³⁰ Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar^(A) of the Lord, which had been torn down. ³¹ Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.”^{(B) 32} With the stones he built an altar in the name^(C) of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs^[a] of seed. ³³ He arranged^(D) the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”

³⁴ “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.

“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. ³⁵ The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

³⁶ At the time^(E) of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham,^(F) Isaac and Israel, let it be known^(G) today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.^{(H) 37} Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know^(I) that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

³⁸ Then the fire^(J) of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

³⁹ When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate^(K) and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”^(L)

³ Elijah was afraid^[a] and ran^(A) for his life.^(B) When he came to Beersheba^(C) in Judah, he left his servant there, ⁴ while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush,^(D) sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life;^(E) I am no better than my ancestors.” ⁵ Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.^(F)

All at once an angel^(G) touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” ⁶ He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

⁷ The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” ⁸ So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty^(H) days and forty nights until he reached Horeb,^(I) the mountain of God. ⁹ There he went into a cave^(J) and spent the night.

The Lord Appears to Elijah

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”^(K)

¹⁰ He replied, “I have been very zealous^(L) for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant,^(M) torn down your altars,^(N) and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left,^(O) and now they are trying to kill me too.”

¹¹ The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain^(P) in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”^(Q)

Then a great and powerful wind^(R) tore the mountains apart and shattered^(S) the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire,^(T) but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.^{(U) 13} When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face^(V) and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”