18:1 And it came to pass after many days,
that the word of Yehovah came to Eliu in the third year, saying, Go, and
appear before Achaab, and I will bring rain upon the face of the earth.
18:2 And Eliu went to appear before Achaab: and the famine [as] severe in
Samaria.
18:3 And Achaab called Abdiu the steward. Now Abdiu feared Yehovah greatly.
18:4 And it came to pass when Jezabel smote the prophets of Yehovah, that
Abdiu took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them
with bread and water.
18:5 And Achaab said to Abdiu, Come, and let us go through the land, and to
the fountains of water, and to the brooks, if by any means we may find
grass, and may save the horses and mules, and so they will not perish from
the tents.
18:6 And they made a division of the way between them to pass through it:
Achaab went one way, and Abdiu went by another way alone.
18:7 And Abdiu was alone in the way; and Eliu came alone to meet him: and
Abdiu hasted, and fell upon his face, and said, My lord Eliu, art thou
[indeed] he?
18:8 And Eliu said to him, I [am]: go say to thy master, Behold, Eliu [is
here].
18:9 And Abdiu said, What sin have I committed, that thou givest thy servant
into the hand of Achaab to slay me?
18:10 [As] Yehovah thy Elohim lives, there is not a nation or kingdom, whither
my lord has not sent to seek thee; and if they said, He is not [here], then
has he set fire to the kingdom and its territories, because he has not found
thee.
18:11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Eliu [is here].
18:12 And it shall come to pass when I shall have departed from thee, that
the Spirit of Yehovah shall carry thee to a land which I know not, and I
shall go in to tell the matter to Achaab, and he will not find thee and will
slay me: yet thy servant fears Yehovah from his youth.
18:13 Has it not been told to thee my lord, what I did when Jezabel slew the
prophets of Yehovah, that I hid a hundred men of the prophets of Yehovah,
by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
18:14 And now thou sayest to me, Go, say to thy master, Behold, Eliu [is
here]: and he shall slay me.
18:15 And Eliu said, [As] Yehovah of Hosts before whom I stand lives,
to-day I will appear before him.
18:16 And Abdiu went to meet Achaab, and told him: an Achaab hasted forth,
and went to meet Eliu.
18:17 And it came to pass when Achaab saw Eliu, that Achaab said to Eliu,
Art thou he that perverts Israel?
18:18 And Eliu said, I do not pervert Israel; but it is thou and thy
father's house, in that ye forsake Yehovah your Elohim, and thou hast gone
after Baalim.
18:19 And now send, gather to me all Israel to mount Carmel, and the
prophets of shame four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves
four hundred, that eat [at] Jezabel's table.
18:20 And Achaab sent to all Israel, and gathered all the prophets to mount
Carmel.
18:21 And Eliu drew near to them all: and Eliu said to them, How long wilt
ye halt on both feet? if Yehovah be Elohim, follow him; but if Baal, follow
him. And the people answered not a word.
18:22 And Eliu said to the people, I am left, the only one prophet of the
Lord; and the prophets of Baal [are] four hundred and fifty men, and the
prophets of the groves four hundred.
18:23 Let them give us two oxen, and let them choose one for themselves, and
cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire [on] the wood: and
I will dress the other bullock, and put on no fire.
18:24 And do ye call loudly on the name of your gods, and I will call on the
name of Yehovah my Elohim, and it shall come to pass that the Elohim who shall
answer by fire, he [is] Elohim. And all the people answered and said, The word
which thou hast spoken [is] good.
18:25 And Eliu said to the prophets of shame, Choose to yourselves one calf,
and dress it first, for ye [are] many; and call ye on the name of your god;
but apply no fire.
18:26 And they took the calf and drest it, and called on the name of Baal
from morning till noon, and said, hear us, O Baal, hear us. And there was no
voice, neither was there hearing, and they ran up and down on the alter
which they [had] made.
18:27 And it was noon, and Eliu the Thesbite mocked them, and said, Call
with a loud voice, for he is a god; for he is meditating, or else perhaps he
is engaged in business, or perhaps he is asleep, and I to be awaked.
18:28 And they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves according to
their custom with knives and lancets until the blood gushed out upon them.
18:29 And they prophesied until the evening came; and it came to pass as it
was the time of the offering of the sacrifice, that Eliu the Thesbite spoke
to the prophets of the abominations, saying, Stand by for the present, and I
will offer my sacrifice. And they stood aside and departed.
18:30 And Eliu said to the people, Come near to me. And all the people came
near to him.
18:31 And Eliu took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of
Israel, as Yehovah spoke to him, saying, Israel shall be thy name.
18:32 And he built up the stones in the name of Yehovah, and repaired the
altar that had been broken down; and he made a trench that would hold two
measures of seed round about the altar.
18:33 And he piled the cleft wood on the altar which he [had] made, and
divided the whole-burnt-offering, and laid [it] on the wood, and laid [it]
in order on the altar, and said, Fetch me four pitchers of water, and pour
[it] on the whole-burnt-offering, and on the wood. And they did so.
18:34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time.
And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
18:35 And the water ran round about the altar, and they filled the trench
with water.
18:36 And Eliu cried aloud to the heaven, and said, Lord Elohim of Abraam, and
Isaac, and Israel, answer me, O Lord, answer me this day by fire, and let
all this people know that thou art Yehovah, the Elohim of Israel, and I [am]
thy servant, and for thy sake I have wrought these works.
18:37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, and let this people know that thou art the
Lord Elohim, and thou hast turned back the heart of this people.
18:38 Then fire fell from Yehovah out of heaven, and devoured the
whole-burnt-offerings, and the wood and the water that was in the trench,
and the fire licked up the stones and the earth.
18:39 And all the people fell upon their faces, and said, Truly Yehovah
[is] Elohim; he [is] Elohim.
18:40 And Eliu said to the people, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of
them escape. And they took them; and Eliu brings them down to the brook
Kisson, and he slew them there.
18:41 And Eliu said to Achaab, Go up, and eat and drink, for [there is] a
sound of the coming of rain.
18:42 And Achaab went up to eat and to drink; and Eliu went up to Carmel,
and stooped to the ground, and put his face between his knees,
18:43 and said to his servant, Go up, and look toward the sea. And the
servant looked, and said, There is nothing: and Eliu said, Do thou then go
again seven times.
18:44 And the servant went again seven times: and it came to pass at the
seventh time, that, behold, a little cloud like the sole of a man's foot
brought water; and he said, Go up, and say to Achaab, make ready thy
chariot, and go down, lest the rain overtake thee.
18:45 And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven grew black with
clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Achaab wept, and went to
Jezrael.
18:46 And the hand of Yehovah [was] upon Eliu, and he girt up his loins,
and ran before Achaab to Jezrael. |
18:1 And it came to pass after many days,
that the word of Yehovah came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show
thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.
18:2 And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine
in Samaria.
18:3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now
Obadiah feared Yehovah greatly:
18:4 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of Yehovah, that
Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed
them with bread and water.)
18:5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of
water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the
horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
18:6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went
one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
18:7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him,
and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?
18:8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
18:9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant
into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
18:10 As Yehovah thy Elohim liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my
lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he
took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
18:11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
18:12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the
Spirit of Yehovah shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come
and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant
fear Yehovah from my youth.
18:13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of
Yehovah, how I hid an hundred men of Yehovah's prophets by fifty in a
cave, and fed them with bread and water?
18:14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he
shall slay me.
18:15 And Elijah said, As Yehovah of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I
will surely show myself unto him to day.
18:16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet
Elijah.
18:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him,
Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
18:18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy
father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of Yehovah, and
thou hast followed Baalim.
18:19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and
the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves
four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.
18:20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the
prophets together unto mount Carmel.
18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye
between two opinions? if Yehovah be Elohim, follow him: but if Baal, then
follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
18:22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of
Yehovah; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
18:23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one
bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no
fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put
no fire under:
18:24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of
Yehovah: and the Elohim that answereth by fire, let him be Elohim. And all the
people answered and said, It is well spoken.
18:25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for
yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of
your gods, but put no fire under.
18:26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it,
and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal,
hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon
the altar which was made.
18:27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry
aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in
a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
18:28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with
knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
18:29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until
the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither
voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
18:30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the
people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of Yehovah that was
broken down.
18:31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes
of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of Yehovah came, saying, Israel
shall be thy name:
18:32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of Yehovah: and he
made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of
seed.
18:33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid
him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the
burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
18:34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time.
And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
18:35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also
with water.
18:36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening
sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Yehovah Elohim of Abraham,
Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art Elohim in Israel,
and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy
word.
18:37 Hear me, O Yehovah, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the
Yehovah Elohim, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
18:38 Then the fire of Yehovah fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and
the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in
the trench.
18:39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they
said, Yehovah, he is the Elohim; Yehovah, he is the Elohim.
18:40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of
them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook
Kishon, and slew them there.
18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a
sound of abundance of rain.
18:42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of
Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between
his knees,
18:43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went
up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven
times.
18:44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there
ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go
up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop
thee not.
18:45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with
clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to
Jezreel.
18:46 And the hand of Yehovah was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins,
and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. |