16
Then Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab came to meet Elijah.
17
And it came to pass when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him,
Art thou he that troubles Israel?
18
And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.
19
Now therefore send
and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel, and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of the groves, who eat at Jezebel’s table.
20
Then Ahab sent unto all the sons of Israel and gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel.
21
And Elijah came near unto all the people and said, How long shall ye halt between two opinions? If the LORD
is God, follow him; but if Baal,
then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.
22
Then Elijah spoke again unto the people, I,
even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets
are four hundred and fifty men.
23
Give us, therefore, two bullocks, and let them choose one bullock for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay
it on wood and put no fire
under it; and I will dress the other bullock and lay
it on wood and put no fire
under it.
24
And invoke ye in the name of your gods, and I will invoke in the name of the LORD; and it shall be that the God that answers by fire is God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
25
So Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves and dress
it first, for ye
are many, and invoke in the name of your gods, but put no fire
under it.
26
And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed
it and invoked in the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, answer us. But
there was no voice nor anyone that answered. And they jumped up and down near the altar which they had made.