English Bible Presentation Sharing - 1-Kings Book, chapter 18, verse 34 in Ncv Version

1 Kings 18 : 1 (NCV)

During the third year without rain, the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: "Go and meet King Ahab, and I will soon send rain."

1 Kings 18 : 2 (NCV)

So Elijah went to meet Ahab. By this time there was no food in Samaria.

1 Kings 18 : 3 (NCV)

King Ahab sent for Obadiah, who was in charge of the king's palace. (Obadiah was a true follower of the Lord.

1 Kings 18 : 4 (NCV)

When Jezebel was killing all the Lord's prophets, Obadiah hid a hundred of them in two caves, fifty in one cave and fifty in another. He also brought them food and water.)

1 Kings 18 : 5 (NCV)

Ahab said to Obadiah, "Let's check every spring and valley in the land. Maybe we can find enough grass to keep our horses and mules alive and not have to kill our animals."

1 Kings 18 : 6 (NCV)

So each one chose a part of the country to search; Ahab went in one direction and Obadiah in another.

1 Kings 18 : 7 (NCV)

While Obadiah was on his way, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized Elijah, so he bowed down to the ground and said, "Elijah? Is it really you, master?"

1 Kings 18 : 8 (NCV)

"Yes," Elijah answered. "Go tell your master that I am here."

1 Kings 18 : 9 (NCV)

Then Obadiah said, "What wrong have I done for you to hand me over to Ahab like this? He will put me to death.

1 Kings 18 : 10 (NCV)

As surely as the Lord your God lives, the king has sent people to every country to search for you. If the ruler said you were not there, Ahab forced the ruler to swear you could not be found in his country.

1 Kings 18 : 11 (NCV)

Now you want me to go to my master and tell him, 'Elijah is here'?

1 Kings 18 : 12 (NCV)

The Spirit of the Lord may carry you to some other place after I leave. If I go tell King Ahab you are here, and he comes and doesn't find you, he will kill me! I have followed the Lord since I was a boy.

1 Kings 18 : 13 (NCV)

Haven't you been told what I did? When Jezebel was killing the Lord's prophets, I hid a hundred of them, fifty in one cave and fifty in another. I brought them food and water.

1 Kings 18 : 14 (NCV)

Now you want me to go and tell my master you are here? He will kill me!"

1 Kings 18 : 15 (NCV)

Elijah answered, "As surely as the Lord All-Powerful lives, whom I serve, I will be seen by Ahab today."

1 Kings 18 : 16 (NCV)

So Obadiah went to Ahab and told him where Elijah was. Then Ahab went to meet Elijah.

1 Kings 18 : 17 (NCV)

When he saw Elijah, he asked, "Is it you -- the biggest troublemaker in Israel?"

1 Kings 18 : 18 (NCV)

Elijah answered, "I have not made trouble in Israel. You and your father's family have made all this trouble by not obeying the Lord's commands. You have gone after the Baals.

1 Kings 18 : 19 (NCV)

Now tell all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel. Also bring the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."

1 Kings 18 : 20 (NCV)

So Ahab called all the Israelites and those prophets to Mount Carmel.

1 Kings 18 : 21 (NCV)

Elijah approached the people and said, "How long will you not decide between two choices? If the Lord is the true God, follow him, but if Baal is the true God, follow him!" But the people said nothing.

1 Kings 18 : 22 (NCV)

Elijah said, "I am the only prophet of the Lord here, but there are four hundred fifty prophets of Baal.

1 Kings 18 : 23 (NCV)

Bring two bulls. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull and kill it and cut it into pieces. Then let them put the meat on the wood, but they are not to set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull, putting the meat on the wood but not setting fire to it.

1 Kings 18 : 24 (NCV)

You prophets of Baal, pray to your god, and I will pray to the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to his wood is the true God." All the people agreed that this was a good idea.

1 Kings 18 : 25 (NCV)

Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "There are many of you, so you go first. Choose a bull and prepare it. Pray to your god, but don't start the fire."

1 Kings 18 : 26 (NCV)

So they took the bull that was given to them and prepared it. They prayed to Baal from morning until noon, shouting "Baal, answer us!" But there was no sound, and no one answered. They danced around the altar they had built.

1 Kings 18 : 27 (NCV)

At noon Elijah began to make fun of them. "Pray louder!" he said. "If Baal really is a god, maybe he is thinking, or busy, or traveling! Maybe he is sleeping so you will have to wake him!"

1 Kings 18 : 28 (NCV)

The prophets prayed louder, cutting themselves with swords and spears until their blood flowed, which was the way they worshiped.

1 Kings 18 : 29 (NCV)

The afternoon passed, and the prophets continued to act like this until it was time for the evening sacrifice. But no voice was heard; Baal did not answer, and no one paid attention.

1 Kings 18 : 30 (NCV)

Then Elijah said to all the people, "Now come to me." So they gathered around him, and Elijah rebuilt the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down.

1 Kings 18 : 31 (NCV)

He took twelve stones, one stone for each of the twelve tribes, the number of Jacob's sons. (The Lord changed Jacob's name to Israel.)

1 Kings 18 : 32 (NCV)

Elijah used these stones to rebuild the altar in honor of the Lord. Then he dug a ditch around the altar that was big enough to hold about thirteen quarts of seed.

1 Kings 18 : 33 (NCV)

Elijah put the wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood.

1 Kings 18 : 34 (NCV)

Then he said, "Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the meat and on the wood." Then Elijah said, "Do it again," and they did it again. Then he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it the third time.

1 Kings 18 : 35 (NCV)

So the water ran off the altar and filled the ditch.

1 Kings 18 : 36 (NCV)

At the time for the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah went near the altar. "Lord, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel," he prayed. "Prove that you are the God of Israel and that I am your servant. Show these people that you commanded me to do all these things.

1 Kings 18 : 37 (NCV)

Lord, answer my prayer so these people will know that you, Lord, are God and that you will change their minds."

1 Kings 18 : 38 (NCV)

Then fire from the Lord came down and burned the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the ground around the altar. It also dried up the water in the ditch.

1 Kings 18 : 39 (NCV)

When all the people saw this, they fell down to the ground, crying, "The Lord is God! The Lord is God!"

1 Kings 18 : 40 (NCV)

Then Elijah said, "Capture the prophets of Baal! Don't let any of them run away!" The people captured all the prophets. Then Elijah led them down to the Kishon Valley, where he killed them.

1 Kings 18 : 41 (NCV)

Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Now, go, eat, and drink, because a heavy rain is coming."

1 Kings 18 : 42 (NCV)

So King Ahab went to eat and drink. At the same time Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel, where he bent down to the ground with his head between his knees.

1 Kings 18 : 43 (NCV)

Then Elijah said to his servant, "Go and look toward the sea." The servant went and looked. "I see nothing," he said. Elijah told him to go and look again. This happened seven times.

1 Kings 18 : 44 (NCV)

The seventh time, the servant said, "I see a small cloud, the size of a human fist, coming from the sea." Elijah told the servant, "Go to Ahab and tell him to get his chariot ready and go home now. Otherwise, the rain will stop him."

1 Kings 18 : 45 (NCV)

After a short time the sky was covered with dark clouds. The wind began to blow, and soon a heavy rain began to fall. Ahab got in his chariot and started back to Jezreel.

1 Kings 18 : 46 (NCV)

The Lord gave his power to Elijah, who tightened his clothes around him and ran ahead of King Ahab all the way to Jezreel.