1 Kings 18:16–40

¹⁶Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him. Then Ahab went to meet Elijah. ¹⁷When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you destroyer of Israel?” ^u

¹⁸He replied, “I have not destroyed Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have abandoned the Lord’s commands ^vand followed the Baals. ^w19Now summon all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel, ^xalong with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah ^ywho eat at Jezebel’s table.”

Elijah at Mount Carmel

²⁰So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. ²¹Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? ^zIf Yahweh is God, follow Him. But if Baal, follow him.” ^aBut the people didn’t answer him a word.

²²Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the Lord, ^bbut Baal’s prophets are 450 men. ²³Let two bulls be given to us. They are to choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire. ²⁴Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh. ^cThe God who answers with fire, He is God.”

All the people answered, “That sounds good.”

²⁵Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god but don’t light the fire.”

²⁶So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound; ^dno one answered. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made.

²⁷At noon Elijah mocked them. He said, “Shout loudly, for he’s a god! Maybe he’s thinking it over; maybe he has wandered away; ^eor maybe he’s on the road. Perhaps he’s sleeping and will wake up!” ^f28They shouted loudly, and cut themselves ^gwith knives and spears, according to their custom, until blood gushed over them. ²⁹All afternoon they kept on raving until the offering of the evening sacrifice, ^hbut there was no sound; no one answered, no one paid attention. ⁱ

³⁰Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near me.” So all the people approached him. Then he repaired the Lord’s altar that had been torn down: ^j31Elijah took 12 stones—according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel will be your name” ^k— ³²and he built an altar ^lwith the stones in the name of Yahweh. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons. ^mn33Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. He said, “Fill four water pots with water and pour it on the offering to be burned and on the wood.” ³⁴Then he said, “A second time!” and they did it a second time. And then he said, “A third time!” and they did it a third time. ³⁵So the water ran all around the altar; he even filled the trench with water.

³⁶At the time for offering the evening sacrifice, ^oElijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, ^ptoday let it be known ^qthat You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that at Your word I have done all these things. ³⁷Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that You, Yahweh, are God ^rand that You have turned their hearts back.”

³⁸Then Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹When all the people saw it, they fell facedown ^sand said, “Yahweh, He is God! Yahweh, He is God!” ^t

⁴⁰Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! ^uDo not let even one of them escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon ^vand slaughtered them there. ^w