Elijah killed the prophets of Baal

16 So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come. Ahab went to meet with him. 17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, the one who causes trouble for the people of Israel?”

18 Elijah replied, “It is not I who have caused trouble for the people of Israel! You and your family are the ones who have caused trouble! You have refused to obey Yahweh’s commands, and you have worshiped the idols of Baal instead. 19 So now, command all the Israeli people to come to Carmel Mountain, and be sure to bring all the 450 prophets who worship Baal and the 400 prophets who worship the goddess Asherah, the ones to whom your wife Jezebel brings food and water.”

20 So Ahab summoned all his prophets and all the other Israeli people to the top of Carmel Mountain, and Elijah went up there too. 21 Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How long [RHQ] are you going to be undecided about who is truly God? If Yahweh is truly God, then worship/serve him. If Baal is truly God, then worship/serve him!” But the people said nothing in reply, because they were afraid of what Jezebel would do to them if they admitted that they worshiped Yahweh.

22 Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only true prophet of Yahweh who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets. 23 Bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose the one that they want. They must kill it and cut it into pieces and lay the pieces on the wood that is on the altar that they have made. But they must not light a fire under the wood. I will kill the other bull and cut it in pieces and lay the pieces on the altar that I make. 24 Then they must call to their god [MTY], and I will call to Yahweh. The god who answers by lighting a fire to the wood that is on that altar is the true God!”

Then all the people thought that Elijah’s suggestion was good.

25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You call to Baal first, because there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls and prepare it, and then call to your god. But do not light a fire under the wood!” 26 So they killed one of the bulls and cut it up and placed the pieces on the altar. Then they called out to Baal all morning. They shouted, “Baal, answer us!” But no one answered. There was no reply at all [DOU].

Then they danced wildly around the altar that they had made.

27 About noontime, Elijah started to make fun of them. He said, “Surely Baal is a god, so it seems that you must shout louder! Perhaps he is thinking about something, or perhaps he has gone to the toilet. Or perhaps he is traveling somewhere, or perhaps he is asleep and you need to wake him up!” 28 So they shouted louder. Then, doing one of the things that they frequently did when they worshiped Baal, they slashed/cut themselves with knives and swords until a lot of blood flowed. 29 They continued calling out to Baal all afternoon. But there was no reply, no answer, no god who paid attention.

30 Then Elijah called to the people saying, “Come closer!” So they all crowded around him. Then Elijah repaired the altar of Yahweh that had previously been ◄ruined/torn down► by the prophets of Baal. 31 Then he took twelve large stones, each one to represent one of the Israeli tribes. The names of those tribes were given to them by their ancestor Jacob. 32 With these stones he rebuilt Yahweh’s altar. Then around the altar he dug a little ditch that was large enough to hold about ◄three gallons/12 liters► of water. 33 He piled wood on top of the stones. He killed the bull and cut it in pieces. Then he laid the pieces on top of the wood. Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water on top of the pieces of meat and the wood.” So they did that.

34 Then he said, “Do the same thing again!” So they did it again. Then he said “Do it a third time!” So they did it again.

35 As a result, the water flowed down below the altar and filled the ditches.

36 When it was time to offer the evening sacrifices, Elijah walked close to the altar and prayed. He said, “Yahweh, you who are the God that our ancestors Abraham and Isaac and Jacob worshiped, prove today that you are the God whom the Israeli people should worship, and prove that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all these things because you told me to do them. 37 Yahweh, answer me! Answer me in order that these people will know that you, Yahweh God, have the power to do what you say that you will do, and that you have caused them to trust in [IDM] you again!”

38 Immediately a fire from Yahweh flashed down from the sky. The fire burned up the pieces of meat, the wood, the stones, and the dirt that was around the altar. It even dried up all the water in the ditch!

39 When the people saw that, they prostrated themselves on the ground and shouted, “Yahweh is God! Yahweh is God!”

40 Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize all the prophets of Baal! Do not allow any of them to escape!” So the people seized all the prophets of Baal, and took them down the mountain to the Kishon Valley, and Elijah killed them all there.