1 Raja-raja 18:21

18:21 Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision? ¹  If the Lord is the true God, ²  then follow him, but if Baal is, follow him!” But the people did not say a word.

1 Raja-raja 18:24

18:24 Then you ³  will invoke the name of your god, and I will invoke the name of the Lord. The god who responds with fire will demonstrate that he is the true God.” ⁴  All the people responded, “This will be a fair test.” ⁵ 

1 Raja-raja 18:30-39

18:30 Elijah then told all the people, “Approach me.” So all the people approached him. He repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. ⁶  18:31 Then Elijah took twelve stones, corresponding to the number of tribes that descended from Jacob, to whom the Lord had said, “Israel will be your new ⁷  name.” ⁸  18:32 With the stones he constructed an altar for the Lord. ⁹  Around the altar he made a trench large enough to contain two seahs ¹⁰  of seed. 18:33 He arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. 18:34 Then he said, “Fill four water jars and pour the water on the offering and the wood.” When they had done so, ¹¹  he said, “Do it again.” So they did it again. Then he said, “Do it a third time.” So they did it a third time. 18:35 The water flowed down all sides of the altar and filled the trench. 18:36 When it was time for the evening offering, ¹²  Elijah the prophet approached the altar ¹³  and prayed: “O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, prove ¹⁴  today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 18:37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are the true God ¹⁵  and that you are winning back their allegiance.” ¹⁶  18:38 Then fire from the Lord fell from the sky. ¹⁷  It consumed the offering, the wood, the stones, and the dirt, and licked up the water in the trench. 18:39 When all the people saw this, they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and said, “The Lord is the true God! ¹⁸  The Lord is the true God!”

[18:21]  ¹ tn Heb “How long are you going to limp around on two crutches?” (see HALOT 762 s.v. סְעִפִּים). In context this idiomatic expression refers to indecision rather than physical disability.

[18:21]  ² tn Heb “the God.”

[18:24]  ³ tn Elijah now directly addresses the prophets.

[18:24]  ⁴ tn Heb “the God.”

[18:24]  ⁵ tn Heb “The matter [i.e., proposal] is good [i.e., acceptable].”

[18:30]  ⁶ sn Torn down. The condition of the altar symbolizes the spiritual state of the people.

[18:31]  ⁷ tn The word “new” is implied but not actually present in the Hebrew text.

[18:31]  ⁸ sn Israel will be your new name. See Gen 32:28; 35:10.

[18:32]  ⁹ tn Heb “and he built the stones into an altar in the name of the Lord.”

[18:32]  ¹⁰ tn A seah was a dry measure equivalent to about seven quarts.

[18:34]  ¹¹ tn The words “when they had done so” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[18:36]  ¹² tn Heb “at the offering up of the offering.”

[18:36]  ¹³ tn The words “the altar” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[18:36]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “let it be known.”

[18:37]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the God.”

[18:37]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “that you are turning their heart[s] back.”

[18:38]  ¹⁷ tn The words “from the sky” are added for stylistic reasons.

[18:39]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “the God” (the phrase occurs twice in this verse).