Elijah Proves He Is the Lord's Prophet
1-2 For three years no rain fell in Samaria, and there was almost nothing to eat anywhere. The Lord said to Elijah, “Go and meet with King Ahab. I will soon make it rain.” So Elijah went to see Ahab.
3-4 At that time Obadiah was in charge of Ahab's palace, but he faithfully worshiped the Lord. In fact, when Jezebel was trying to kill the Lord's prophets, Obadiah hid 100 of them in two caves and gave them food and water.
Ahab sent for Obadiah 5 and said, “We have to find something for our horses and mules to eat. If we don't, we will have to kill them. Let's look around every creek and spring in the country for some grass. 6 You go one way, and I'll go the other.” Then they left in separate directions.
7 As Obadiah was walking along, he met Elijah. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down, and asked, “Elijah, is it really you?”
8 “Yes. Go tell Ahab I'm here.”
9 Obadiah replied:
King Ahab would kill me if I told him that. And I haven't even done anything wrong. 10 I swear to you in the name of the living Lord your God that the king has looked everywhere for you. He sent people to look in every country, and when they couldn't find you, he made the leader of each country swear that you were not in that country. 11 Do you really want me to tell him you're here?
12 What if the Lord's Spirit takes you away as soon as I leave? When Ahab comes to get you, he won't find you. Then he will surely kill me.
I have worshiped the Lord since I was a boy. 13 I even hid 100 of the Lord's prophets in caves when Jezebel was trying to kill them. I also gave them food and water. 14 Do you really want me to tell Ahab you're here? He will kill me!
15 Elijah said, “I'm a servant of the living Lord All-Powerful, and I swear in his name that I will meet with Ahab today.”
16 Obadiah left and told Ahab where to find Elijah.
Ahab went to meet Elijah, 17 and when he saw him, Ahab shouted, “There you are, the biggest troublemaker in Israel!”
18 Elijah answered:
You're the troublemaker—not me! You and your family have disobeyed the Lord's commands by worshiping Baal.
19 Call together everyone from Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. Be sure to bring along the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table.
20 Ahab got everyone together, then they went to meet Elijah on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you try to have things both ways? If the Lord is God, worship him! But if Baal is God, worship him!”
The people did not say a word.
22 Then Elijah continued:
I am the Lord's only prophet, but Baal has 450 prophets.
23 Bring us two bulls. Baal's prophets can take one of them, kill it, and cut it into pieces. Then they can put the meat on the wood without lighting the fire. I will do the same thing with the other bull, and I won't light a fire under it either.
24 The prophets of Baal will pray to their god, and I will pray to the Lord. The one who answers by starting the fire is God.
“That's a good idea,” everyone agreed.
25 Elijah said to Baal's prophets, “There are more of you, so you go first. Pick out a bull and get it ready, but don't light the fire. Then pray to your god.”
26 They chose their bull, then they got it ready and prayed to Baal all morning, asking him to start the fire. They danced around the altar and shouted, “Answer us, Baal!” But there was no answer.
27 At noon, Elijah began making fun of them. “Pray louder!” he said. “Baal must be a god. Maybe he's daydreaming or using the toilet or traveling somewhere. Or maybe he's asleep, and you have to wake him up.”
28 The prophets kept shouting louder and louder, and they cut themselves with swords and knives until they were bleeding. This was the way they worshiped, 29 and they kept it up until time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no answer of any kind.
30 Elijah told everyone to gather around him while he repaired the Lord's altar. 31-32 Then he used twelve stones to build an altar in honor of the Lord. Each stone stood for one of the tribes of Israel, which was the name the Lord had given to their ancestor Jacob. Elijah dug a ditch around the altar, large enough to hold about 14 liters. 33 He placed the wood on the altar, then they cut the bull into pieces and laid the meat on the wood.
He told the people, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it over the meat and the wood.” After they did this, 34 he told them to do it two more times. They did exactly as he said 35 until finally, the water ran down the altar and filled the ditch.
36 When it was time for the evening sacrifice, Elijah prayed:
Our Lord, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Now, prove that you are the God of this nation, and that I, your servant, have done this at your command. 37 Please answer me, so these people will know that you are the Lord God, and that you will turn their hearts back to you.
38 The Lord immediately sent fire, and it burned up the sacrifice, the wood, and the stones. It scorched the ground everywhere around the altar and dried up every drop of water in the ditch. 39 When the crowd saw what had happened, they all bowed down and shouted, “The Lord is God! The Lord is God!”
40 Just then, Elijah said, “Grab the prophets of Baal! Don't let any of them get away.”
So the people captured the prophets and took them to Kishon River, where Elijah killed every one of them.
It Starts To Rain
41 Elijah told Ahab, “Get something to eat and drink. I hear a heavy rain coming.”
42 Ahab left, but Elijah climbed back to the top of Mount Carmel. Then he stooped down with his face almost to the ground 43 and said to his servant, “Look toward the sea.”
The servant left. And when he came back, he said, “I looked, but I didn't see anything.” Elijah told him to look seven more times.
44 After the seventh time the servant replied, “I see a small cloud coming this way. But it's no bigger than a fist.”
Elijah told him, “Tell Ahab to get his chariot ready and start home now. Otherwise, the rain will stop him.”
45-46 A few minutes later, it got very cloudy and windy, and rain started pouring down. So Elijah wrapped his coat around himself, and the Lord gave him strength to run all the way to Jezreel. Ahab followed in his chariot.
Elia novaprofete va Baal
1 Kombunda yoruveze rworive mombura oitjatatu yourumbu, Muhona wa tja nai ku Elia: “Twende nu u keriraise kombara Ahab, nami me rokisa ombura.” 2 Nu Elia otja ya.
Ondjara mOsamaria ya rira onene tjinene. 3 Ahab opa isanena Obadja ngwa ri omutjevere wondjuwo youhona. Obadja wa ri nouṱakame mu Muhona nu ee rikotamene ku ye. 4 Nu Isebel tjaa zepa ovaprofete va Muhona, Obadja aa toora ovaprofete esere rimwe ne kevehoreka mondimba movimbumba vivari, atjihe tjomirongo vitano, ne ve pe ovikurya nomeva. 5 Ahab wa tja ku Obadja: “Ngatu yende nu tu katare potuharwi atuhe na pomipupo avihe mehi kutja nani matu kamuna ehozu nda yenene okuhupisa oukambe nousinokambe. Ngahino katu nokuhepa okuzepa ovinamuinyo vyetu tjiva.” 6 Nowo va zuvasana kutja auhe ma kahora orukondwa ruṋe rwehi, nu auhe wa hungama komukuma we.
7 Obadja ngunda ama kayenda mokamanga wa hakaena na Elia. Eye we mu zemburuka, na u onḓurumika momurungu we, ne mu pura a tja: “Oove ngu u ri ye tjiri, muhona?”
8 Eye wa zira na tja: “Ii, owami ngu mbi ri Elia. Twende u karaere omuhona woye, ombara, kutja ami mbi ri mba.”
9 Obadja wa zira na tja: “Mba ungura tjike, tji movanga okundjitwa motjiwonga kutja mbi ṱe i ombara Ahab? 10 Tjimbe tja Muhona, Ndjambi woye, ombara i ku paha mehi arihe mouye. Ahab aruhe tjaa raerwa kutja ove ko ri koṋa ngo aa vanga omunane wehi ndo a yane kutja ove ko munika ngo. 11 Nambano movanga ami mbi yende okukemuraera kutja ove u ri mba are? 12 Nu mape kara vi, ami tji mba i, nombepo ya Muhona ai ku twara koṋa ku ku hi nokutjiukwa? Nu tji mba raere Ahab kutja ove u ri mba, neye e he ku vaza mba, eye me ndji zepa. Zemburuka kutja ami mba kara nouṱakame mu Muhona nu mbe rikotamena ku ye okuza kouṱiṱi wandje. 13 Ko na pu wa zuva, Isebel tjaa zepa ovaprofete va Muhona, kutja ami mba horeka esere rimwe rawo mozondimba movimbumba vivari, atjihe tjomirongo vitano, ne ve pe ovikurya nomeva are? 14 Nambano ove mo ndji rakizire tjike okukaraera ombara kutja ove u ri mba? Oyo mai ndji zepa!”
15 Elia wa zira a tja: “Tjimbe tja Muhona Omunamasaaehe, ngu mbi karera, ami me keriraisa omuini kombara ndinondi.”
16 Obadja opa ira kombara Ahab ne kemu raera oviṋa mbi; nu Ahab wa sekama okukatjakanena Elia. 17 Ahab tja muna Elia wa tja ku ye: “Oove ngu u ri omuzunganise omunene tjinene mOisrael!”
18 Elia wa zira a tja: “Ami himuzunganise. Oweṋe na iho mbu mu ri nao. Kamu nonḓuviro komatwako wa Muhona, nu mu rikotamena koomukuru vovisenginina va Baal. 19 Nambano karaere Ovaisrael avehe ve ndji tjakanenene kondundu Karmel. Eterera ovaprofete va Baal omasere yane nomirongo vitano novaprofete omasere yane va Asera, omukuru omukazendu wotjisenginina, mbe vaterwa i ombara oserekaze Isebel.”
20 Komuhingo mbwi Ahab otja woronganisira Ovaisrael avehe novaprofete va Baal kondundu Karmel. 21 Elia wa ya kotjiwaṋa na katja nai: “Mamu ripura pevari nai nga ruṋe? Muhona tje ri Ndjambi rikotameneye ku ye; nungwari Baal tje ri Ndjambi rikotameneye ku ye!” Nungwari otjiwaṋa katji mu zirire nandarire embo rimwe. 22 Elia arire tja tja kotjiwaṋa: “Owami erike omuprofete wa Muhona ngu mbi ri po, nungwari pe novaprofete va Baal omasere yane nomirongo vitano. 23 Eteye ozondwezu mbari zozongombe; ovaprofete va Baal ngave kambure imwe, ve zepe nu ve i haṋe mozonyama pekepeke, nu ve ze twe kozonguṋe, nungwari ave yakisa omuriro. Ami me tjiti tjingetjo nondwezu indji ongwao wina. 24 Tjazumba ovaprofete va Baal mba ngave kumbe komukuru wawo wotjisenginina, nu ami me kumbu ku Muhona. Nu ingwi ngu ma itavere nomuriro, eye onguri Ndjambi!”
Notjiwaṋa atjihe arire tji tja tja: “Ii, osemba.”
25 Elia wa tja nai kovaprofete va Baal: “Eṋe tjinga amu ri ovengi tjinene nai, ritoororereye ondwezu imwe, nu mu tenge po okuipunguha. Kumbeye komukuru weṋu wotjisenginina, nungwari amu yakisa omuriro.”
26 Owo va kambura ondwezu yongombe ndji ndji va etere, nave i punguha amave kumbu ku Baal ngandu mutenya omunene. Nowo va ravaera ave tja: “Tu zuvira, Baal!”, nave kara pokupunda omihiva amave kondoroka otjipunguhiro tji va tunga. Nungwari kapa ri eziriro.
27 Nu mutenya Elia wa uta okuvehemba na tja: “Kumbeye neraka enene! Eye omukuru! Ngahino wa twaererwa poo u noviungura poo wai mouyenda poo ngahino wa rara, neṋe mwa pu pokukemupendura!” 28 Ovaprofete opu va ravaerera ko nomasa nave ritwere notuvyo nomangaruvyo otja komuhingo wawo nga ombinḓu tji ya ziza. 29 Owo va kara pokurokoha nokuura nga mapeta, nungwari kapa ri eziriro, nu kapa zuvakere ombosiro.
30 Elia wa tja kotjiwaṋa atjihe: “Indjeye popezu na ami!” Nowo avehe va woronganena pu ye. Eye wa tungurura otjipunguhiro tja Muhona tji tja haṋewa, 31 na toora omawe omurongo na yevari, ewe rimwe komuhoko auhe waimbi omihoko omurongo na vivari vyozondekurona za Jakob, omurumendu Muhona ngwe mu rukire ena Israel. 32 Eye wa tungurura otjipunguhiro tja Muhona nomawe nga. Tjazumba otja sa orurora okukondorokisa tjo ndwa yenena okukambura omahoro wozorita omurongo na ine zomeva. 33 Okuzambo otja twa ozonguṋe kotjipunguhiro, na haṋa indji ondwezu yongombe mozonyama pekepeke, ne ze twa kozonguṋe. 34 Nu Elia wa tja nai: “Uriseye omahoro yane nomeva, nu ye tirireye kombunguhiro oningiririsiwa na kozonguṋe.” Nowo va tjita nao, nu Elia arire tja tja: “Tirireye rukwao!” Nowo va tjita nao. Neye wa hungira otjikando otjitjatatu na tja: “Tirireye rukwao!” Nowo ave tjiti nao! 35 Nomeva ya randatera pehi okukondoroka otjipunguhiro naye urisa orurora.
36 Nu omapeta oruveze ombunguhiro ndu i punguhwa, omuprofete Elia weya kotjipunguhiro na kumbu a tja: “Muhona, Ndjambi wooAbraham na isak na Jakob, nambano raisa kutja oove ngu u ri Ndjambi wa Israel, nokutja ami owami ngu mbi ri omukarere woye ngu mba tjita avihe mbi otja komarakiza woye. 37 Ndji zuvira, Muhona, ndji zuvira, otjiwaṋa hi tji tjiwe kutja ove, Muhona, oove ngu u ri Ndjambi watjiri, nokutja oove ngu mo ve tanaurire kove omuini!”
38 Muhona wa raura omuriro, nowo wa seseta ombunguhiro ndji nozonguṋe nomawe, nau ningiririsa ehi nau pwirisa omeva morurora. 39 Notjiwaṋa tji tja muna otjiṋa hi otji tje riyumba pehi natji ravaere nai: “Muhona eye Ndjambi; Muhona erike onguri Ndjambi!”
40 Tjazumba Elia otja rakiza kotjiwaṋa na tja: “Kambureye ovaprofete va Baal; amu isa umwe a poṋe!” Notjiwaṋa arire tji tje ve kambura avehe, nu Elia we ve twara kokaruronḓu Kison, ne kevezepera ngo.
Omaandero wourumbu
41 Elia wa tja nai kombara Ahab: “Nambano twende, u karye nokunwa! Ami me zuu oruṱuṱumo rwombura ndji mai ya.” 42 Ahab ngunda a i okukarya nokunwa, Elia arire tja rondo kondundu Karmel; neye wa wa onḓurumika, notjiuru tje wa twa pokati kozongoro. 43 Elia wa tja nai komukarere we: “Twende nu u kayevayeve kokuvare!”
Nomukarere wa ya na kotoka na tja: “Ami hi mwine otjiṋa.” Elia we mu raera ovikando hambombari kutja a yende okukayevayeva. 44 Otjikando hi otjitjahambombari omukarere wa kotoka na tja: “Ami mba munu okakamba okaṱiṱi ku ke ṱeki peke romundu, amake zu mokuvare.”
Elia wa rakiza komukarere we na tja: “Twende kombara Ahab u kemuraere kutja a ronde metemba re rovita na yaruke konganda, ombura ngunda ai hiye mu tjaera.”
45 Nu moruveze orusupi eyuru ra pota, nombepo ya uta okuhinga, nu kwa roka ombura onamasa. Ahab wa ronda metemba re rovita na yaruka kOjesreel. 46 Nu Muhona wa zeuparisa Elia. Elia wa pamisa ozombanda ze nekwamo povindeera na tupuka komurungu wa Ahab oure wondjira aihe nga komukuro wa Jesreel.
