1. It happened after many days that the word of  יהוה ’s  came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.”

2. Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria.

3. Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared יהוה greatly;

4. For it was when Jezebel cut off the prophets of יהוה ’s, Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them by fifties in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

5. Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and the mules alive, that we not lose all the animals.”

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. As Obadiah was in the way, Elijah met him. And he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”

8. He answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here!’”

9. He said, “Wherein have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?

10. As יהוה your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. And when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they didn’t find you.

11. Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here.”’

12. It will happen, as soon as I have gone from you, that the Spirit of יהוה  will carry you I don’t know where; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he can’t find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, fear יהוה from my youth.

13. Wasn’t it told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of יהוה, how I hid one hundred men of יהוה ’s prophets by fifties in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?

14. Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here”.’ And he will kill me.”

15. Elijah said, “As יהוה of Armies lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”

16. So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17. It happened when Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

18. He answered, “I have not troubled Israel; but you, and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of יהוה , and you have followed the Baals.

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

20. So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel.

21. Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you waver between the two sides? If יהוה is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.”  The people didn't answer him a word.

22. Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left of the prophets of יהוה ; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred fifty men.

23. Let them therefore give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will kill the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it.

24. You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of יהוה. The God who answers by fire, let him be God.” All the people answered, “It is well said.”

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

26. They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice, and nor any who answered. They leapt about the altar which they had made.

27. It happened at noon, Elijah mocked them, and said, “Cry aloud; for he is a god. Either he's thinking, or he's missing, or he's gone on  a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened.”

28. They cried aloud, and cut themselves in their way with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.

29. It was so when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of the  offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was neither voice, nor any to  answer, nor any who regarded.

30. Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me!”; and all the people came near to him. He repaired the altar of יהוה that was thrown down.

31. Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of יהוה came, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”

32. With the stones he built an altar in the name of יהוה. He made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

33. He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering, and on the wood.”

34. He said, “Do it a second time”; and they did it the second time. He said, “Do it a third time”; and they did it the third time.

35. The water ran about  the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

36. It happened at  the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, “ O יהוה ,  God of Abraham , of Isaac , and of Israel , let it be known this day  that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.

37. Hear me, יהוה , hear me, that this people may know that you, יהוה , are God, and that you have turned their heart back to you  again.”

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

39. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. They said, “ יהוה , he is God! יהוה , he is God!”