New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
1 Kings 18
1
It was now three years since it had rained. A message came to Elijah from the Lord. He said, "Go. Speak to Ahab. Then I will send rain on the land."
Reference
Parallel theme
Luke 4:25
James 5:17
1 Kings 18:2
References Lord
Deuteronomy 28:12
Word
1 Kings 17:1
2
So Elijah went to speak to Ahab. There wasn't enough food in Samaria. The people there were very hungry.
3
Ahab had sent for Obadiah. He was in charge of Ahab's palace. Obadiah had great respect for the Lord.
Reference
People
4
Ahab's wife Jezebel had been killing off the Lord's prophets. So Obadiah had hidden 100 prophets in two caves. He had put 50 in each cave. He had supplied them with food and water.
Reference
Prophecy
1 Kings 18:13
5
Ahab had said to Obadiah, "Go through the land. Go to all of the springs of water and to the valleys. Maybe we can find some grass there. It will keep the horses and mules alive. Then we won't have to kill any of our animals."
Reference
Parallel theme
Joel 1:18
6
So they decided where each of them would look. Ahab went in one direction. Obadiah went in another.
7
As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him. He bowed down to the ground. He said, "My master Elijah! Is it really you?"
8
"Yes," he replied. "Go and tell your master Ahab, 'Elijah is here.' "
9
"What have I done wrong?" asked Obadiah. "Why are you handing me over to Ahab to be put to death?
10
"My master has sent people to look for you everywhere. There isn't a nation or kingdom where he hasn't sent someone to look for you. Suppose a nation or kingdom would claim you weren't there. Then Ahab would make them take an oath and say they couldn't find you. And that's just as sure as the Lord your God is alive.
Reference
References God
1 Kings 17:1
11
"But now you are telling me to go to my master. You want me to say, 'Elijah is here.'
12
But the Spirit of the Lord might carry you away when I leave you. Then I won't know where you are. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn't find you, he'll kill me. "But I've worshiped the Lord ever since I was young.
Reference
13
My master, haven't you heard what I did? Jezebel was killing the Lord's prophets. But I hid 100 of them in two caves. I put 50 in each cave. I supplied them with food and water.
Reference
14
And now you are telling me to go to my master Ahab. You want me to say to him, 'Elijah is here.' He'll kill me!"
15
Elijah said, "I serve the Lord who rules over all. You can be sure that he lives. And you can be just as sure that I will speak to Ahab today."
Reference
16
Obadiah went back to Ahab. He told Ahab that Elijah wanted to see him. So Ahab went to where Elijah was.
17
When he saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you? You are always stirring up trouble in Israel."
Reference
18
"I haven't made trouble for Israel," Elijah replied. "But you and your father's family have. You have turned away from the Lord's commands. You have followed the gods that are named after Baal.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Kings 16:31
References Lord
2 Chronicles 15:2
1 Kings 9:9
Jeremiah 2:19
1 Kings 21:25
19
"Now send for people from all over Israel. Tell them to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the 450 prophets of the god Baal. Also bring the 400 prophets of the goddess Asherah. All of them eat at Jezebel's table."
Reference
📍 Mount Carmel
20
So Ahab sent that message all through Israel. He gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
📍 Mount Carmel
21
Elijah went there and stood in front of the people. He said, "How long will it take you to make up your minds? If the Lord is the one and only God, follow him. But if Baal is the one and only God, follow him." The people didn't say anything.
Reference
References God
Matthew 6:24
Joshua 24:15
1 Samuel 7:3
Deuteronomy 4:35
Psalm 100:3
1 Kings 18:39
References Lord
2 Kings 17:41
Zephaniah 1:5
22
Then Elijah said to them, "I'm the only one of the Lord's prophets left. But Baal has 450 prophets.
Reference
23
Get two bulls for us. Let Baal's prophets choose one for themselves. Let them cut it into pieces. Then let them put it on the wood. But don't let them set fire to it. I'll prepare the other bull. I'll put it on the wood. But I won't set fire to it.
24
Then you pray to your god. And I'll pray to the Lord. The god who answers by sending fire down is the one and only God." Then all of the people said, "What you are saying is good."
Reference
25
Elijah spoke to the prophets of Baal. He said, "Choose one of the bulls. There are many of you. So prepare your bull first. Pray to your god. But don't light the fire."
26
So they prepared the bull they had been given. They prayed to Baal from morning until noon. "Baal! Answer us!" they shouted. But there wasn't any reply. No one answered. Then they danced around the altar they had made.
Reference
27
At noon Elijah began to tease them. "Shout louder!" he said. "I'm sure Baal is a god! Perhaps he has too much to think about. Or maybe he has gone to the toilet. Or perhaps he's away on a trip. Maybe he's sleeping. You might have to wake him up."
Reference
References God
Isaiah 41:23
28
So they shouted louder. They cut themselves with swords and spears until their blood flowed. That's what they usually did when things really looked hopeless.
Reference
29
It was now past noon. The prophets of Baal continued to prophesy with all their might. They did it until the time came to offer the evening sacrifice. But there wasn't any reply. No one answered. No one paid any attention.
30
Then Elijah said to all of the people, "Come here to me." So they went to him. He rebuilt the altar of the Lord. It had been destroyed.
Reference
31
Elijah got 12 stones. There was one for each tribe in the family line of Jacob. The Lord's message had come to Jacob. It had said, "Your name will be Israel."
Reference
32
Elijah used the stones to build an altar in honor of the Lord. He dug a ditch around it. The ditch was large enough to hold 13 quarts of seeds.
Reference
References Lord
Colossians 3:17
33
He arranged the wood for the fire. He cut the bull into pieces. He placed the pieces on the wood. Then he said to some of the people, "Fill four large jars with water. Pour it on the offering and the wood." So they did.
Reference
34
"Do it again," he said. So they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered. And they did it the third time.
35
The water ran down around the altar. It even filled the ditch.
36
When it was time to offer the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward. He prayed, "Lord, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Today let everyone know that you are God in Israel. Let them know I'm your servant. Let them know I've done all of these things because you commanded me to.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 83:18
Acts 3:1
John 11:42
References God
Exodus 3:6
2 Kings 19:19
Matthew 22:32
Ephesians 1:17
References Israel
1 Kings 8:43
References Lord
Ephesians 3:14
Sacrifice
1 Kings 18:29
37
Answer me. Lord, answer me. Then these people will know that you are the one and only God. They'll know that you are turning their hearts back to you again."
Reference
References God
1 Kings 18:24
38
The fire of the Lord came down. It burned up the sacrifice. It burned up the wood and the stones and the soil. It even licked up the water in the ditch.
Reference
Parallel theme
Job 1:16
Genesis 15:17
2 Kings 1:12
References Lord
Judges 6:21
1 Kings 18:24
Leviticus 10:2
Sacrifice
Leviticus 9:24
1 Chronicles 21:26
2 Chronicles 7:1
39
All of the people saw it. Then they fell down flat with their faces toward the ground. They cried out, "The Lord is the one and only God! The Lord is the one and only God!"
Reference
40
Then Elijah commanded them, "Grab hold of the prophets of Baal. Don't let a single one of them get away!" So they grabbed them. Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley. There he had them put to death.
Reference
42
So Ahab went off to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel. He bent down toward the ground. Then he put his face between his knees.
📍 Mount Carmel
43
"Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. So he went up and looked. "I don't see anything there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."
Reference
Parallel theme
Habakkuk 2:3
44
The seventh time the servant said, "I see a cloud. It's as small as a man's hand. It's coming up over the sea." Elijah said, "Go to Ahab. Tell him, 'Tie your chariot to your horse. Go down to Jezreel before the rain stops you.' "
Reference
45
Black clouds filled the sky. The wind came up, and a heavy rain began to fall. Ahab rode off to Jezreel.
46
The power of the Lord came on Elijah. He tucked his coat into his belt. And he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
Reference
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 1:17
Matthew 22:21
2 Kings 9:1
1 Peter 1:13
Ephesians 6:14
2 Kings 4:29
References Lord
Ezekiel 1:3
Ezekiel 3:14
2 Kings 3:15
Isaiah 8:11
Chapter Summary
This chapter records one of the greatest confrontations between true worship of God and false worship in the Bible. The chapter demonstrates God's authority over nature, His faithfulness to His covenant, and His power to restore His people.
After three years of drought, God commands Elijah to appear before King Ahab and announces that rain will soon return to Israel. During this time, the famine has become severe, and the nation is suffering because of its rebellion against God and devotion to Baal.
The chapter introduces Obadiah, a faithful servant within Ahab's palace who secretly protected one hundred prophets of the Lord from Jezebel's persecution. His courage shows that God preserved faithful people even during a period of widespread spiritual corruption.
Elijah confronts Ahab and explains that the king's own idolatry has brought trouble upon Israel. He then calls the people and the prophets of Baal to Mount Carmel for a public test. The challenge is simple: the god who answers by fire will be recognized as the true God.
The prophets of Baal spend hours calling on their god, but there is no answer. Their failure reveals that idols cannot hear, respond, or save. Elijah then repairs the broken altar of the Lord, uses twelve stones representing the tribes of Israel, and prepares his sacrifice. He even pours water over the altar to remove any possibility of human explanation.
When Elijah prays, fire immediately falls from heaven and consumes everything. The people recognize that the Lord alone is God and turn against the prophets of Baal. After this victory, Elijah announces that rain is coming. He prays persistently until a small cloud appears, and soon a powerful storm ends the long drought.
The chapter closes with Elijah running ahead of Ahab's chariot by God's strength, showing that the prophet who stood alone before hundreds of false prophets was empowered by the Lord.
After three years of drought, God commands Elijah to appear before King Ahab and announces that rain will soon return to Israel. During this time, the famine has become severe, and the nation is suffering because of its rebellion against God and devotion to Baal.
The chapter introduces Obadiah, a faithful servant within Ahab's palace who secretly protected one hundred prophets of the Lord from Jezebel's persecution. His courage shows that God preserved faithful people even during a period of widespread spiritual corruption.
Elijah confronts Ahab and explains that the king's own idolatry has brought trouble upon Israel. He then calls the people and the prophets of Baal to Mount Carmel for a public test. The challenge is simple: the god who answers by fire will be recognized as the true God.
The prophets of Baal spend hours calling on their god, but there is no answer. Their failure reveals that idols cannot hear, respond, or save. Elijah then repairs the broken altar of the Lord, uses twelve stones representing the tribes of Israel, and prepares his sacrifice. He even pours water over the altar to remove any possibility of human explanation.
When Elijah prays, fire immediately falls from heaven and consumes everything. The people recognize that the Lord alone is God and turn against the prophets of Baal. After this victory, Elijah announces that rain is coming. He prays persistently until a small cloud appears, and soon a powerful storm ends the long drought.
The chapter closes with Elijah running ahead of Ahab's chariot by God's strength, showing that the prophet who stood alone before hundreds of false prophets was empowered by the Lord.