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And it came to pass after manydays, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the thirdyear, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will sendrainupon the earth.
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And Elijahwent to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sorefamine in Samaria.
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And AhabcalledObadiah, which was the governor of his house.(Now Obadiahfeared the LORDgreatly:
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For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiahtook an hundredprophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
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And Ahabsaid unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may findgrass to save the horses and mulesalive, that we lose not all the beasts.
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So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahabwentoneway by himself, and Obadiahwentanotherway by himself.
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And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijahmet him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lordElijah?
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And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
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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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As the LORD thy Godliveth, there is nonation 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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And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
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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 tellAhab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servantfear the LORD from my youth.
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Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebelslew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundredmen of the LORD'S prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
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And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.
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And Elijahsaid, As the LORD of hostsliveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.
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So Obadiahwent to meetAhab, and told him: and Ahabwent to meetElijah.
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And it came to pass, when AhabsawElijah, that Ahabsaid unto him, Art thou he that troublethIsrael?
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And he answered, I have not troubledIsrael; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followedBaalim.
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Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mountCarmel, and the prophets of Baalfourhundred and fifty, and the prophets of the grovesfourhundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.
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So Ahabsent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophetstogether unto mountCarmel.
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And Elijahcame unto all the people, and said, How longhalt ye between twoopinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the peopleanswered him not a word.
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Then saidElijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are fourhundred and fiftymen.
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Let them therefore give us twobullocks; and let them chooseonebullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the otherbullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
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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 peopleanswered and said, It is wellspoken.
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And Elijahsaid unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you onebullock 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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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 novoice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
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And it came to pass at noon, that Elijahmocked them, and said, Cryaloud: 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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And they criedaloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
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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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And Elijahsaid 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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And Elijahtooktwelvestones, 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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And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trenchabout 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 bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fillfourbarrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
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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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And the waterran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
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And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORDGod 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.
37Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORDGod, and that thou hast turned their heartbackagain.
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Then the fire of the LORDfell, 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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And when all the peoplesaw 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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And Elijahsaid unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brookKishon, and slew them there.
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And Elijahsaid unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
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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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And said to his servant, Go up now, looktoward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go againseventimes.
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And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a littlecloud 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 rainstop thee not.
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And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a greatrain. And Ahabrode, and went to Jezreel.
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And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ranbeforeAhab to the entrance of Jezreel.