1 Kings 18:20-40
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So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets
on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before 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."
But the people said nothing.
22 Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD's
prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get
two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them
cut it into pieces and put it on the wood
but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on
the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you 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."
Then all the people said, "What you say is good."
25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls
and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the
name of your god, but do not light the fire." 26 So they took the
bull given them and prepared it.
Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O
Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one
answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.
27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said.
"Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or
traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." 28 So they
shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as
was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and
they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the
evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no
one paid attention.
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came
to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD , which was in ruins.
31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended
from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Your
name shall be Israel." 32 With the stones he built an altar in the
name of the LORD , and he dug a trench around it large enough to
hold two seahs [1] of seed. 33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull
into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill
four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the
wood."
34 "Do it again," he said, and they did it again.
"Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time.
35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the
trench.
36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and
prayed: "O LORD , God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known
today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and
have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, O LORD ,
answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD , are God,
and that you are turning their hearts back again."
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the
wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the
trench.
39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried,
"The LORD -he is God! The LORD -he is God!"
40 Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't
let anyone get away!" They seized them, and Elijah had them brought
down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.
* Baal is a pagan god
