The Message Bible MSG
The Latin Vulgate VUL
1 A long time passed. Then God's word came to Elijah. The drought was now in its third year. The message: "Go and present yourself to Ahab; I'm about to make it rain on the country."
1
post dies multos verbum Domini factum est ad Heliam in anno tertio dicens vade et ostende te Ahab ut dem pluviam super faciem terrae
2 Elijah set out to present himself to Ahab. The drought in Samaria at the time was most severe.
2
ivit ergo Helias ut ostenderet se Ahab erat autem fames vehemens in Samaria
3 Ahab called for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Obadiah feared God - he was very devout.
3
vocavitque Ahab Abdiam dispensatorem domus suae Abdias autem timebat Dominum valde
4 Earlier, when Jezebel had tried to kill off all the prophets of God, Obadiah had hidden away a hundred of them in two caves, fifty in a cave, and then supplied them with food and water.
4
nam cum interficeret Hiezabel prophetas Domini tulit ille centum prophetas et abscondit eos quinquagenos in speluncis et pavit eos pane et aqua
5 Ahab ordered Obadiah, "Go through the country; locate every spring and every stream. Let's see if we can find enough grass to keep our horses and mules from dying."
5
dixit ergo Ahab ad Abdiam vade in terram ad universos fontes aquarum et in cunctas valles si forte invenire possimus herbam et salvare equos et mulos et non penitus iumenta intereant
6 So they divided the country between them for the search - Ahab went one way, Obadiah the other.
6
diviseruntque sibi regiones ut circuirent eas Ahab ibat per viam unam et Abdias per viam alteram seorsum
7 Obadiah went his way and suddenly there he was - Elijah! Obadiah fell on his knees, bowing in reverence, and exclaimed, "Is it really you - my master Elijah?"
7
cumque esset Abdias in via Helias occurrit ei qui cum cognovisset eum cecidit super faciem suam et ait num tu es domine mi Helias
8 "Yes," said Elijah, "the real me. Now go and tell your boss, 'I've seen Elijah.'"
8
cui ille respondit ego vade dic domino tuo adest Helias
9 Obadiah said, "But what have I done to deserve this? Ahab will kill me.
9
et ille quid peccavi inquit quoniam trades me servum tuum in manu Ahab ut interficiat me
10 As surely as your God lives, there isn't a country or kingdom where my master hasn't sent out search parties looking for you. And if they said, 'We can't find him; we've looked high and low,' he would make that country or kingdom swear that you were not to be found.
10
vivit Dominus Deus tuus non est gens aut regnum quo non miserit dominus meus te requirens et respondentibus cunctis non est hic adiuravit regna singula et gentes eo quod minime repperireris
11 And now you're telling me, 'Go and tell your master Elijah's found!'
11
et nunc dicis mihi vade et dic domino tuo adest Helias
12 The minute I leave you the Spirit of God will whisk you away to who knows where. Then when I report to Ahab, you'll have disappeared and Ahab will kill me. And I've served God devoutly since I was a boy!
12
cumque recessero a te spiritus Domini asportabit te in locum quem ego ignoro ingressus nuntiabo Ahab et non inveniet te et interficiet me servus autem tuus timet Dominum ab infantia sua
13 Hasn't anyone told you what I did when Jezebel was out to kill the prophets of God, how I risked my life by hiding a hundred of them, fifty to a cave, and made sure they got food and water?
13
numquid non indicatum est tibi domino meo quid fecerim cum interficeret Hiezabel prophetas Domini quod absconderim de prophetis Domini centum viros quinquagenos et quinquagenos in speluncis et paverim eos pane et aqua
14 And now you're telling me to draw attention to myself by announcing to my master, 'Elijah's been found.' Why, he'll kill me for sure."
14
et nunc tu dicis vade et dic domino tuo adest Helias ut interficiat me
15 Elijah said, "As surely as God-of-the-Angel-Armies lives, and before whom I take my stand, I'll meet with your master face to face this very day."
15
dixit Helias vivit Dominus exercituum ante cuius vultum sto quia hodie apparebo ei
16 So Obadiah went straight to Ahab and told him. And Ahab went out to meet Elijah.
16
abiit ergo Abdias in occursum Ahab et indicavit ei venitque Ahab in occursum Heliae
17 The moment Ahab saw Elijah he said, "So it's you, old troublemaker!"
17
et cum vidisset eum ait tune es ille qui conturbas Israhel
18 "It's not I who has caused trouble in Israel," said Elijah, "but you and your government - you've dumped God's ways and commands and run off after the local gods, the Baals.
18
et ille ait non turbavi Israhel sed tu et domus patris tui qui dereliquistis mandata Domini et secuti estis Baalim
19 Here's what I want you to do: Assemble everyone in Israel at Mount Carmel. And make sure that the special pets of Jezebel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of the local gods, the Baals, and the four hundred prophets of the whore goddess Asherah, are there."
19
verumtamen nunc mitte et congrega ad me universum Israhel in monte Carmeli et prophetas Baal quadringentos quinquaginta prophetasque lucorum quadringentos qui comedunt de mensa Hiezabel
20 So Ahab summoned everyone in Israel, particularly the prophets, to Mount Carmel.
20
misit Ahab ad omnes filios Israhel et congregavit prophetas in monte Carmeli
21 Elijah challenged the people: "How long are you going to sit on the fence? If God is the real God, follow him; if it's Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!" Nobody said a word; nobody made a move.
21
accedens autem Helias ad omnem populum ait usquequo claudicatis in duas partes si Dominus est Deus sequimini eum si autem Baal sequimini illum et non respondit ei populus verbum
22 Then Elijah said, "I'm the only prophet of God left in Israel; and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal.
22
et ait rursum Helias ad populum ego remansi propheta Domini solus prophetae autem Baal quadringenti et quinquaginta viri sunt
23 Let the Baal prophets bring up two oxen; let them pick one, butcher it, and lay it out on an altar on firewood - but don't ignite it. I'll take the other ox, cut it up, and lay it on the wood. But neither will I light the fire.
23
dentur nobis duo boves et illi eligant bovem unum et in frusta caedentes ponant super ligna ignem autem non subponant et ego faciam bovem alterum et inponam super ligna ignemque non subponam
24 Then you pray to your gods and I'll pray to God. The god who answers with fire will prove to be, in fact, God." All the people agreed: "A good plan - do it!"
24
invocate nomina deorum vestrorum et ego invocabo nomen Domini et deus qui exaudierit per ignem ipse sit Deus respondens omnis populus ait optima propositio
25 Elijah told the Baal prophets, "Choose your ox and prepare it. You go first, you're the majority. Then pray to your god, but don't light the fire."
25
dixit ergo Helias prophetis Baal eligite vobis bovem unum et facite primi quia vos plures estis et invocate nomina deorum vestrorum ignemque non subponatis
26 So they took the ox he had given them, prepared it for the altar, then prayed to Baal. They prayed all morning long, "O Baal, answer us!" But nothing happened - not so much as a whisper of breeze. Desperate, they jumped and stomped on the altar they had made.
26
qui cum tulissent bovem quem dederat eis fecerunt et invocabant nomen Baal de mane usque ad meridiem dicentes Baal exaudi nos et non erat vox nec qui responderet transiliebantque altare quod fecerant
27 By noon, Elijah had started making fun of them, taunting, "Call a little louder - he is a god, after all. Maybe he's off meditating somewhere or other, or maybe he's gotten involved in a project, or maybe he's on vacation. You don't suppose he's overslept, do you, and needs to be waked up?"
27
cumque esset iam meridies inludebat eis Helias dicens clamate voce maiore deus enim est et forsitan loquitur aut in diversorio est aut in itinere aut certe dormit ut excitetur
28 They prayed louder and louder, cutting themselves with swords and knives - a ritual common to them - until they were covered with blood.
28
clamabant ergo voce magna et incidebant se iuxta ritum suum cultris et lanceolis donec perfunderentur sanguine
29 This went on until well past noon. They used every religious trick and strategy they knew to make something happen on the altar, but nothing happened - not so much as a whisper, not a flicker of response.
29
postquam autem transiit meridies et illis prophetantibus venerat tempus quo sacrificium offerri solet nec audiebatur vox neque aliquis respondebat nec adtendebat orantes
30 Then Elijah told the people, "Enough of that - it's my turn. Gather around." And they gathered. He then put the altar back together for by now it was in ruins.
30
dixit Helias omni populo venite ad me et accedente ad se populo curavit altare Domini quod destructum fuerat
31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes of Jacob, the same Jacob to whom God had said, "From now on your name is Israel."
31
et tulit duodecim lapides iuxta numerum tribuum filiorum Iacob ad quem factus est sermo Domini dicens Israhel erit nomen tuum
32 He built the stones into the altar in honor of God. Then Elijah dug a fairly wide trench around the altar.
32
et aedificavit lapidibus altare in nomine Domini fecitque aquaeductum quasi per duas aratiunculas in circuitu altaris
33 He laid firewood on the altar, cut up the ox, put it on the wood, and said, "Fill four buckets with water and drench both the ox and the firewood."
33
et conposuit ligna divisitque per membra bovem et posuit super ligna
34 Then he said, "Do it again," and they did it. Then he said, "Do it a third time,"
34
et ait implete quattuor hydrias aqua et fundite super holocaustum et super ligna rursumque dixit etiam secundo hoc facite qui cum fecissent et secundo ait etiam tertio id ipsum facite feceruntque et tertio
35 and they did it a third time. The altar was drenched and the trench was filled with water.
35
et currebant aquae circa altare et fossa aquaeductus repleta est
36 When it was time for the sacrifice to be offered, Elijah the prophet came up and prayed, "O God, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make it known right now that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I'm doing what I'm doing under your orders.
36
cumque iam tempus esset ut offerretur holocaustum accedens Helias propheta ait Domine Deus Abraham Isaac et Israhel hodie ostende quia tu es Deus Israhel et ego servus tuus et iuxta praeceptum tuum feci omnia verba haec
37 Answer me, God; O answer me and reveal to this people that you are God, the true God, and that you are giving these people another chance at repentance."
37
exaudi me Domine exaudi me ut discat populus iste quia tu es Dominus Deus et tu convertisti cor eorum iterum
38 Immediately the fire of God fell and burned up the offering, the wood, the stones, the dirt, and even the water in the trench.
38
cecidit autem ignis Domini et voravit holocaustum et ligna et lapides pulverem quoque et aquam quae erat in aquaeductu lambens
39 All the people saw it happen and fell on their faces in awed worship, exclaiming, "God is the true God! God is the true God!"
39
quod cum vidisset omnis populus cecidit in faciem suam et ait Dominus ipse est Deus Dominus ipse est Deus
40 Elijah told them, "Grab the Baal prophets! Don't let one get away!" They grabbed them. Elijah had them taken down to the Brook Kishon and they massacred the lot.
40
dixitque Helias ad eos adprehendite prophetas Baal et ne unus quidem fugiat ex eis quos cum conprehendissent duxit eos Helias ad torrentem Cison et interfecit eos ibi
41 Elijah said to Ahab, "Up on your feet! Eat and drink - celebrate! Rain is on the way; I hear it coming."
41
et ait Helias ad Ahab ascende comede et bibe quia sonus multae pluviae est
42 Ahab did it: got up and ate and drank. Meanwhile, Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bowed deeply in prayer, his face between his knees.
42
ascendit Ahab ut comederet et biberet Helias autem ascendit in vertice Carmeli et pronus in terram posuit faciem inter genua sua
43 Then he said to his young servant, "On your feet now! Look toward the sea." He went, looked, and reported back, "I don't see a thing." "Keep looking," said Elijah, "seven times if necessary."
43
et dixit ad puerum suum ascende et prospice contra mare qui cum ascendisset et contemplatus esset ait non est quicquam et rursum ait illi revertere septem vicibus
44 And sure enough, the seventh time he said, "Oh yes, a cloud! But very small, no bigger than someone's hand, rising out of the sea." "Quickly then, on your way. Tell Ahab, 'Saddle up and get down from the mountain before the rain stops you.'"
44
in septima autem vice ecce nubicula parva quasi vestigium hominis ascendebat de mari qui ait ascende et dic Ahab iunge et descende ne occupet te pluvia
45 Things happened fast. The sky grew black with wind-driven clouds, and then a huge cloudburst of rain, with Ahab hightailing it in his chariot for Jezreel.
45
cumque se verterent huc atque illuc ecce caeli contenebrati sunt et nubes et ventus et facta est pluvia grandis ascendens itaque Ahab abiit in Hiezrahel
46 And God strengthened Elijah mightily. Pulling up his robe and tying it around his waist, Elijah ran in front of Ahab's chariot until they reached Jezreel.
46
et manus Domini facta est super Heliam accinctisque lumbis currebat ante Ahab donec veniret in Hiezrahel
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.