Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

After many days, God's word came to Elijah in the third year, saying, "Go show yourself to King Ahab. I will send rain upon the earth."

Elijah obeyed God's command and went to meet King Ahab, who was struggling with a severe famine in Samaria.

The king called for Obadiah, his head of household, who greatly feared the Lord. Obadiah had secretly hidden a hundred prophets of the Lord in a cave to protect them from Jezebel's persecution.

Ahab asked Obadiah to search for grass to feed the horses and mules, which were dying due to the famine. Meanwhile, Ahab went one way, while Obadiah went another.

As Obadiah was searching, he met Elijah, who fell to his face in a dramatic gesture, saying, "Are you my lord Elijah?"

Obadiah replied, "I am here; go tell your king that I have arrived." Elijah protested, "How have I sinned that you would deliver me into the hands of Ahab, who will kill me?"

Elijah explained that he had already been on a mission to find him and had reported back to Ahab, claiming that Elijah was not there. Now, if he left and didn't return with news of Elijah's location, Ahab would surely kill him.

Obadiah reassured Elijah, "I have feared the Lord since my youth. I remember how you hid a hundred prophets in a cave when Jezebel was persecuting them."

Elijah replied, "As the Lord of Armies lives, before whom I stand, I will show myself to Ahab today." Obadiah went to meet Ahab and informed him that Elijah had arrived.

When Ahab met Elijah, he demanded, "Are you the one who's causing all this trouble in Israel?" Elijah responded, "It's not me; you and your family are to blame for forsaking God's commands and following the false gods of Baal."

Elijah then issued a challenge: gather all of Israel on Mount Carmel, along with four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and four hundred prophets of Asherah who ate at Jezebel's table.

King Ahab sent out the invitations, and Elijah arrived at the mountain, where he confronted the people, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." The crowd remained silent.

Elijah continued, "I'm the only prophet of the Lord here, while there are four hundred fifty prophets of Baal. Let's have a contest to see which god will answer by fire." The people agreed, and Elijah proposed that they prepare two bulls: one for themselves and one for him.

The people chose their bull and prepared it without setting any fire under it. Elijah then dressed his bullock and laid it on wood, also without starting the fire.

Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to call out to their god first, saying, "Let your gods answer by fire." The prophets of Baal shouted from morning till noon, cutting themselves with knives and lancets in a futile attempt to get a response from their god.

At midday, Elijah mocked them, saying, "Shout louder; perhaps he's talking or pursuing or sleeping!" But there was no response.

The prophets continued prophesying until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still, there was no voice or anyone to answer. Then Elijah stepped forward and said, "Come near to me," and they did.

He rebuilt the altar of the Lord that had been broken down and made a trench around it, which could hold two measures of seed. Elijah then put the wood in order, cut the bullock into pieces, and laid them on the wood.

He instructed four men to fill jars with water and pour it over the burnt offering and the wood three times. The water ran around the altar, filling the trench.

At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah approached and said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel, and I am your servant who has done all these things at your word."

He prayed, "Hear me, O Lord, so this people may know you are God and have turned their hearts back again." Suddenly, the fire of the Lord fell from heaven, consuming the burnt offering and licking up the water in the trench.

The people saw the miracle and fell on their faces, saying, "The Lord is God; the Lord alone is God." Elijah then ordered the prophets of Baal to be brought down to the brook Kishon, where he had them killed.

Elijah instructed King Ahab, "Get up, eat and drink; for there's a sound of abundance of rain coming." He then went up to the top of Mount Carmel and prayed for God to send rain. At first, Elijah couldn't see any sign of it, but after several attempts, he saw a small cloud rising from the sea.

He sent his servant to tell Ahab to prepare his chariot and get down before the rain stopped him. The sky darkened with clouds, strong winds came, and there was a great rain; King Ahab rode off to Jezreel while Elijah ran ahead to meet him at the entrance of Jezreel.