Elijah on Mount Carmel and the Fall of Baal's Prophets
1 Kings 18:16-46
16Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.17When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, "Is it you, you troubler of Israel?"18He answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have gone after the Baals.19Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, together with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table."20So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel.21Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two divisions? If the LORD is God, walk after him; but if Baal, walk after him." But the people did not answer him a word.22Then Elijah said to the people, "I, even I, am left a prophet for the LORD alone, while the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men.23Let two bulls be given to us; let them choose the one bull for themselves and cut it, and let them set it upon the wood without setting fire; and I will make the other bull and set it upon the wood without setting fire.24Then 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." All the people answered, "That is a good proposal."25Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; call on the name of your god but set no fire."26They took the bull that was given them and made it, and they called on the name of Baal from the morning until the midday, saying, "O Baal, answer us!" But there was no voice and no one answering; they limped upon the altar that he had made.27At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, "Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened."28They called with a great voice and cut themselves according to their judgment with swords and spears until blood poured upon them.29As midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice; no one answered, and 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 healed the altar of the LORD that had been overthrown.31Elijah 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."32He built the stones into an altar in the name of the LORD, and he made a conduit like a house of two seahs of seed around the altar.33He arranged the wood, cut the bull, and set it upon the wood.34He said, "Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood." And 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.35The water went around the altar, and he also filled the conduit with water.36It happened at the going up of the offering that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your word."37"Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God and that you have turned their heart backwards."38Then the fire of the LORD fell and ate the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the conduit.39When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, "The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God."40Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape." They seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.41Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of rushing rain."42So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bent down upon the land and set his face between his knees.43He said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." He went up and looked and said, "There is nothing." And he said, "Go again seven times."44At the seventh time he said, "Behold, a small cloud like a man's palm is rising from the sea." And he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Bind and go down, lest the rain restrain you.'"45And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.46And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.