| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1And it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.” | 1After a long time, the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year: "Go and present yourself to Ahab. I will send rain on the surface of the land." |
| 2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab; and there was a severe famine in Samaria. | 2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria. |
| 3And Ahab had called Obadiah, who was in charge of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly. | 3Ahab called for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Obadiah was a man who greatly feared the LORD |
| 4For so it was, while Jezebel massacred the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and had fed them with bread and water.) | 4and took 100 prophets and hid them, 50 men to a cave, and provided them with food and water when Jezebel slaughtered the LORD's prophets. |
| 5And Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go into the land to all the springs of water and to all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, so that we will not have to kill any livestock.” | 5Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go throughout the land to every spring of water and to every wadi. Perhaps we'll find grass so we can keep the horses and mules alive and not have to destroy any cattle." |
| 6So they divided the land between them to explore it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. | 6They divided the land between them in order to cover it. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself. |
| 7Now as Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Elijah met him; and he recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is that you, my lord Elijah?” | 7While Obadiah was walking along the road, Elijah suddenly met him. When Obadiah recognized him, he fell with his face to the ground and said, "Is it you, my lord Elijah?"" |
| 8And he answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’ ” | 8It is I," he replied. "Go tell your lord, 'Elijah is here!'" |
| 9So he said, “How have I sinned, that you are delivering your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me? | 9But Obadiah said, "What sin have I committed, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death? |
| 10As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you; and when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they could not find you. | 10As 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 they had not found you." |
| 11And now you say, ‘Go, tell your master, “Elijah is here” ’! | 11Now you say, 'Go tell your lord, "Elijah is here!"' |
| 12And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you to a place I do not know; so when I go and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me. But I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth. | 12But when I leave you, the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off to some place I don't know. Then when I go report to Ahab and he doesn't find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth. |
| 13Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, how I hid one hundred men of the LORD’s prophets, fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water? | 13Wasn't it reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the LORD's prophets? I hid 100 of the prophets of the LORD, 50 men to a cave, and I provided them with food and water. |
| 14And now you say, ‘Go, tell your master, “Elijah is here.” ’ He will kill me!” | 14Now you say, 'Go tell your lord, "Elijah is here!"' He will kill me!" |
| 15Then Elijah said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today.” | 15Then Elijah said, "As the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, today I will present myself to Ahab." |
| 16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah. | 16Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him. Then Ahab went to meet Elijah. |
| 17Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” | 17When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, "Is that you, you destroyer of Israel?" |
| 18And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals. | 18He replied, "I have not destroyed Israel, but you and your father's house have, because you have abandoned the LORD's commands and followed the Baals. |
| 19Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” | 19Now summon all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table." |
| 20So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. | 20So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. |
| 21And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. | 21Then Elijah approached all the people and said, "How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If Yahweh is God, follow Him. But if Baal, follow him." But the people didn't answer him a word. |
| 22Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. | 22Then Elijah said to the people, "I am the only remaining prophet of the LORD, but Baal's prophets are 450 men. |
| 23Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. | 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 gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.” | 24Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh. The God who answers with fire, He is God." All the people answered, "That sounds good." |
| 25Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” | 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 which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. | 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; no one answered. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made. |
| 27And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.” | 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; or maybe he's on the road. Perhaps he's sleeping and will wake up!" |
| 28So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. | 28They shouted loudly, and cut themselves with knives and spears, according to their custom, until blood gushed over them. |
| 29And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention. | 29All afternoon they kept on raving until the offering of the evening sacrifice, but there was no sound; no one answered, no one paid attention. |
| 30Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. | 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: |
| 31And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” | 31Elijah 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"-- |
| 32Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. | 32and he built an altar with the stones in the name of Yahweh. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons. |
| 33And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” | 33Next, 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, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. | 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; and he also filled the trench with water. | 35So the water ran all around the altar; he even filled the trench with water. |
| 36And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. | 36At the time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, "Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that at Your word I have done all these things. |
| 37Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” | 37Answer me, LORD! Answer me so that this people will know that You, Yahweh, are God and that You have turned their hearts back." |
| 38Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. | 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. |
| 39Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!” | 39When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said, "Yahweh, He is God! Yahweh, He is God!" |
| 40And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there. | 40Then Elijah ordered them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let even one of them escape." So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon and slaughtered them there. |
| 41Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” | 41Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a rainstorm." |
| 42So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, | 42So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the summit of Carmel. He bowed down on the ground and put his face between his knees. |
| 43and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.” | 43Then he said to his servant, "Go up and look toward the sea." So he went up, looked, and said, "There's nothing." Seven times Elijah said, "Go back." |
| 44Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ” | 44On the seventh time, he reported, "There's a cloud as small as a man's hand coming from the sea." Then Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Get your chariot ready and go down so the rain doesn't stop you.'" |
| 45Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. | 45In a little while, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a downpour. So Ahab got in his chariot and went to Jezreel. |
| 46Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. | 46The power of the LORD was on Elijah, and he tucked his mantle under his belt and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. |
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