Beginning

18 ¶ And it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

² And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab. And there was a severe famine in Samaria.

³ And Ahab called Obadiah, who was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly,

⁴ for when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took one hundred prophets and hid them in groups of fifty in caves and sustained them with bread and water.)

⁵ And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go through the land to all the fountains of water and to all the brooks; peradventure we may find herbage to save the horses and mules alive that we not lose all the beasts.

⁶ So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

⁷ And as Obadiah was in the way, Elijah met him; and when he recognized him, he fell on his face, and said, Art thou not my lord Elijah?

⁸ And he answered him, I am; go, tell thy lord, Behold Elijah. {Heb. The LORD is God}

⁹ And he said, In what have I sinned that thou should deliver thy slave into the hand of Ahab, for him to slay me?

¹⁰ As the LORD thy God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek thee; and when they all said, He is not here; he has caused kingdoms and nations to swear an oath if they have found thee or not.

¹¹ And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold Elijah.

¹² And it shall come to pass as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee where I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me; but I, thy slave, fear the LORD from my youth.

¹³ Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid one hundred men of the LORD’s prophets in groups of fifty in caves and sustained them with bread and water?

¹⁴ And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold Elijah; and he shall slay me.

¹⁵ And Elijah said unto him, As the LORD of the hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him today.

¹⁶ Then Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab came to meet Elijah.

¹⁷ ¶ And it came to pass when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubles Israel?

¹⁸ And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.

¹⁹ Now therefore send and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel, and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of the groves, who eat at Jezebel’s table.

²⁰ Then Ahab sent unto all the sons of Israel and gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel.

²¹ ¶ And Elijah came near unto all the people and said, How long shall ye halt between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.

²² Then Elijah spoke again unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

²³ Give us, therefore, two bullocks, and let them choose one bullock for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on wood and put no fire under it; and I will dress the other bullock and lay it on wood and put no fire under it.

²⁴ And invoke ye in the name of your gods, and I will invoke in the name of the LORD; and it shall be that the God that answers by fire is God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

²⁵ So Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves and dress it first, for ye are many, and invoke in the name of your gods, but put no fire under it.

²⁶ And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it and invoked in the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, answer us. But there was no voice nor anyone that answered. And they jumped up and down near the altar which they had made.

²⁷ And it came to pass at noon that Elijah mocked them and said, Cry aloud, for he is a god; peradventure he is talking or he had to go to the latrine, or he is on a journey, or he sleeps and will awake.

²⁸ And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets until the blood gushed out upon them.

²⁹ And when midday was past, even so they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, and there was neither voice nor anyone that answered nor anyone that heard.

³⁰ Then Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.

³¹ And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name;

³² and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; then he made a trench round about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

³³ And he put the wood in order and cut the bullock in pieces and laid it on the wood and said, Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.

³⁴ And he said, Do it the second time, and they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time, and they did it the third time.

³⁵ So that the water ran round about the altar, and he had filled the trench also with water.

³⁶ And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, LORD God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel and that I am thy slave and that I have done all these things at thy word.

³⁷ Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God and that thou shalt convert their heart back again to thee.

³⁸ Then fire of the LORD fell, which consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench.

³⁹ And seeing it, all the people fell on their faces, and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.

⁴⁰ And Elijah said unto them, Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they seized them; and Elijah took them down to the brook Kishon and slew them there.

⁴¹ ¶ Then Elijah said to Ahab, Go up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

⁴² So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he cast himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees

⁴³ and said to his slave, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up and looked and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

⁴⁴ And the seventh time he said, Behold, a little cloud like the palm of a man’s hand arises out of the sea. And he said, Go and say to Ahab, Prepare thy chariot and descend that the rain not stop thee.

⁴⁵ And it came to pass in the meanwhile that the heavens became black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.

⁴⁶ And the hand of the LORD was upon Elijah, who girded up his loins and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

19 ¶ And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and of how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

² Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if by tomorrow at this time I have not made thy person as one of them.

³ And when he saw that, he arose and departed to save his life and came to Beersheba, which is in Judah, and left his servant there.

⁴ But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and desiring to die, he said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am not better than my fathers.

⁵ And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him and said unto him, Arise and eat.

⁶ Then he looked and behold, there was a cake baked on the coals and a cruse of water at his head. And he ate and drank and went back to sleep.

⁷ And the angel of the LORD came again the second time and touched him and said, Arise and eat, for there is a great journey before thee.

⁸ And he arose and ate and drank and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights unto Horeb, the mount of God.

⁹ ¶ And there he went into a cave, where he lodged; and the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

¹⁰ And he replied, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of the hosts, for the sons of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left, and they seek me to take my life.

¹¹ And he said, Go forth and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

¹² And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire, a still small voice,

¹³ Which when Elijah heard it, he covered his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the door of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, saying, What doest thou here, Elijah?

¹⁴ And he replied, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of the hosts because the sons of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left, and they seek me to take my life.

¹⁵ And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way by the wilderness of Damascus; and thou shalt arrive there and anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;

¹⁶ and Jehu, the son of Nimshi, thou shalt anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha, the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah, thou shalt anoint to be prophet in thy place.

¹⁷ And it shall be that he that escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall slay; and he that escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall slay.

¹⁸ And I will cause seven thousand to remain in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him.

¹⁹ ¶ So he departed from there and found Elisha, the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him.

²⁰ So he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again, for what have I done to thee?

²¹ And he returned back from him and took a yoke of oxen and slew them and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen and gave unto the people and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and served him.

20 ¶ Then Benhadad, the king of Syria, gathered all his host together; and there were thirty-two kings with him and horses and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria and warred against it.

² And he sent messengers to Ahab, king of Israel, into the city and said unto him, Thus hath Benhadad said,

³ Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.

⁴ And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy word, I am thine and all that I have.

⁵ And the messengers came again and said, Thus hath Benhadad said, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver and thy gold and thy wives and thy children,

⁶ yet I will send my slaves unto thee tomorrow about this time, and they shall search thy house and the houses of thy slaves; and it shall be that whatever is precious in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand and take it away.

⁷ Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, Understand, I pray you, and see how this man seeks only evil, for he sent unto me for my wives and for my children and for my silver and for my gold, and I denied him not.

⁸ And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent.

⁹ So he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy slave at the first I will do, but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed and brought him word again.

¹⁰ And Benhadad sent unto him again and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, that the dust of Samaria shall not be enough for the open hands of all the people that follow me.

¹¹ And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girds on his harness boast as he that puts it off.

¹² ¶ And when he heard this word, as he was drinking with the kings in the pavilions, he said unto his slaves, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.

¹³ And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab, king of Israel, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into thy hand today, that thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

¹⁴ And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus hath the LORD said, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall begin the battle? And he answered, Thou.

¹⁵ Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the sons of Israel, being seven thousand.

¹⁶ And they went out at noon. But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings that helped him.

¹⁷ And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first. And Benhadad had sent out men who warned him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria.

¹⁸ Then he said, If they have come out for peace, take them alive; or if they have come out for war, take them alive.

¹⁹ So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army followed after them.

²⁰ And each one smote the man that came against him; and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them. And Benhadad, the king of Syria, escaped on a horse with some of the horsemen.

²¹ And the king of Israel went out and smote the horsemen and the chariots and smote the Syrians with a great slaughter.

²² ¶ And the prophet came to the king of Israel and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and consider, and see what thou must do, for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee.

²³ And the slaves of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the mountains; therefore, they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

²⁴ Therefore, do this: Remove the kings from their positions and put captains in their place.

²⁵ And prepare another army like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot; then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so.

²⁶ And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad numbered the Syrians and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

²⁷ And the sons of Israel were numbered and took provisions and went against them; and the sons of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the land.

²⁸ Then the man of God came and spoke unto the king of Israel and said, Thus hath the LORD said, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the mountains, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore, I will deliver all this great multitude into thy hand that ye may know that I am the LORD.

²⁹ And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was that in the seventh day the battle was joined; and the sons of Israel slew of the Syrians one hundred thousand footmen in one day.

³⁰ But the rest fled to Aphek into the city, and the wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand of the men that were left. And Benhadad also fled and came into the city, into an inner chamber.

³¹ ¶ Then his slaves said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings; let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins and ropes upon our heads and go out to the king of Israel; peradventure he will give thee thy life.

³² So they girded sackcloth on their loins and put ropes on their heads and came to the king of Israel and said, Thy slave Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he replied, If he is yet alive, he is my brother.

³³ Now these men took this as a good omen and quickly took this word from his mouth, and they said, Thy brother Benhadad! And he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Benhadad came forth to him, and he caused him to come up into the chariot.

³⁴ And Benhadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make plazas for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria, and I will leave here confederated with thee. So he made a covenant with him and sent him away.

³⁵ Then a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour by the word of the LORD, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him.

³⁶ Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall smite thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him and smote him.

³⁷ Then he found another man and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him and wounded him.

³⁸ So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the way and disguised himself with a veil over his eyes.

³⁹ And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king, and he said, Thy slave went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside and brought a man unto me and said, Guard this man; if by any means he should get away, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.

⁴⁰ And when thy slave was busy here and there, he disappeared. Then the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy sentence be; thou thyself hast decided it.

⁴¹ Then he quickly took the veil away from his face; and the king of Israel recognized that he was of the prophets.

⁴² And he said unto him, Thus hath the LORD said, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand the man of my anathema, therefore, thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people.

⁴³ And the king of Israel went to his house, sad and angry, and came to Samaria.