Elijah and the Prophets of Baal
1 After some time, in the third year of the drought, the Lord said to Elijah, “Go and present yourself to King Ahab, and I will send rain.” 2 So Elijah started out.
The famine in Samaria was at its worst, 3 so Ahab called in Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Obadiah was a devout worshiper of the Lord, 4 and when Jezebel was killing the Lord's prophets, Obadiah took a hundred of them, hid them in caves in two groups of fifty, and provided them with food and water.) 5 Ahab said to Obadiah, “Let us go and look at every spring and every stream bed in the land to see if we can find enough grass to keep the horses and mules alive. Maybe we won't have to kill any of our animals.” 6 They agreed on which part of the land each one would explore, and set off in different directions.
7 As Obadiah was on his way, he suddenly met Elijah. He recognized him, bowed low before him, and asked, “Is it really you, sir?”
8 “Yes, I'm Elijah,” he answered. “Go and tell your master the king that I am here.”
9 Obadiah answered, “What have I done that you want to put me in danger of being killed by King Ahab? 10 By the living Lord, your God, I swear that the king has made a search for you in every country in the world. Whenever the ruler of a country reported that you were not in his country, Ahab would require that ruler to swear that you could not be found. 11 And now you want me to go and tell him that you are here? 12 What if the spirit of the Lord carries you off to some unknown place as soon as I leave? Then, when I tell Ahab that you are here and he can't find you, he will put me to death. Remember that I have been a devout worshiper of the Lord ever since I was a boy. 13 Haven't you heard that when Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord I hid a hundred of them in caves, in two groups of fifty, and supplied them with food and water? 14 So how can you order me to go and tell the king that you are here? He will kill me!”
15 Elijah answered, “By the living Lord Almighty, whom I serve, I promise that I will present myself to the king today.”
16 So Obadiah went to King Ahab and told him, and Ahab set off to meet Elijah. 17 When Ahab saw him, he said, “So there you are—the worst troublemaker in Israel!”
18 “I'm not the troublemaker,” Elijah answered. “You are—you and your father. You are disobeying the Lord's commands and worshiping the idols of Baal. 19 Now order all the people of Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel. Bring along the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of the goddess Asherah who are supported by Queen Jezebel.”
20 So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and the prophets of Baal to meet at Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went up to the people and said, “How much longer will it take you to make up your minds? If the Lord is God, worship him; but if Baal is God, worship him!” But the people didn't say a word. 22 Then Elijah said, “I am the only prophet of the Lord still left, but there are 450 prophets of Baal. 23 Bring two bulls; let the prophets of Baal take one, kill it, cut it in pieces, and put it on the wood—but don't light the fire. I will do the same with the other bull. 24 Then let the prophets of Baal pray to their god, and I will pray to the Lord, and the one who answers by sending fire—he is God.”
The people shouted their approval.
25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since there are so many of you, you take a bull and prepare it first. Pray to your god, but don't set fire to the wood.”
26 They took the bull that was brought to them, prepared it, and prayed to Baal until noon. They shouted, “Answer us, Baal!” and kept dancing around the altar they had built. But no answer came.
27 At noon Elijah started making fun of them: “Pray louder! He is a god! Maybe he is day-dreaming or relieving himself, or perhaps he's gone off on a trip! Or maybe he's sleeping, and you've got to wake him up!” 28 So the prophets prayed louder and cut themselves with knives and daggers, according to their ritual, until blood flowed. 29 They kept on ranting and raving until the middle of the afternoon; but no answer came, not a sound was heard.
30 Then Elijah said to the people, “Come closer to me,” and they all gathered around him. He set about repairing the altar of the Lord which had been torn down. 31 He took twelve stones, one for each of the twelve tribes named for the sons of Jacob, the man to whom the Lord had given the name Israel. 32 With these stones he rebuilt the altar for the worship of the Lord. He dug a trench around it, large enough to hold about four gallons of water. 33 Then he placed the wood on the altar, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the offering and the wood.” They did so, 34 and he said, “Do it again”—and they did. “Do it once more,” he said—and they did. 35 The water ran down around the altar and filled the trench.
36 At the hour of the afternoon sacrifice the prophet Elijah approached the altar and prayed, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove now that you are the God of Israel and that I am your servant and have done all this at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so that this people will know that you, the Lord, are God and that you are bringing them back to yourself.”
38 The Lord sent fire down, and it burned up the sacrifice, the wood, and the stones, scorched the earth and dried up the water in the trench. 39 When the people saw this, they threw themselves on the ground and exclaimed, “The Lord is God; the Lord alone is God!”
40 Elijah ordered, “Seize the prophets of Baal; don't let any of them get away!” The people seized them all, and Elijah led them down to Kishon Brook and killed them.
The End of the Drought
41 Then Elijah said to King Ahab, “Now, go and eat. I hear the roar of rain approaching.” 42 While Ahab went to eat, Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel, where he bowed down to the ground, with his head between his knees. 43 He said to his servant, “Go and look toward the sea.”
The servant went and returned, saying, “I didn't see a thing.” Seven times in all Elijah told him to go and look. 44 The seventh time he returned and said, “I saw a little cloud no bigger than a man's hand, coming up from the sea.”
Elijah ordered his servant, “Go to King Ahab and tell him to get in his chariot and go back home before the rain stops him.”
45 In a little while the sky was covered with dark clouds, the wind began to blow, and a heavy rain began to fall. Ahab got in his chariot and started back to Jezreel. 46 The power of the Lord came on Elijah; he fastened his clothes tight around his waist and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
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.
