1 Kings 18 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Obadiah Meets Elijah

Now it happened^H1961 after many^H7227 days^H3117 that the word^H1697 of the LORD^H3068 came^H1961 to Elijah^H452 in the third^H7992 year^H8141, saying^H559, “Go^H1980, present^H7200 yourself to Ahab^H256, and I will provide^H5414 rain^H4306 on the face^H6440 of the earth^H127.”

1Ki 18:2

1Ki 18:2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.

1Ki 18:3

1Ki 18:3Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the household. (Now Obadiah [fn]feared the LORD greatly;

1Ki 18:4

1Ki 18:4for when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water.)

1Ki 18:5

1Ki 18:5Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the river valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle.”

1Ki 18:6

1Ki 18:6So they divided the land between them to [fn]survey it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

1Ki 18:7

Now as Obadiah^H5662 was on the way^H1870, behold^H2009, Elijah^H452 met^H7122 him, and he recognized^H5234 him and fell^H5307 on his face^H6440 and said^H559, “Is it you, Elijah^H452 my master^H113?”

1Ki 18:8

1Ki 18:8And he said to him, “It is I. Go, say to your master, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.’”

1Ki 18:9

1Ki 18:9But he said, “What [fn]sin have I committed, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab, to put me to death?

1Ki 18:10

1Ki 18:10“As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom to which my master has not sent word to search for you; and whenever they say, ‘He is not here,’ he makes the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you.

1Ki 18:11

1Ki 18:11“Yet now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here!”’

1Ki 18:12

1Ki 18:12“And it will come about when I leave you that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you to where I do not know; so when I come and inform Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, though I, your servant, have [fn]feared the LORD from my youth.

1Ki 18:13

1Ki 18:13“Has it not been reported to my master what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, that I hid a hundred [fn]prophets of the LORD by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water?

1Ki 18:14

1Ki 18:14“Yet now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here”’; he will then kill me!”

1Ki 18:15

1Ki 18:15Then Elijah said, “As surely as the LORD of armies lives, before whom I stand, I will certainly present myself to him today.”

1Ki 18:16

1Ki 18:16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and informed him; then Ahab went to meet Elijah.

1Ki 18:17

When Ahab^H256 saw^H7200 Elijah^H452, Ahab^H256 said^H559 to him, “Is this^H2088 you, the cause^H5916 of^H5916 disaster^H5916 to Israel^H3478?”

1Ki 18:18

1Ki 18:18He said, “I have not brought disaster to Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have abandoned the commandments of the LORD and you have followed the Baals.

1Ki 18:19

1Ki 18:19“Now then, send orders and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and four hundred prophets of [fn]the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

God or Baal on Mount Carmel

1Ki 18:20

So Ahab^H256 sent^H7971 orders among all^H3605 the sons^H1121 of Israel^H3478 and brought^H6908 the prophets^H5030 together^H6908 at Mount^H2022 Carmel^H3760.

1Ki 18:21

1Ki 18:21Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long are you going to [fn]struggle with the two choices? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him so much as a word.

1Ki 18:22

1Ki 18:22Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left as a prophet of the LORD, while Baal’s prophets are 450 men.

1Ki 18:23

1Ki 18:23“Now have them give us two oxen; and have them choose the one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it.

1Ki 18:24

1Ki 18:24“Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people replied, “[fn]That is a good idea.”

1Ki 18:25

So Elijah^H452 said^H559 to the prophets^H5030 of Baal^H1168, “Choose^H977 the one^H259 ox^H6499 for yourselves and prepare^H6213 it first^H7223, since^H3588 there are many^H7227 of you, and call^H7121 on the name^H8034 of your god^H430, but put^H7760 no^H3808 fire^H784 under the ox.”

1Ki 18:26

1Ki 18:26Then they took the ox which [fn]was given them and they prepared it, and they called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they [fn]limped about the altar which [fn]they had made.

1Ki 18:27

1Ki 18:27And at noon Elijah ridiculed them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, since he is a god; undoubtedly he is attending to business, or is on the way, or is on a journey. Perhaps he is asleep, and will awaken.”

1Ki 18:28

1Ki 18:28So they cried out with a loud voice, and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until blood gushed out on them.

1Ki 18:29

1Ki 18:29When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and [fn]no one paid attention.

1Ki 18:30

Then Elijah^H452 said^H559 to all^H3605 the people^H5971, “Come^H5066 forward^H5066 to me.” So all^H3605 the people^H5971 came^H5066 forward^H5066 to him. And he repaired^H7495 the altar^H4196 of the LORD^H3068 which had been torn^H2040 down^H2040.

1Ki 18:31

1Ki 18:31Then Elijah took twelve stones, corresponding 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.”

1Ki 18:32

1Ki 18:32And 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 [fn]measures of seed.

1Ki 18:33

1Ki 18:33Then he laid out the wood, and he cut the ox in pieces and placed it on the wood.

1Ki 18:34

1Ki 18:34And he said, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time,” so they did it a second time. Then he said, “Do it a third time,” so they did it a third time.

1Ki 18:35

1Ki 18:35The water flowed around the altar, and he also filled the trench with water.

Elijah’s Prayer

1Ki 18:36

1Ki 18:36Then at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached and said, “LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.

1Ki 18:37

1Ki 18:37“Answer me, LORD, answer me, so that this people may know that You, LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back.”

1Ki 18:38

1Ki 18:38Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood, and the stones and the dust; and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

1Ki 18:39

1Ki 18:39When all the people saw this, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God!”

1Ki 18:40

1Ki 18:40Then 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 slaughtered them there.

1Ki 18:41

Now Elijah^H452 said^H559 to Ahab^H256, “Go^H5927 up^H5927, eat^H398 and drink^H8354; for there is the sound^H6963 of the roar^H1995 of a heavy shower^H1653.”

1Ki 18:42

1Ki 18:42So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bent down to the earth and put his face between his knees.

1Ki 18:43

1Ki 18:43And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, but he said, “There is nothing.” Yet Elijah said, “Go back” seven times.

1Ki 18:44

1Ki 18:44And when he returned the seventh time, he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a person’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And Elijah said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Harness your chariot horses and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’”

1Ki 18:45

1Ki 18:45Meanwhile the sky became dark with clouds and wind came up, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.

1Ki 18:46

1Ki 18:46Then the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he [fn]belted his cloak around his waist and [fn]outran Ahab [fn]to Jezreel.

See the NASB20 Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NASB20 Footnotes

Or revered

Lit pass through

Lit have I sinned

Or revered

Lit men of the prophets

(18:19)

I.e., wooden symbol of a female deity

(18:21)

Lit limp on the two crutches

(18:24)

Lit The matter is good

(18:26)

Lit he gave

(18:26)

I.e., in a type of ceremonial dance

(18:26)

As in some mss and ancient versions; MT he

(18:29)

Lit there was no attention

(18:32)

Heb seahs; i.e., one seah equals about 7 qt. or 7.7 liters

(18:46)

I.e., for travel

(18:46)

Lit ran ahead of

(18:46)

Lit until your coming to

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