G) 37} Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know^(H) that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

³⁸ Then the fire^(I) 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^(J) and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”^(K)

² So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely,^(A) if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”^(B)

³ Elijah was afraid^[a] and ran^(C) for his life.^(D) When he came to Beersheba^(E) in Judah, he left his servant there, ⁴ while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush,^(F) sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life;^(G) I am no better than my ancestors.” ⁵ Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.^(H)

All at once an angel^(I) touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” ⁶ He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

⁷ The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”

¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face^(A) and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁴ He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left,^(B) and now they are trying to kill me too.”

¹⁵ The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael^(C) king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also, anoint^(D) Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha^(E) son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah^(F) to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁷ Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael,^(G) and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.^{(H) 18} Yet I reserve^(I) seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed^(J) him.”