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.
27
And it came to pass at noon that Elijah mocked them and said, Cry aloud, for he
is a god; peradventure he is talking or he had to go to the latrine, or he is on a journey,
or he sleeps and will awake.
28
And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets until the blood gushed out upon them.
29
And when midday was past,
even so they prophesied until the
time of the offering of the
evening sacrifice, and
there was neither voice nor anyone that answered nor anyone that heard.
30
Then Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD
that was broken down.