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1 | And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD
came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself
unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. |
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2 | And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a
sore famine in Samaria. |
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3 | And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house.
(Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly: |
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4 | For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD,
that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty
in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) |
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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. |
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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. |
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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? |
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8 | And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah
is here. |
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9 | And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver
thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? |
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10 | As the LORD thy God 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. |
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11 | And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is
here. |
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12 | And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee,
that the Spirit of the LORD 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 the LORD from
my youth. |
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13 | Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the
prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD's
prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and
water? |
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14 | And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is
here: and he shall slay me. |
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15 | And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I
stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day. |
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16 | So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to
meet Elijah. |
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17 | And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto
him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? |
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18 | And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy
father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of
the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim. |
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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. |
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20 | So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the
prophets together unto mount Carmel. |
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21 | And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt
ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but
if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a
word. |
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22 | Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a
prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and
fifty men. |
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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: |
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24 | And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the
name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him
be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well
spoken. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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28 | And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner
with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. |
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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. |
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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 the LORD that was broken down. |
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31 | And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the
tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD
came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: |
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32 | And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD:
and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would
contain two measures of seed. |
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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. |
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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. |
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35 | And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the
trench also with water. |
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36 | And 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 of Israel, let it be known this day
that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and
that I have done all these things at thy word. |
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37 | Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou
art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back
again. |
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38 | Then the fire of the LORD 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. |
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39 | And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and
they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. |
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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. |
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41 | And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for
there is a sound of abundance of rain. |
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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, |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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46 | And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his
loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. |
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