The Divided Kingdom

And it cometh to pass, at the going up of the evening- present, that Elijah the prophet cometh nigh and saith, `Jehovah, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to-day let it be known that Thou art God in Israel, and I Thy servant, that by Thy word I have done the whole of these things;

answer me, O Jehovah, answer me, and this people doth know that Thou art Jehovah God; and Thou hast turned their heart backward.'

And there falleth a fire of Jehovah, and consumeth the burnt-offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and the water that is in the trench it hath licked up.

And all the people see, and fall on their faces, and say, `Jehovah, He is the God, Jehovah, He is the God.'

And Elijah saith to them, `Catch ye the prophets of Baal; let not a man escape of them;' and they catch them, and Elijah bringeth them down unto the stream Kishon, and doth slaughter them there.

And Elijah saith to Ahab, `Go up, eat and drink, because of the sound of the noise of the shower.'

And Ahab goeth up to eat, and to drink, and Elijah hath gone up unto the top of Carmel, and he stretcheth himself out on the earth, and he placeth his face between his knees,

and saith unto his young man, `Go up, I pray thee, look attentively the way of the sea;' and he goeth up and looketh attentively, and saith, `There is nothing;' and he saith, `Turn back,' seven times.

And it cometh to pass, at the seventh, that he saith, `Lo, a little thickness as the palm of a man is coming up out of the sea.' And he saith, `Go up, say unto Ahab, `Bind--and go down, and the shower doth not restrain thee.'

And it cometh to pass, in the meantime, that the heavens have become black--thick clouds and wind--and the shower is great; and Ahab rideth, and goeth to Jezreel,

and the hand of Jehovah hath been on Elijah, and he girdeth up his loins, and runneth before Ahab, till thine entering Jezreel.

And Ahab declareth to Jezebel all that Elijah did, and all how he slew all the prophets by the sword,

and Jezebel sendeth a messenger unto Elijah, saying, `Thus doth the gods, and thus do they add, surely about this time to-morrow, I make thy life as the life of one of them.'

And he feareth, and riseth, and goeth for his life, and cometh in to Beer-Sheba, that is Judah's, and leaveth his young man there,

and he himself hath gone into the wilderness a day's Journey, and cometh and sitteth under a certain retem-tree, and desireth his soul to die, and saith, `Enough, now, O Jehovah, take my soul, for I am not better than my fathers.'

And he lieth down and sleepeth under a certain retem-tree, and lo, a messenger cometh against him, and saith to him, `Rise, eat;'

and he looketh attentively, and lo, at his bolster a cake baken on burning stones, and a dish of water, and he eateth, and drinketh, and turneth, and lieth down.

And the messenger of Jehovah turneth back a second time, and cometh against him, and saith, `Rise, eat, for the way is too great for thee;'

and he riseth, and eateth, and drinketh, and goeth in the power of that food forty days and forty nights, unto the mount of God--Horeb.

And he cometh in there, unto the cave, and lodgeth there, and lo, the word of Jehovah is unto him, and saith to him, `What--to thee, here, Elijah?'

And he saith, `I have been very zealous for Jehovah, God of Hosts, for the sons of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant--Thine altars they have thrown down, and Thy prophets they have slain by the sword, and I am left, I, by myself, and they seek my life--to take it.'

And He saith, `Go out, and thou hast stood in the mount before Jehovah.' And lo, Jehovah is passing by, and a wind--great and strong--is rending mountains, and shivering rocks before Jehovah: --not in the wind is Jehovah; and after the wind a shaking: --not in the shaking is Jehovah;

and after the shaking a fire: --not in the fire is Jehovah; and after the fire a voice still small;

and it cometh to pass, at Elijah's hearing it , that he wrappeth his face in his robe, and goeth out, and standeth at the opening of the cave, and lo, unto him is a voice, and it saith, `What--to thee, here, Elijah?'

And he saith, `I have been very zealous for Jehovah, God of Hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, Thine altars they have thrown down, and Thy prophets they have slain by the sword, and I am left, I, by myself, and they seek my life--to take it.'