So Obadiah went to Ahab and told him where Elijah was. Then Ahab went to meet Elijah.
When he saw Elijah, he asked, “Is it you—the biggest troublemaker in Israel?”
Elijah answered, “I have not made trouble in Israel. You and your father’s family have made all this trouble by not obeying the LORD’s commands. You have gone after the Baals. Now tell all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel. Also bring the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
So Ahab called all the Israelites and those prophets to Mount Carmel. Elijah approached the people and said, “How long will you not decide between two choices? If the LORD is the true God, follow him, but if Baal is the true God, follow him!” But the people said nothing.
Elijah said, “I am the only prophet of the LORD here, but there are four hundred fifty prophets of Baal. Bring two bulls. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull and kill it and cut it into pieces. Then let them put the meat on the wood, but they are not to set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull, putting the meat on the wood but not setting fire to it. You prophets of Baal, pray to your god, and I will pray to the LORD. The god who answers by setting fire to his wood is the true God.”
All the people agreed that this was a good idea.
Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “There are many of you, so you go first. Choose a bull and prepare it. Pray to your god, but don’t start the fire.”
So they took the bull that was given to them and prepared it. They prayed to Baal from morning until noon, shouting “Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered. They danced around the altar they had built.
At noon Elijah began to make fun of them. “Pray louder!” he said. “If Baal really is a god, maybe he is thinking, or busy, or traveling! Maybe he is sleeping so you will have to wake him!” The prophets prayed louder, cutting themselves with swords and spears until their blood flowed, which was the way they worshiped. The afternoon passed, and the prophets continued to act like this until it was time for the evening sacrifice. But no voice was heard; Baal did not answer, and no one paid attention.
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Now come to me.” So they gathered around him, and Elijah rebuilt the altar of the LORD, which had been torn down. He took twelve stones, one stone for each of the twelve tribes, the number of Jacob’s sons. (The LORD changed Jacob’s name to Israel.) Elijah used these stones to rebuild the altar in honor of the LORD. Then he dug a ditch around the altar that was big enough to hold about thirteen quarts of seed. Elijah put the wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood.
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