1 Kings · Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
1 Kings 18 Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
DRB Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 After many days the word of the Lord came to Elias, in the third year, saying: Go and shew thyself to Achab, that I may give rain upon the face of the earth.
1 After many days, Yahweh’s word came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.”
2 And Elias went to shew himself to Achab, and there was a grievous famine in Samaria.
2 Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria.
3 And Achab called Abdias the governor of his house: now Abdias feared the Lord very much.
3 Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared Yahweh greatly;
4 For when Jezabel killed the prophets of the Lord, he took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifty and fifty in caves, and fed them with bread and water.
4 for when Jezebel cut off Yahweh’s prophets, Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
5 And Achab said to Abdias: Go into the land unto all fountains of waters, and into all valleys, to see if we can find grass, and save the horses and mules, that the beasts may not utterly perish.
5 Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals.”
6 And they divided the countries between them, that they might go round about them: Achab went one way, and Abdias another way by himself.
6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
7 And as Abdias was in the way, Elias met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said: Art thou my lord Elias?
7 As Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. He recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”
8 And he answered: I am. Go, and tell thy master: Elias is here.
8 He answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here!’”
9 And he said: What have I sinned, that thou wouldst deliver me thy servant into the hand of Achab, that he should kill me?
9 He said, “How have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?
10 As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when all answered: He is not here: he took an oath of every kingdom and nation, because thou wast not found.
10 As Yahweh your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he took an oath of the kingdom and nation that they didn’t find you.
11 And now thou sayest to me: Go, and tell thy master: Elias is here.
11 Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here.”’
12 And when I am gone from thee, the spirit of the Lord will carry thee into a place that I know not: and I shall go in and tell Achab, and he not finding thee, will kill me: but thy servant feareth the Lord from his infancy.
12 It will happen, as soon as I leave you, that Yahweh’s Spirit will carry you I don’t know where; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he can’t find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared Yahweh from my youth.
13 Hath it not been told thee, my lord, what I did when Jezabel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred men of the prophets of the Lord, by fifty and fifty in caves, and fed them with bread and water?
13 Wasn’t it told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed Yahweh’s prophets, how I hid one hundred men of Yahweh’s prophets with fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
14 And now thou sayest: Go, and tell thy master: Elias is here: that he may kill me.
14 Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here”.’ He will kill me.”
15 And Elias said: As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whose face I stand, this day I will shew myself unto him.
15 Elijah said, “As Yahweh of Armies lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”
16 Abdias therefore went to meet Achab, and told him: and Achab came to meet Elias.
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
17 And when he had seen him, he said: Art thou he that troublest Israel?
17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”
18 And he said: I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father’s house, who have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and have followed Baalim.
18 He answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken Yahweh’s commandments and you have followed the Baals.
19 Nevertheless send now, and gather unto me all Israel, unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, who eat at Jezabel’s table.
19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and four hundred fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
20 Achab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered together the prophets unto mount Carmel.
20 So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel.
21 And Elias coming to all the people, said: How long do you halt between two sides? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.
21 Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you waver between the two sides? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people didn’t say a word.
22 And Elias said again to the people: I only remain a prophet of the Lord: but the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men.
22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left as a prophet of Yahweh; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred fifty men.
23 Let two bullocks be given us, and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces and lay it upon wood, but put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under it.
23 Let them therefore give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it.
24 Call ye on the names of your gods, and I will call on the name of my Lord: and the God that shall answer by fire, let him be God. And all the people answering said: A very good proposal.
24 You call on the name of your god, and I will call on Yahweh’s name. The God who answers by fire, let him be God.” All the people answered, “What you say is good.”
25 Then Elias said to the prophets of Baal: Choose you one bullock and dress it first, because you are many: and call on the names of your gods, but put no fire under.
25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”
26 And they took the bullock which he gave them, and dressed it: and they called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying: O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered: and they leaped over the altar that they had made.
26 They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, “Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice, and nobody answered. They leaped about the altar which was made.
27 And when it was now noon, Elias jested at them, saying: Cry with a louder voice: for he is a God, and perhaps he is talking, or is in an inn, or on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep, and must be awaked.
27 At noon, Elijah mocked them, and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is deep in thought, or he has gone somewhere, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened.”
28 So they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till they were all covered with blood.
28 They cried aloud, and cut themselves in their way with knives and lances until the blood gushed out on them.
29 And after midday was past, and while they were prophesying, the time was come of offering sacrifice, and there was no voice heard, nor did any one answer, nor regard them as they prayed:
29 When midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the evening offering; but there was no voice, no answer, and nobody paid attention.
30 Elias said to all the people: Come ye unto me. And the people coming near unto him, he repaired the altar of the Lord, that was broken down:
30 Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me!”; and all the people came near to him. He repaired Yahweh’s altar that had been thrown down.
31 And he took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying: Israel shall be thy name.
31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom Yahweh’s word came, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”
32 And he built with the stones an altar to the name of the Lord: and he made a trench for water, of the breadth of two furrows round about the altar.
32 With the stones he built an altar in Yahweh’s name. He made a trench around the altar large enough to contain two seahs of seed.
33 And he laid the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it upon the wood.
33 He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.”
34 And he said: Fill four buckets with water, and pour it upon the burnt offering, and upon the wood. And again he said: Do the same the second time. And when they had done it the second time, he said: Do the same also the third time. And they did so the third time.
34 He said, “Do it a second time;” and they did it the second time. He said, “Do it a third time;” and they did it the third time.
35 And the water run round about the altar, and the trench was filled with water.
35 The water ran around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
36 And when it was now time to offer the holocaust, Elias the prophet came near and said: O Lord God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, shew this day that thou art the God of Israel, and I thy servant, and that according to thy commandment I have done all these things.
36 At the time of the evening offering, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Yahweh, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me: that this people may learn, that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart again.
37 Hear me, Yahweh, hear me, that this people may know that you, Yahweh, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again.”
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the holocaust, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
38 Then Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust; and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw this, they fell on their faces, and they said: The Lord he is God, the Lord he is God.
39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. They said, “Yahweh, he is God! Yahweh, he is God!”
40 And Elias said to them: Take the prophets of Baal, and let not one of them escape. And when they had taken them, Elias brought them down to the torrent Cison, and killed them there.
40 Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Don’t let one of them escape!” They seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.
41 And Elias said to Achab: Go up, eat, and drink: for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
41 Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
42 Achab went up to eat and drink: and Elias went up to the top of Carmel, and casting himself down upon the earth put his face between his knees,
42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his face between his knees.
43 And he said to his servant: Go up, and look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said: There is nothing. And again he said to him: Return seven times.
43 He said to his servant, “Go up now and look toward the sea.” He went up and looked, then said, “There is nothing.” He said, “Go again” seven times.
44 And at the seventh time, behold, a little cloud arose out of the sea like a man’s foot. And he said: Go up and say to Achab: Prepare thy chariot and go down, lest the rain prevent thee.
44 On the seventh time, he said, “Behold, a small cloud, like a man’s hand, is rising out of the sea.” He said, “Go up, tell Ahab, ‘Get ready and go down, so that the rain doesn’t stop you.’”
45 And while he turned himself this way and that way, behold the heavens grew dark, with clouds, and wind, and there fell a great rain. And Achab getting up went away to Jezrahel:
45 In a little while, the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
46 And the hand of the Lord was upon Elias, and he girded up his loins and ran before Achab, till he came to Jezrahel.
46 Yahweh’s hand was on Elijah; and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
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."