CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>1 Kings 18 GNT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/1_kings/18.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/1_kings/18-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">GNT</a> > 1 Kings 18</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../1_kings/17.htm" title="1 Kings 17">◄</a> 1 Kings 18 <a href="../1_kings/19.htm" title="1 Kings 19">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Good News Translation</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s">Elijah and the Prophets of Baal</h3><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_1"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.1" class="v11_18_1">1</span>After some time, in the third year of the drought, the <span class="nd">Lord</span> said to Elijah, “Go and present yourself to King Ahab, and I will send rain.” </span><span class="v11_18_2"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.2" class="v11_18_2">2</span>So Elijah started out.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_2">The famine in Samaria was at its worst, </span><span class="v11_18_3"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.3" class="v11_18_3">3</span>so Ahab called in Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Obadiah was a devout worshiper of the <span class="nd">Lord</span>, </span><span class="v11_18_4"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.4" class="v11_18_4">4</span>and when Jezebel was killing the <span class="nd">Lord</span>'s prophets, Obadiah took a hundred of them, hid them in caves in two groups of fifty, and provided them with food and water.) </span><span class="v11_18_5"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.5" class="v11_18_5">5</span>Ahab said to Obadiah, “Let us go and look<a href="#fn" id="link_1Kgs.18.5!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> at every spring and every stream bed in the land to see if we can find enough grass to keep the horses and mules alive. Maybe we won't have to kill any of our animals.” </span><span class="v11_18_6"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.6" class="v11_18_6">6</span>They agreed on which part of the land each one would explore, and set off in different directions.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_7"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.7" class="v11_18_7">7</span>As Obadiah was on his way, he suddenly met Elijah. He recognized him, bowed low before him, and asked, “Is it really you, sir?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_8"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.8" class="v11_18_8">8</span>“Yes, I'm Elijah,” he answered. “Go and tell your master the king that I am here.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_9"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.9" class="v11_18_9">9</span>Obadiah answered, “What have I done that you want to put me in danger of being killed by King Ahab? </span><span class="v11_18_10"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.10" class="v11_18_10">10</span>By the living <span class="nd">Lord</span>, your God, I swear that the king has made a search for you in every country in the world. Whenever the ruler of a country reported that you were not in his country, Ahab would require that ruler to swear that you could not be found. </span><span class="v11_18_11"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.11" class="v11_18_11">11</span>And now you want me to go and tell him that you are here? </span><span class="v11_18_12"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.12" class="v11_18_12">12</span>What if the spirit of the <span class="nd">Lord</span> carries you off to some unknown place as soon as I leave? Then, when I tell Ahab that you are here and he can't find you, he will put me to death. Remember that I have been a devout worshiper of the <span class="nd">Lord</span> ever since I was a boy. </span><span class="v11_18_13"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.13" class="v11_18_13">13</span>Haven't you heard that when Jezebel was killing the prophets of the <span class="nd">Lord</span> I hid a hundred of them in caves, in two groups of fifty, and supplied them with food and water? </span><span class="v11_18_14"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.14" class="v11_18_14">14</span>So how can you order me to go and tell the king that you are here? He will kill me!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_15"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.15" class="v11_18_15">15</span>Elijah answered, “By the living <span class="nd">Lord</span> Almighty, whom I serve, I promise that I will present myself to the king today.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_16"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.16" class="v11_18_16">16</span>So Obadiah went to King Ahab and told him, and Ahab set off to meet Elijah. </span><span class="v11_18_17"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.17" class="v11_18_17">17</span>When Ahab saw him, he said, “So there you are—the worst troublemaker in Israel!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_18"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.18" class="v11_18_18">18</span>“I'm not the troublemaker,” Elijah answered. “You are—you and your father. You are disobeying the <span class="nd">Lord</span>'s commands and worshiping the idols of Baal. </span><span class="v11_18_19"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.19" class="v11_18_19">19</span>Now order all the people of Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel. Bring along the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of the goddess Asherah who are supported by Queen Jezebel.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_20"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.20" class="v11_18_20">20</span>So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and the prophets of Baal to meet at Mount Carmel. </span><span class="v11_18_21"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.21" class="v11_18_21">21</span>Elijah went up to the people and said, “How much longer will it take you to make up your minds? If the <span class="nd">Lord</span> is God, worship him; but if Baal is God, worship him!” But the people didn't say a word. </span><span class="v11_18_22"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.22" class="v11_18_22">22</span>Then Elijah said, “I am the only prophet of the <span class="nd">Lord</span> still left, but there are 450 prophets of Baal. </span><span class="v11_18_23"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.23" class="v11_18_23">23</span>Bring two bulls; let the prophets of Baal take one, kill it, cut it in pieces, and put it on the wood—but don't light the fire. I will do the same with the other bull. </span><span class="v11_18_24"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.24" class="v11_18_24">24</span>Then let the prophets of Baal pray to their god, and I will pray to the <span class="nd">Lord</span>, and the one who answers by sending fire—he is God.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_24">The people shouted their approval.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_25"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.25" class="v11_18_25">25</span>Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since there are so many of you, you take a bull and prepare it first. Pray to your god, but don't set fire to the wood.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_26"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.26" class="v11_18_26">26</span>They took the bull that was brought to them, prepared it, and prayed to Baal until noon. They shouted, “Answer us, Baal!” and kept dancing around the altar they had built. But no answer came.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_27"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.27" class="v11_18_27">27</span>At noon Elijah started making fun of them: “Pray louder! He is a god! Maybe he is day-dreaming or relieving himself, or perhaps he's gone off on a trip! Or maybe he's sleeping, and you've got to wake him up!” </span><span class="v11_18_28"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.28" class="v11_18_28">28</span>So the prophets prayed louder and cut themselves with knives and daggers, according to their ritual, until blood flowed. </span><span class="v11_18_29"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.29" class="v11_18_29">29</span>They kept on ranting and raving until the middle of the afternoon; but no answer came, not a sound was heard.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_30"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.30" class="v11_18_30">30</span>Then Elijah said to the people, “Come closer to me,” and they all gathered around him. He set about repairing the altar of the <span class="nd">Lord</span> which had been torn down. </span><span class="v11_18_31"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.31" class="v11_18_31">31</span><a href="#fn" id="link_1Kgs.18.31!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> He took twelve stones, one for each of the twelve tribes named for the sons of Jacob, the man to whom the <span class="nd">Lord</span> had given the name Israel. </span><span class="v11_18_32"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.32" class="v11_18_32">32</span>With these stones he rebuilt the altar for the worship of the <span class="nd">Lord</span>. He dug a trench around it, large enough to hold about four gallons of water. </span><span class="v11_18_33"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.33" class="v11_18_33">33</span>Then he placed the wood on the altar, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the offering and the wood.” They did so, </span><span class="v11_18_34"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.34" class="v11_18_34">34</span>and he said, “Do it again”—and they did. “Do it once more,” he said—and they did. </span><span class="v11_18_35"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.35" class="v11_18_35">35</span>The water ran down around the altar and filled the trench.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_36"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.36" class="v11_18_36">36</span>At the hour of the afternoon sacrifice the prophet Elijah approached the altar and prayed, “O <span class="nd">Lord</span>, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove now that you are the God of Israel and that I am your servant and have done all this at your command. </span><span class="v11_18_37"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.37" class="v11_18_37">37</span>Answer me, <span class="nd">Lord</span>, answer me, so that this people will know that you, the <span class="nd">Lord</span>, are God and that you are bringing them back to yourself.”<a href="#fn" id="link_1Kgs.18.37!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_38"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.38" class="v11_18_38">38</span>The <span class="nd">Lord</span> sent fire down, and it burned up the sacrifice, the wood, and the stones, scorched the earth and dried up the water in the trench. </span><span class="v11_18_39"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.39" class="v11_18_39">39</span>When the people saw this, they threw themselves on the ground and exclaimed, “The <span class="nd">Lord</span> is God; the <span class="nd">Lord</span> alone is God!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_40"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.40" class="v11_18_40">40</span>Elijah ordered, “Seize the prophets of Baal; don't let any of them get away!” The people seized them all, and Elijah led them down to Kishon Brook and killed them.</span></p><h3 class="s">The End of the Drought</h3><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_41"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.41" class="v11_18_41">41</span>Then Elijah said to King Ahab, “Now, go and eat. I hear the roar of rain approaching.” </span><span class="v11_18_42"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.42" class="v11_18_42">42</span><a href="#fn" id="link_1Kgs.18.42!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> While Ahab went to eat, Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel, where he bowed down to the ground, with his head between his knees. </span><span class="v11_18_43"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.43" class="v11_18_43">43</span>He said to his servant, “Go and look toward the sea.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_43">The servant went and returned, saying, “I didn't see a thing.” Seven times in all Elijah told him to go and look. </span><span class="v11_18_44"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.44" class="v11_18_44">44</span>The seventh time he returned and said, “I saw a little cloud no bigger than a man's hand, coming up from the sea.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_44">Elijah ordered his servant, “Go to King Ahab and tell him to get in his chariot and go back home before the rain stops him.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v11_18_45"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.45" class="v11_18_45">45</span>In a little while the sky was covered with dark clouds, the wind began to blow, and a heavy rain began to fall. Ahab got in his chariot and started back to Jezreel. </span><span class="v11_18_46"><span class="reftext" id="1Kgs.18.46" class="v11_18_46">46</span>The power of the <span class="nd">Lord</span> came on Elijah; he fastened his clothes tight around his waist and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.</span></p><a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.5: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One ancient translation </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Let us go and look; </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Hebrew </char><char style="fq" closed="false">You go and look.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">18.37: </char><char style="fq" closed="false">you are bringing them back to yourself; </char><char style="ft" closed="false">or </char><char style="fq" closed="false">you yourself made them turn away from you.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.</span></p> <p class="yiv9003199930MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">Bible text from the Good News Translation (GNT) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (<a href="http://www.americanbible.org">www.americanbible.org</a>). Learn more at <a href="http://www.gnt.bible">www.gnt.bible</a> . Discover .BIBLE resources for your ministry at <a href="http://www.get.bible/gnt">www.get.bible/gnt</a></span></p><br /><br /><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><br /><br /><br /></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../1_kings/17.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="1 Kings 17"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="1 Kings 17" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../1_kings/19.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="1 Kings 19"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="1 Kings 19" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpc/1_kings/18-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe width="122" height="860" scrolling="no" src="../sidemenu.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchapnoad.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>