1 Kings · Catholic Public Domain Version
1 Kings 18 Catholic Public Domain Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
1 After many days, the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go and show yourself to Ahab, so that I may grant rain upon the face of the earth.”
1 PASADOS muchos días, fué palabra de Jehová á Elías en el tercer año, diciendo: Ve, muéstrate á Achâb, y yo daré lluvia sobre la haz de la tierra.
2 Therefore, Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. For there was a severe famine in Samaria.
2 Fué pues Elías á mostrarse á Achâb. Había á la sazón grande hambre en Samaria.
3 And Ahab called Obadiah, the manager of his household. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly.
3 Y Achâb llamó á Abdías su mayordomo, el cual Abdías era en grande manera temeroso de Jehová;
4 For when Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord, he took one hundred prophets, and concealed them, fifty and fifty, in caves. And he fed them with bread and water.
4 Porque cuando Jezabel destruía á los profetas de Jehová, Abdías tomó cien profetas, los cuales escondió de cincuenta en cincuenta por cuevas, y sustentólos á pan y agua.
5 Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go into the land, to all fountains of water, and to all the valleys, for perhaps we will be able to find plants, and save the horses and mules, so that the beasts of burden may not perish entirely.”
5 Y dijo Achâb á Abdías: Ve por el país á todas las fuentes de aguas, y á todos los arroyos; que acaso hallaremos grama con que conservemos la vida á los caballos y á las acémilas, para que no nos quedemos sin bestias.
6 And they divided the regions among themselves, so that they might travel through them. Ahab went one way alone, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
6 Y partieron entre sí el país para recorrerlo: Achâb fué de por sí por un camino, y Abdías fué separadamente por otro.
7 And while Obadiah was on the way, Elijah met him. And when he had recognized him, he fell on his face, and he said, “Are you not my lord Elijah?”
7 Y yendo Abdías por el camino, topóse con Elías; y como le conoció, postróse sobre su rostro, y dijo: ¿No eres tú mi señor Elías?
8 And he responded to him: “I am. Go and tell your lord that Elijah is here.”
8 Y él respondió: Yo soy; ve, di á tu amo: He aquí Elías.
9 And he said: “How have I sinned that you would deliver me, your servant, into the hand of Ahab, so that he would put me to death?
9 Pero él dijo: ¿En qué he pecado, para que tú entregues tu siervo en mano de Achâb para que me mate?
10 As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom to which my lord has not sent, seeking you. And when all responded, ‘He is not here,’ he swore each kingdom and nation to an oath, because you were not found at all.
10 Vive Jehová tu Dios, que no ha habido nación ni reino donde mi señor no haya enviado á buscarte; y respondiendo [ellos], No está aquí, él ha conjurado á reinos y naciones si no te han hallado.
11 And now, you say to me, ‘Go and tell your lord that Elijah is here.’
11 ¿Y ahora tú dices: Ve, di á tu amo: Aquí está Elías?
12 And when I will have departed from you, the Spirit of the Lord will transport you to a place that I do not know. And entering, I will report to Ahab. And he, not finding you, will put me to death. Yet your servant has feared the Lord from his infancy.
12 Y acontecerá que, luego que yo me haya partido de ti, el espíritu de Jehová te llevará donde yo no sepa; y viniendo yo, y dando las nuevas á Achâb, y no hallándote él, me matará; y tu siervo teme á Jehová desde su mocedad.
13 Has it not been revealed to you, my lord, what I did when Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord: how I hid one hundred men from the prophets of the Lord, fifty and fifty, in caves, and how I fed them with bread and water?
13 ¿No ha sido dicho á mi señor lo que hice, cuando Jezabel mataba á los profetas de Jehová: que escondí cien varones de los profetas de Jehová de cincuenta en cincuenta en cuevas, y los mantuve á pan y agua?
14 And now you say: ‘Go and tell your lord that Elijah is here,’ so that he may kill me!”
14 ¿Y ahora dices tú: Ve, di á tu amo: Aquí está Elías: para que él me mate?
15 And Elijah said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whose face I stand, this day I will appear to him.”
15 Y díjole Elías: Vive Jehová de los ejércitos, delante del cual estoy, que hoy me mostraré á él.
16 Therefore, Obadiah went away to meet Ahab, and he reported to him. And Ahab went to meet Elijah.
16 Entonces Abdías fué á encontrarse con Achâb, y dióle el aviso; y Achâb vino á encontrarse con Elías.
17 And when he had seen him, he said, “Are you the one who is disturbing Israel?”
17 Y como Achâb vió á Elías, díjole Achâb: ¿Eres tú el que alborotas á Israel?
18 And he said: “I have not troubled Israel. But it is you, and the house of your father, who have abandoned the commandments of the Lord, and have followed the Baals.
18 Y él respondió: Yo no he alborotado á Israel, sino tú y la casa de tu padre, dejando los mandamientos de Jehová, y siguiendo á los Baales.
19 Yet truly now, send and gather to me all of Israel, on Mount Carmel, with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of the sacred groves, who eat from the table of Jezebel.”
19 Envía pues ahora y júntame á todo Israel en el monte de Carmelo, y los cuatrocientos y cincuenta profetas de Baal, y los cuatrocientos profetas de los bosques, que comen de la mesa de Jezabel.
20 Ahab sent to all the sons of Israel, and he gathered together the prophets on mount Carmel.
20 Entonces Achâb envió á todos los hijos de Israel, y juntó los profetas en el monte de Carmelo.
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.
21 Y acercándose Elías á todo el pueblo, dijo: ¿Hasta cuándo claudicaréis vosotros entre dos pensamientos? Si Jehová es Dios, seguidle; y si Baal, id en pos de él. Y el pueblo no respondió palabra.
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.
22 Y Elías tornó á decir al pueblo: Sólo yo he quedado profeta de Jehová; mas de los profetas de Baal hay cuatrocientos y cincuenta hombres.
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.
23 Dénsenos pues dos bueyes, y escójanse ellos el uno, y córtenlo en pedazos, y pónganlo sobre leña, mas no pongan fuego debajo; y yo aprestaré el otro buey, y pondrélo sobre leña, y ningún fuego pondré debajo.
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.”
24 Invocad luego vosotros en el nombre de vuestros dioses, y yo invocaré en el nombre de Jehová: y el Dios que respondiere por fuego, ése sea Dios. Y todo el pueblo respondió, diciendo: Bien dicho.
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.”
25 Entonces Elías dijo á los profetas de Baal: Escogeos el un buey, y haced primero, pues que vosotros sois los más: é invocad en el nombre de vuestros dioses, mas no pongáis fuego debajo.
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.
26 Y ellos tomaron el buey que les fué dado, y aprestáronlo, é invocaron en el nombre de Baal desde la mañana hasta el medio día, diciendo: ¡Baal, respóndenos! Mas no había voz, ni quien respondiese; entre tanto, ellos andaban saltando cerca del altar que habían hecho.
27 And when it was now midday, Elijah ridiculed them, saying: “Cry out with a louder voice. For he is a god, and perhaps he is talking, or at an inn, or on a journey, or certainly he may be asleep, and must be awakened.”
27 Y aconteció al medio día, que Elías se burlaba de ellos, diciendo: Gritad en alta voz, que dios es: quizá está conversando, ó tiene algún empeño, ó va de camino; acaso duerme, y despertará.
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.
28 Y ellos clamaban á grandes voces, y sajábanse con cuchillos y con lancetas conforme á su costumbre, hasta chorrear la sangre sobre ellos.
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.
29 Y como pasó el medio día, y ellos profetizaran hasta el tiempo del sacrificio del presente, y no había voz, ni quien respondiese ni escuchase;
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.
30 Elías dijo entonces á todo el pueblo: Acercaos á mí. Y todo el pueblo se llegó á él: y él reparó el altar de Jehová que estaba arruinado.
31 And he took twelve stones, in accord with the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”
31 Y tomando Elías doce piedras, conforme al número de las tribus de los hijos de Jacob, al cual había sido palabra de Jehová, diciendo, Israel será tu nombre;
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.
32 Edificó con las piedras un altar en el nombre de Jehová: después hizo una reguera alrededor del altar, cuanto cupieran dos satos de simiente.
33 And he arranged the wood, and he cut the ox into pieces, and he placed it on the wood.
33 Compuso luego la leña, y cortó el buey en pedazos, y púsolo sobre la leña.
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.
34 Y dijo: Henchid cuatro cántaros de agua, y derramadla sobre el holocausto y sobre la leña. Y dijo: Hacedlo otra vez; y otra vez lo hicieron. Dijo aún: Hacedlo la tercera vez; é hiciéronlo la tercera vez.
35 And the water was running down around the altar, and the pit of the trench was filled with water.
35 De manera que las aguas corrían alrededor del altar; y había también henchido de agua la reguera.
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.
36 Y como llegó la hora de ofrecerse el holocausto, llegóse el profeta Elías, y dijo: Jehová Dios de Abraham, de Isaac, y de Israel, sea hoy manifiesto que tú eres Dios en Israel, y que yo soy tu siervo, y que por mandato tuyo he hecho todas estas cosas.
37 Heed me, O Lord, heed me, so that this people may learn that you are the Lord God, and that you have converted their heart again.”
37 Respóndeme, Jehová, respóndeme; para que conozca este pueblo que tú, oh Jehová, eres el Dios, y que tú volviste atrás el corazón de ellos.
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell down and devoured the holocaust, and the wood, and the stones, and even the dust, and it absorbed the water that was in the trench.
38 Entonces cayó fuego de Jehová, el cual consumió el holocausto, y la leña, y las piedras, y el polvo, y aun lamió las aguas que estaban en la reguera.
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!”
39 Y viéndolo todo el pueblo, cayeron sobre sus rostros, y dijeron: ¡Jehová es el Dios! ¡Jehová es el Dios!
40 And Elijah said to them, “Apprehend the prophets of Baal, and do not let even one of them escape.” And when they had apprehended them, Elijah led them down to the torrent Kishon, and he put them to death there.
40 Y díjoles Elías: Prended á los profetas de Baal, que no escape ninguno. Y ellos los prendieron; y llevólos Elías al arroyo de Cisón, y allí los degolló.
41 And Elijah said to Ahab “Ascend; eat and drink. For there is the sound of an abundance of rain.”
41 Y entonces Elías dijo á Achâb: Sube, come y bebe; porque una grande lluvia suena.
42 Ahab ascended, so that he might eat and drink. But Elijah ascended to the top of Carmel, and bending down to the ground, he placed his face between his knees.
42 Y Achâb subió á comer y á beber. Y Elías subió á la cumbre del Carmelo; y postrándose en tierra, puso su rostro entre las rodillas.
43 And he said to his servant, “Ascend, and gaze out toward the sea.” And when he had ascended, and had contemplated, he said, “There is nothing.” And again, he said to him, “Return seven times.”
43 Y dijo á su criado: Sube ahora, y mira hacia la mar. Y él subió, y miró, y dijo: No hay nada. Y él le volvió á decir: Vuelve siete veces.
44 And at the seventh time, behold, a little cloud ascended from the sea like the footstep of a man. And he said: “Ascend, and say to Ahab, ‘Yoke your chariot, and descend; otherwise, the rain may prevent you.’ ”
44 Y á la séptima vez dijo: Yo veo una pequeña nube como la palma de la mano de un hombre, que sube de la mar. Y él dijo: Ve, y di á Achâb: Unce y desciende, porque la lluvia no te ataje.
45 And as he was turning himself this way and that, behold, the heavens were darkened, and there were clouds and wind, and a great rainstorm occurred. And so Ahab, going up, went away to Jezreel.
45 Y aconteció, estando en esto, que los cielos se oscurecieron con nubes y viento; y hubo una gran lluvia. Y subiendo Achâb, vino á Jezreel.
46 And the hand of the Lord was upon Elijah. And cinching his waist, he ran before Ahab, until he arrived at Jezreel.
46 Y la mano de Jehová fué sobre Elías, el cual ciñó sus lomos, y vino corriendo delante de Achâb hasta llegar á Jezreel.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Ahab
Son of Omri, who reigned twenty-two years in Samaria, married Jezebel and served Baal, took Naboth's vineyard, fought Ben-hadad of Aram, and died of an arrow wound at…
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 16:29; 1 Kings 16:30; 1 Kings 18:17
Elijah the Tishbite
A prophet among the settlers of Gilead who announced a drought to Ahab, was fed by ravens, revived the widow's son at Zarephath, defeated Baal's prophets on Mount Carmel, heard…
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 17:1; 1 Kings 18:36; 1 Kings 19:9
Jezebel
Daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians and wife of Ahab, who slaughtered the LORD's prophets, threatened Elijah, had Naboth stoned on false testimony, and was thrown down from…
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 16:31; 1 Kings 18:4; 1 Kings 19:2
Obadiah
The man in charge of Ahab's palace who greatly feared the LORD, hid a hundred prophets in caves when Jezebel slaughtered the LORD's prophets, and brought Elijah's message to Ahab.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 18:3; 1 Kings 18:4; 1 Kings 18:7
Places
Mount Carmel
A fertile ridge jutting into the sea near Haifa. Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal here vindicated the Lord as the God who answers by fire.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 18:20; 1 Kings 18:38
Cross references (43)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Luke 4:25; James 5:17; 1 Kings 18:15–40; Deuteronomy 28:12; 1 Kings 17:1
- 2 Joel 1:15–20; Leviticus 26:26; Psalm 27:1; Psalm 51:4; Isaiah 51:12
- 3 Nehemiah 7:2; 1 Kings 16:9; Matthew 10:28; Malachi 3:16; Genesis 41:40
- 4 1 Kings 18:13; Matthew 10:40–42; Matthew 25:35; Revelation 17:4–6; Matthew 21:35
- 5 Jeremiah 14:5–6; Joel 1:18; Joel 2:22; Habakkuk 3:17; Romans 8:20–22
- 6 Jeremiah 14:3
- 7 2 Kings 1:6–8; Isaiah 60:14; Genesis 44:16; Matthew 11:8; Genesis 50:18
- 8 1 Kings 18:3; Romans 13:7; 1 Peter 2:17–18
- 9 Exodus 5:21; 1 Kings 17:18; 1 Kings 18:12
- 10 1 Kings 17:1; Psalm 10:2; 1 Kings 18:15; 1 Samuel 29:6; 1 Kings 17:9
- 11 1 Kings 18:8; 1 Kings 18:14
- 12 Acts 8:39; 2 Kings 2:16; Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 11:24; Ezekiel 40:1–2
- 13 1 Kings 18:4; Matthew 25:35; Acts 20:34; Matthew 10:41–42; Genesis 20:4–5
- 14 Matthew 10:28
- 15 1 Kings 17:1; 1 Kings 18:10; Job 25:3; Psalm 148:2–3; Jeremiah 8:2
- 17 Joshua 7:25; 1 Kings 21:20; Acts 16:20; Acts 17:6; Amos 7:10
- 18 2 Chronicles 15:2; 1 Kings 9:9; 1 Kings 16:31; Jeremiah 2:19; 1 Kings 21:25
- 19 Joshua 19:26; 1 Kings 16:33; 2 Peter 2:1; 2 Kings 2:25; 1 Samuel 15:12
- 20 1 Kings 22:9
- 21 Matthew 6:24; Joshua 24:15; 1 Corinthians 10:21–22; 2 Corinthians 6:14–16; 1 Samuel 7:3
- 22 1 Kings 19:10; 1 Kings 19:14; 1 Kings 20:13; 2 Timothy 4:3–4; 2 Peter 2:1–3
- 24 1 Kings 18:38; 1 Chronicles 21:26; Leviticus 9:24; 2 Chronicles 7:3; 2 Chronicles 7:1
- 26 Jeremiah 10:5; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Matthew 6:7; 1 Corinthians 12:2; Isaiah 44:17
- 27 Isaiah 41:23; Psalm 78:65–66; Ecclesiastes 11:9; Mark 4:38–39; 2 Chronicles 25:8
- 28 Leviticus 19:28; Deuteronomy 14:1; Mark 5:5; Mark 9:22; Micah 6:7
- 29 1 Kings 22:10; Exodus 29:39; 1 Corinthians 11:4–5; 1 Samuel 18:10; Galatians 4:8
- 30 2 Chronicles 33:16; 1 Kings 19:14; 1 Kings 19:10; Romans 11:3
- 31 2 Kings 17:34; Genesis 35:10; Genesis 32:28; Joshua 4:3–4; Joshua 4:20
- 32 Colossians 3:17; Exodus 20:24–25; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Judges 21:4; 1 Samuel 7:17
- 33 Genesis 22:9; Judges 6:20; John 11:39–40; Daniel 3:25; Daniel 3:19
- 34 2 Corinthians 4:2; 2 Corinthians 8:21
- 35 1 Kings 18:32; 1 Kings 18:38
- 36 1 Kings 18:29; 2 Kings 19:19; Exodus 3:6; 1 Kings 8:43; Matthew 22:32
- 37 Daniel 9:17–19; Luke 1:16–17; Ezekiel 36:25–27; Malachi 4:5–6; 1 Kings 18:24
- 38 Leviticus 9:24; 1 Chronicles 21:26; 2 Chronicles 7:1; Judges 6:21; 1 Kings 18:24
- 39 1 Kings 18:24; 2 Chronicles 7:3; 1 Kings 18:21; Judges 13:20; 1 Chronicles 21:16
- 40 Judges 4:7; Deuteronomy 18:20; Deuteronomy 13:5; Zechariah 13:2–3; Judges 5:21
- 41 1 Kings 18:1; Ecclesiastes 9:7; 1 Kings 17:1; Acts 27:34
- 42 Luke 6:12; 1 Kings 19:13; Genesis 24:52; 1 Kings 18:19–20; Ezra 9:6
- 43 Habakkuk 2:3; Luke 18:1; Luke 18:7; Genesis 32:26; Ephesians 6:18
- 44 Luke 12:54; Job 8:7; Micah 1:13; Zechariah 4:10; 1 Samuel 6:10
- 45 2 Kings 9:16; 1 Kings 21:23; 1 Kings 18:39–40; 2 Samuel 21:14; 1 Kings 21:1
- 46 Ezekiel 3:14; Ezekiel 1:3; 2 Kings 3:15; 2 Kings 9:1; Matthew 22:21
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… foot of the mountain, --the same number which was placed by Joshua in the river, and again, on the other side, the bearers of the ark of the covenant, --those stones which were set up by Elijah when the heifer was offered as a burnt-offering; the number, too, of the apostles; and, in fine, every event which embraces in it …
… is not lawful for thee to have thy brother Philip's wife;" such as he was possessed of, who before him was like him, and after him shall be so again; who said to Ahab, "I do not trouble Israel, but thou, and thy father's house;" such as the prophets had, such as all the apostles.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Elias, too, when all Israel was assembled at Mount Carmel, wishing to turn them from idolatry, says to them, "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him." And again, at the burnt-offering, he thus addresses the idolatrous priests: "Ye shall call upon the name of your gods, and I will call on the name …
… directed them to that God upon whom he believed, and who was truly God; whom invoking, he exclaimed, "Lord God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, hear me to-day, and let all this people know that Thou art the God of Israel."