The Bible in Its Traditions

1 Kings 18:21–39

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21  And Elijah came near unto all the people, and said: 'How long halt ye between two opinions? if YHWH be God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.' And the people answered him not a word.

21  And Eliu drew near to them all: and Eliu said to them, How long wilt ye halt on both feet? if the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, follow him. And the people answered not a word.

21  Then Elijah, drawing near to all the people, said: “How long will you waver between two sides? If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal is, then follow him.” And the people did not respond a word to him.

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22  Then said Elijah unto the people: 'I, even I only, am left a prophet of YHWH; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

22  And Eliu said to the people, I am left, the only one prophet of the Lord; and the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men, and the prophets of the groves four hundred.

22  And Elijah said again to the people: “I alone remain as a prophet of the Lord. But the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men.

23  Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under.

23  Let them give us two oxen, and let them choose one for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire on the wood: and I will dress the other bullock, and put on no fire.

23  Let two oxen be given to us. And let them choose one ox for themselves, and, cutting it into pieces, let them set it on the wood. But they may not place fire under it. And I will prepare the other ox, and set it on the wood. But I will not place fire under it.

24  And call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of YHWH; and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God.' And all the people answered and said: 'It is well spoken.'

24  And do ye call loudly on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord my God, and it shall come to pass that the God who shall answer by fire, he is God. And all the people answered and said, The word which thou hast spoken is good.

24  Call upon the names of your gods. And I will call on the name of my Lord. And the God who will have heeded with fire, let him be God.” And in response, all the people said, “Excellent proposition.”

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25  And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal: 'Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under.'

25  Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal: “Choose for yourselves one ox, and prepare it first. For you are many. And call on the names of your gods, but do not place fire under it.”

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26  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, answer us.' But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they danced in halting wise about the altar which was made.

26  And when they had taken an ox, which he had given to them, they prepared it. And they called on the name of Baal, from morning even until midday, saying, “O Baal, heed us.” And there was no voice, nor did anyone respond. And so they leaped upon the altar that they had made.

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27  And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said: 'Cry aloud; for he is a god; either he is musing, or he is gone aside, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.'

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28  And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with swords and lances, till the blood gushed out upon them.

28  Then they cried out with a loud voice, and they cut themselves, in accord with their ritual, with knives and lancets, until they were entirely covered in blood.

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29  And it was so, when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening offering; but their was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

29  And they prophesied until the evening came; and it came to pass as it was the time of the offering of the sacrifice, that Eliu the Thesbite spoke to the prophets of the abominations, saying, Stand by for the present, and I will offer my sacrifice. And they stood aside and departed.

29  Then, after midday had passed, and they were prophesying, the time had arrived when the sacrifice is usually offered. And there was no voice heard, neither did anyone heed or respond to the praying.

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30  And Elijah said unto all the people: 'Come near unto me'; and all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of YHWH that was thrown down.

30  And Eliu said to the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near to him.

30  Elijah said to all the people, “Draw near to me.” And as the people were drawing near to him, he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down.

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31  And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of YHWH came, saying: 'Israel shall be thy name.'

31  And Eliu took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, as the Lord spoke to him, saying, Israel shall be thy name.

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32  And with the stones he built an altar in the name of YHWH; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

32  And he built up the stones in the name of the Lord, and repaired the altar that had been broken down; and he made a trench that would hold two measures of seed round about the altar.

32  And he built from the stones an altar to the name of the Lord. And he made a trench for water, like two furrows of plowed land, all around the altar.

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33  And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it on the wood.

33  And he piled the cleft wood on the altar which he had made, and divided the whole-burnt-offering, and laid it on the wood, and laid it in order on the altar, and said, Fetch me four pitchers of water, and pour it on the whole-burnt-offering, and on the wood. And they did so.

33  And he put the wood in order and cut the bullock in pieces and laid it on the wood and said, Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.

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34  And he said: 'Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt-offering, and on the wood.' 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.

34  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.

34  And he said, “Fill four containers with water, and pour it over the holocaust, and over the wood.” And again, he said, “Do this a second time.” And when they had done it a second time, he said, “Do it also a third time.” And they did so a third time.

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35  And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

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36  And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening offering, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said: 'O YHWH, the God of Abraham, of 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.

36  And Eliu cried aloud to the heaven, and said, Lord God of Abraam, and Isaac, and Israel, answer me, O Lord, answer me this day by fire, and let all this people know that thou art the Lord, the God of Israel, and I am thy servant, and for thy sake I have wrought these works.

36  And when it was now time for the holocaust to be offered, the prophet Elijah, drawing near, said: “O Lord, God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, reveal this day that you are the God of Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have acted, in all these things, in accord with your precept.

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37  Hear me, O YHWH, hear me, that this people may know that Thou, LORD, art God, for Thou didst turn their heart backward.'

37  Hear me, O Lord, hear me, and let this people know that thou art the Lord God, and thou hast turned back the heart of this people.

37  Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that all this people may know that thou art the LORD God and that thou hast turned their perverse heart back again.

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38  Then the fire of YHWH 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.

38  Then fire fell from the Lord out of heaven, and devoured the whole-burnt-offerings, and the wood and the water that was in the trench, and the fire licked up the stones and the earth.

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39  And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said: 'YHWH, He is God; YHWH, He is God.'

39  And all the people fell upon their faces, and said, Truly the Lord is God; he is God.

39  And when all the people had seen it, they fell upon their face, and they said: “The Lord himself is God! The Lord himself is God!”