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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://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</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/bsb/spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></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="/bmc//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="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="/1_kings/">1 Kings</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 align="center" id="jump2"><a href="/niv/1_kings/18.htm">NIV</a> • <a href="/nlt/1_kings/18.htm">NLT</a> • <a href="/esv/1_kings/18.htm">ESV</a> • <a href="/kjv/1_kings/18.htm">KJV</a> • <a href="/nkjv/1_kings/18.htm">NKJ</a> • <a href="/nasb/1_kings/18.htm">NAS</a></div><br /><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="1%" valign="top">BSB</td><td width="99%" valign="top" align="right"><a href="/parallel/1_kings/18.htm" style="font-weight:normal" title="Parallel Chapters">Parallel Chapters ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><A name="2"></a><p class="hdg">Elijah’s Message to Ahab<p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>After a long time, in the third year of the drought,<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">a</a></span> the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the face of the earth.” <A name="3"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria, <A name="4"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. <p class="reg">(Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD, <A name="5"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.) <A name="6"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring and every valley. Perhaps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to destroy any livestock.” <A name="7"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>So they divided the land to explore. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself. <A name="8"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Now as Obadiah went on his way, Elijah suddenly met him. When Obadiah recognized him, he fell facedown and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?” <A name="9"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>“It is I,” he answered. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here!’<span class="thinq"> </span>” <A name="10"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>But Obadiah replied, “How have I sinned, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death? <A name="11"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made that kingdom or nation swear that they had not found you. <A name="12"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>And now you say, ‘Go tell your master that Elijah is here!’ <A name="13"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>I do not know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off when I leave you. Then when I go and tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth. <A name="14"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred prophets of the LORD, fifty men per cave, and I provided them with food and water. <A name="15"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>And now you say, ‘Go tell your lord that Elijah is here!’ He will kill me!” <A name="16"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>Then Elijah said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will present myself to Ahab today.” <A name="17"></a><p class="hdg">Elijah on Mount Carmel<p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>So Obadiah went to inform Ahab, who went to meet Elijah. <A name="18"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” <A name="19"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>“I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals. <A name="20"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.” <A name="21"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. <A name="22"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” <p class="reg"> But the people did not answer a word. <A name="23"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the LORD, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. <A name="24"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>Get two bulls for us. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull for themselves, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. And I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire. <A name="25"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>Then you may call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers by fire, He is God.” <p class="reg"> And all the people answered, “What you say is good.” <A name="26"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>Then 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 do not light the fire.” <A name="27"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” <p class="reg"> But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made. <A name="28"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, “Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!” <A name="29"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them. <A name="30"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>Midday passed, and they kept on raving until the time of the evening sacrifice. But there was no response; no one answered, no one paid attention. <A name="31"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people approached him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down. <A name="32"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come and said, “Israel shall be your name.” <A name="33"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-32.htm"><b>32</b></a></span>And with the stones, Elijah built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">b</a></span> <A name="34"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-33.htm"><b>33</b></a></span>Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, placed it on the wood, <A name="35"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-34.htm"><b>34</b></a></span>and said, “Fill four waterpots and pour the water on the offering and on the wood.”<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">c</a></span> <p class="reg">“Do it a second time,” he said, and they did it a second time. <p class="reg">“Do it a third time,” he said, and they did it a third time. <A name="36"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-35.htm"><b>35</b></a></span>So the water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. <A name="37"></a><p class="hdg">Elijah’s Prayer<p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-36.htm"><b>36</b></a></span>At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command. <A name="38"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-37.htm"><b>37</b></a></span>Answer me, O LORD! Answer me, so that this people will know that You, the LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back again.” <A name="39"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-38.htm"><b>38</b></a></span>Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water in the trench. <A name="40"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-39.htm"><b>39</b></a></span>When all the people saw this, they fell facedown and said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!” <A name="41"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-40.htm"><b>40</b></a></span>Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there. <A name="42"></a><p class="hdg">The LORD Sends Rain<p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-41.htm"><b>41</b></a></span>And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” <A name="43"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-42.htm"><b>42</b></a></span>So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the summit of Carmel, bent down on the ground, and put his face between his knees. <A name="44"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-43.htm"><b>43</b></a></span>“Go and look toward the sea,” he said to his servant. <p class="reg"> So the servant went and looked, and he said, “There is nothing there.” <p class="reg"> Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” <A name="45"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-44.htm"><b>44</b></a></span>On the seventh time the servant reported, “There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.” <p class="reg"> And Elijah replied, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’<span class="thinq"> </span>” <A name="46"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-45.htm"><b>45</b></a></span>Meanwhile, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain began to fall. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/18-46.htm"><b>46</b></a></span>And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">d</a></span> and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.</p><A name="fn"></a><div id="fnlink"><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:</b><br><br><span class="fnverse">1</span> <span class="footnotesbot">a</span> Literally <i>And the days were many, and in the third year,</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><span class="fnverse">32</span> <span class="footnotesbot">b</span> <i>2 seahs</i><span class="thin"> </span> is approximately 13.2 dry quarts or 14.6 liters (probably about 25.4 pounds or 11.5 kilograms of seed).<br><span class="fnverse">34</span> <span class="footnotesbot">c</span> Some texts break verse 33 and begin verse 34 at this point.<br><span class="fnverse">46</span> <span class="footnotesbot">d</span> Hebrew <i>he girded up his loins</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><br /></div><br /></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Berean Bible (<a href=http://berean.bible>www.Berean.Bible</a>) <a href=http://bereanbible.com>Berean Study Bible (BSB)</a> © 2016, 2020 by <a href=http://biblehub.com>Bible Hub</a> and <a href=http://berean.bible>Berean.Bible</a>. 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