rsv 1Kings:18:17-40 SEEK
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When Ahab saw Eli '
jah ,
Ahab said to him , "
Is it you ,
you troubler of Israel ?"
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And he answered , "
I have not troubled Israel ;
but you have ,
and your father '
s house ,
because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and followed the Ba '
als .
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Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel ,
and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Ba '
al and the four hundred prophets of Ashe '
rah ,
who eat at Jez '
ebel '
s table ."
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So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel ,
and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel .
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And Eli '
jah came near to all the people ,
and said , "
How long will you go limping with two different opinions ?
If the LORD is God ,
follow him ;
but if Ba '
al ,
then follow him ."
And the people did not answer him a word .
*
Then Eli '
jah said to the people , "
I ,
even I only ,
am left a prophet of the LORD ;
but Ba '
al '
s prophets are four hundred and fifty men .
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Let two bulls be given to us ;
and let them choose one bull for themselves ,
and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood ,
but put no fire to it ;
and I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood ,
and put no fire to it .
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And 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 answered , "
It is well spoken ."
*
Then Eli '
jah said to the prophets of Ba '
al , "
Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first ,
for you are many ;
and call on the name of your god ,
but put no fire to it ."
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And they took the bull which was given them ,
and they prepared it ,
and called on the name of Ba '
al from morning until noon ,
saying , "
O Ba '
al ,
answer us !"
But there was no voice ,
and no one answered .
And they limped about the altar which they had made .
*
And at noon Eli '
jah mocked them ,
saying , "
Cry aloud ,
for he is a god ;
either he is musing ,
or he has gone aside ,
or he is on a journey ,
or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened ."
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And they cried aloud ,
and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances ,
until the blood gushed out upon them .
*
And as midday passed ,
they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation ,
but there was no voice ;
no one answered ,
no one heeded .
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Then Eli '
jah said to all the people , "
Come near to me ";
and all the people came near to him .
And he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down ;
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Eli '
jah took twelve stones ,
according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob ,
to whom the word of the LORD came ,
saying , "
Israel shall be your name ";
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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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And he put the wood in order ,
and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood .
And he said , "
Fill four jars with water ,
and pour it on the burnt offering ,
and on the wood ."
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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 .
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And the water ran round about the altar ,
and filled the trench also with water .
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And at the time of the offering of the oblation ,
Eli '
jah the prophet came near and said , "
O LORD ,
God of Abraham ,
Isaac ,
and 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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Answer me ,
O LORD ,
answer me ,
that this people may know that thou ,
O LORD ,
art God ,
and that thou hast turned their hearts back ."
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Then the fire of the LORD fell ,
and consumed the burnt offering ,
and the wood ,
and the stones ,
and the dust ,
and licked up the water that was in the trench .
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And when all the people saw it ,
they fell on their faces ;
and they said , "
The LORD ,
he is God ;
the LORD ,
he is God ."
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And Eli '
jah said to them , "
Seize the prophets of Ba '
al ;
let not one of them escape ."
And they seized them ;
and Eli '
jah brought them down to the brook Kishon ,
and killed them there .