36. When it was time to offer the sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward. He said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make known today that you are God in Israel and that I’m your servant and have done all these things by your instructions.
37. Answer me, Lord! Answer me! Then these people will know that you, Lord, are God and that you are winning back their hearts.”
38. So a fire from the Lord fell down and consumed the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dirt. The fire even dried up the water that was in the trench.
39. All the people saw it and immediately bowed down to the ground. “The Lord is God!” they said. “The Lord is God!”
40. Elijah told them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let any of them escape.” The people seized them, and Elijah took them to the Kishon River and slaughtered them there.
41. Then Elijah told Ahab, “Get up, eat, and drink. It sounds like a heavy rain ⌊is coming⌋.”
42. Ahab got up to eat and drink.Elijah went to the top of Carmel and bowed down on the ground to pray.
43. He said to his servant, “Please go back to ⌊Mount Carmel⌋, and look toward the sea.”He went up, looked, ⌊came back,⌋ and said, “There’s nothing.”Seven times Elijah told him, “Go back.”
44. After the seventh time the servant said, “A little cloud like a man’s hand is coming from the sea.”Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Prepare ⌊your chariot⌋, and leave before the rain delays you.’ ”
45. Gradually, the sky grew darker with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. Ahab got into his chariot to go back to Jezreel.