18 After some time, in the third year, Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}’s word came to A·liʹyah, saying: “Go, present yourself to Aʹhab, and I will send rain on the surface of the ground.” 2 So A·liʹyah went to present himself to Aʹhab, while the famine was severe in Sa·marʹi·a.
3 Meanwhile, Aʹhab called O·ba·dyʹah, who was over the household. (Now O·ba·dyʹah greatly feared Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}, 4 and when Yezʹe·bel was doing away with Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}’s prophets, O·ba·dyʹah took 100 prophets and hid them 50 to a cave, and he supplied them with bread and water.) 5 Aʹhab then said to O·ba·dyʹah: “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys. Perhaps we can find enough grass to keep the horses and mules alive and not have all our animals die.” 6 So they divided between themselves the land they were going to pass through. Aʹhab went alone by one way, and O·ba·dyʹah went alone by another way.
7 As O·ba·dyʹah was on his way, A·liʹyah was there to meet him. At once he recognized him and fell facedown and said: “Is this you, my lord A·liʹyah?” 8 He replied to him: “It is I. Go and tell your lord: ‘A·liʹyah is here.’” 9 But he said: “What sin have I committed that you should hand your servant over to Aʹhab to put me to death? 10 As surely as Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} your Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} is living, there is not a nation or a kingdom where my lord has not sent to look for you. After they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made the kingdom and the nation swear that they could not find you. 11 Now you are saying, ‘Go and tell your lord: “A·liʹyah is here.”’ 12 When I depart from you, the spirit of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} will carry you away to a place I will not know, and when I tell Aʹhab and he does not find you, he will surely kill me. Yet, your servant has feared Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} from his youth. 13 Has my lord not been told what I did when Yezʹe·bel was killing the prophets of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}, how I hid 100 of the prophets of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} by groups of 50 in a cave and kept supplying them bread and water? 14 But now you are saying, ‘Go and tell your lord: “A·liʹyah is here.”’ He will certainly kill me.” 15 However, A·liʹyah said: “As surely as Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} of armies whom I serve is living, today I will present myself to him.”
16 So O·ba·dyʹah went off to meet Aʹhab and told him, and Aʹhab went to meet A·liʹyah.
17 As soon as Aʹhab saw A·liʹyah, he said to him: “Is this you, the one bringing great trouble on Isra'Al?”
18 To this he said: “I have not brought trouble on Isra'Al, but you and the house of your father have, by abandoning the commandments of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} and by following the Baʹals. 19 And now summon all Isra'Al to me at Mount Carʹmel, as well as the 450 prophets of Baʹal and the 400 prophets of the sacred pole, who are eating at the table of Yezʹe·bel.” 20 So Aʹhab sent word among all the people of Isra'Al and collected the prophets together at Mount Carʹmel.
21 Then A·liʹyah approached all the people and said: “How long will you be limping between two different opinions? If Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} is the true Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'}, follow him; but if Baʹal is, follow him!” But the people did not say a word in answer to him. 22 A·liʹyah then said to the people: “I am the only prophet of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} left, while the prophets of Baʹal are 450 men. 23 Let them give us two young bulls, and let them choose one young bull and cut it into pieces and put it on the wood, but they should not put fire to it. I will prepare the other young bull, and I will place it on the wood, but I will not put fire to it. 24 Then you must call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}. The Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} who answers by fire will show that he is the true Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'}.” To this all the people answered: “What you say is good.”
25 A·liʹyah now said to the prophets of Baʹal: “Choose one young bull and prepare it first, because you are the majority. Then call on the name of your god, but you must not put fire to it.” 26 So they took the young bull that was given to them, prepared it, and kept calling on the name of Baʹal from morning until noon, saying: “O Baʹal, answer us!” But there was no voice and no one answering. They kept limping around the altar that they had made. 27 About noon A·liʹyah began to mock them and say: “Call out at the top of your voice! After all, he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought or he has gone to relieve himself. Or maybe he is asleep and someone needs to wake him up!” 28 They were calling out at the top of their voice and cutting themselves with daggers and lances, according to their custom, until their blood gushed out all over them. 29 Noon was past and they continued in a frenzy until the time the evening grain offering is presented, but there was no voice and no one answering; no one was paying attention.
30 At length A·liʹyah said to all the people: “Approach me.” So all the people approached him. Then he repaired the altar of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} that had been torn down. 31 A·liʹyah then took 12 stones, corresponding to the number of the tribes of the sons of Yacob, to whom Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}’s word had come, saying: “Isra'Al will be your name.” 32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}. Then he made a trench all around the altar, an area large enough to sow with two seah measures of seed. 33 After that he put the pieces of wood in order, cut the young bull into pieces, and placed it on the wood. He now said: “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the pieces of wood.” 34 Then he said: “Do it again.” So they did it again. Once more he said: “Do it a third time.” So they did it a third time. 35 And the water ran all around the altar, and he also filled the trench with water.
36 About the time when the evening grain offering is presented, A·liʹyah the prophet stepped forward and said: “O Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}, the Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} of Avraham, Isaac, and Isra'Al, today let it be known that you are Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} in Isra'Al and that I am your servant and that it is by your word that I have done all these things. 37 Answer me, O Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}! Answer me so that this people may know that you, Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}, are the true Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} and that you are turning their hearts back to you.”
38 At that the fire of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} fell from above and consumed the burnt offering, the pieces of wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water from the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they immediately fell facedown and said: “Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} is the true Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'}! Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} is the true Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'}!” 40 Then A·liʹyah said to them: “Seize the prophets of Baʹal! Do not let a single one of them escape!” At once they seized them, and A·liʹyah brought them down to the stream of Kiʹshon and slaughtered them there.
41 A·liʹyah now said to Aʹhab: “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy downpour.” 42 So Aʹhab went up to eat and drink, while A·liʹyah went up to the top of Carʹmel and crouched on the ground, keeping his face between his knees. 43 Then he said to his attendant: “Go up, please, and look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said: “There is nothing at all.” Seven times A·liʹyah said, “Go back.” 44 The seventh time his attendant said: “Look! There is a small cloud like a man’s hand ascending out of the sea.” He now said: “Go, say to Aʹhab, ‘Hitch up the chariot! Go down so that the downpour may not detain you!’” 45 Meanwhile, the sky grew dark with clouds, the wind blew, and a heavy downpour fell; and Aʹhab kept riding and made his way to Yezʹre·Al. 46 But the hand of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} came on A·liʹyah, and he wrapped his garment around his hips and ran ahead of Aʹhab all the way to Yezʹre·Al.