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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

1 Kings 18:24

The prophets of Baal will pray to their god, and I will pray to the Lord . The one who answers by starting the fire is God. "That's a good idea," everyone agreed.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ahab;   Carmel;   Elijah;   Miracles;   Prayer;   Revivals;   Thompson Chain Reference - Awakenings and Religious Reforms;   Awakenings, Religious;   Elijah;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Carmel;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Name;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Call, Calling;   Miracle;   Offerings and Sacrifices;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hospitality;   Zeal;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Moriah;   Zedekiah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Baal;   Cattle;   Elijah;   False Prophet;   False Worship;   Fertility Cult;   Gods, Pagan;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Monotheism;   Mountain;   Prayer;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ahab;   Carmel;   Haggai;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ahab ;   Baal, Baalim ;   Carmel ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Mount carmel;   Obadiah;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Carmel;   Elijah;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Car'mel;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Altar;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Abraham;   Elijah;   Fire;   God;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Memra;  

Devotionals:

- Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life - Devotion for July 25;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The God who answers with fire, he is God.”
Hebrew Names Version
Call you on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, let him be God. All the people answered, It is well spoken.
King James Version
And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord : and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
English Standard Version
And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord , and the God who answers by fire, he is God." And all the people answered, "It is well spoken."
New Century Version
You prophets of Baal, pray to your god, and I will pray to the Lord . The god who answers by setting fire to his wood is the true God." All the people agreed that this was a good idea.
New English Translation
Then you 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." All the people responded, "This will be a fair test."
Amplified Bible
"Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the god who answers by fire, He is God." And all the people answered, "It is well spoken."
New American Standard Bible
"Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God." And all the people replied, "That is a good idea."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then call ye on the name of your god, & I will call on the name of the Lorde: and then the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered, and sayde, It is well spoken.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh, and the God who answers by fire, He is God." And all the people answered and said, "That is a good word."
Complete Jewish Bible
Then, you, call on the name of your god; and I will call on the name of Adonai ; and the God who answers with fire, let him be God!" All the people answered, "Good idea! Agreed!"
Darby Translation
And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of Jehovah; and the god that answers by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, The word is good.
Easy-to-Read Version
Prophets of Baal, pray to your god, and I will pray to the Lord . Whichever god answers the prayer and starts the fire is the true God." All the people agreed that this was a good idea.
George Lamsa Translation
And you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD my God; and the God who answers by fire, he is God. And all the people answered and said, You have spoken well.
Good News Translation
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.
Lexham English Bible
Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh, and it shall be that the god who answers by fire, he is God." Then all the people answered and said, "The word is good!"
Literal Translation
And you shall call on the name of your god; and I, I will call on the name of Jehovah; and it shall be, the god who answers by fire, he is the God. And all the people answered and said, The word is good.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
call ye then vpo the name of yor god, & I wil call vpo the name of the LORDE: loke which God now answereth with fyre, let the same be God. And all the people answered & sayde: That is righte.
American Standard Version
And call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Jehovah; and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
Bible in Basic English
And do you make prayers to your god, and I will make a prayer to the Lord: and it will be clear that the one who gives an answer by fire is God. And all the people in answer said, It is well said.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And call ye on the name of your gods, & I wyl call on the name of the Lorde: and then the God that aunswereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people aunswered and saide, It is wel spoken.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God.' And all the people answered and said: 'It is well spoken.'
King James Version (1611)
And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the Name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered, and said, It is well spoken.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And do ye call loudly on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord my God, and it shall come to pass that the God who shall answer by fire, he is God. And all the people answered and said, The word which thou hast spoken is good.
English Revised Version
And call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
Berean Standard Bible
Then you may call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers by fire, He is God." And all the people answered, "What you say is good."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Clepe ye the name of youre goddis, and Y schal clepe the name of my God; and the God that herith bi fier, be he God. And al the puple answeride, and seide, The resoun is best, `which resoun Elie spak.
Young's Literal Translation
and ye have called in the name of your god, and I -- I call in the name of Jehovah, and it hath been, the god who answereth by fire -- He [is] the God.' And all the people answer and say, `Good [is] the word.'
Update Bible Version
And you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh; and the God that answers by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
Webster's Bible Translation
And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
World English Bible
Call you on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh; and the God who answers by fire, let him be God. All the people answered, It is well spoken.
New King James Version
Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God." So all the people answered and said, "It is well spoken."
New Living Translation
Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord . The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!" And all the people agreed.
New Life Bible
Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The God Who answers by fire, He is God." All the people answered and said, "That is a good idea."
New Revised Standard
Then you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord ; the god who answers by fire is indeed God." All the people answered, "Well spoken!"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then shall ye call on the name of your god, and, I, will call on the name of Yahweh, and it shall be, the God that respondeth by fire, he, is GOD. And all the people responded - Well spoken!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Call ye on the names of your gods, and I will call on the name of my Lord: and the God that shall answer by fire, let him be God. And all the people answering, said: A very good proposal.
Revised Standard Version
And you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, he is God." And all the people answered, "It is well spoken."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, He is God." And all the people said, "That is a good idea."

Contextual Overview

21 Elijah stood in front of them and said, "How much longer will you try to have things both ways? If the Lord is God, worship him! But if Baal is God, worship him!" The people did not say a word. 22 Then Elijah continued: I am the Lord 's only prophet, but Baal has four hundred fifty prophets. 23 Bring us two bulls. Baal's prophets can take one of them, kill it, and cut it into pieces. Then they can put the meat on the wood without lighting the fire. I will do the same thing with the other bull, and I won't light a fire under it either. 24 The prophets of Baal will pray to their god, and I will pray to the Lord . The one who answers by starting the fire is God. "That's a good idea," everyone agreed. 25 Elijah said to Baal's prophets, "There are more of you, so you go first. Pick out a bull and get it ready, but don't light the fire. Then pray to your god." 26 They chose their bull, then they got it ready and prayed to Baal all morning, asking him to start the fire. They danced around the altar and shouted, "Answer us, Baal!" But there was no answer. 27 At noon, Elijah began making fun of them. "Pray louder!" he said. "Baal must be a god. Maybe he's day-dreaming or using the toilet or traveling somewhere. Or maybe he's asleep, and you have to wake him up." 28 The prophets kept shouting louder and louder, and they cut themselves with swords and knives until they were bleeding. This was the way they worshiped, 29 and they kept it up all afternoon. But there was no answer of any kind. 30 Elijah told everyone to gather around him while he repaired the Lord 's altar.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

answereth by fire: 1 Kings 18:38, Leviticus 9:24, Judges 6:21, 1 Chronicles 21:26, 2 Chronicles 7:1, 2 Chronicles 7:3

and said: 2 Samuel 14:19

It is well spoken: Heb. the word is good, Isaiah 39:8

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:4 - had Genesis 4:26 - Enos 1 Kings 18:26 - no voice 1 Kings 18:37 - Hear me 1 Kings 18:39 - The Lord Psalms 108:6 - and answer me Jeremiah 27:18 - they

Cross-References

Genesis 18:13
The Lord asked Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Does she doubt that she can have a child in her old age?
Genesis 18:14
I am the Lord ! There is nothing too difficult for me. I'll come back next year at the time I promised, and Sarah will already have a son."
Genesis 18:32
Finally, Abraham said, "Please don't get angry, Lord , if I speak just once more. Suppose you find only ten good people there." "For the sake of ten good people," the Lord told him, "I still won't destroy the city."
Isaiah 1:9
Zion would have disappeared like Sodom and Gomorrah, if the Lord All-Powerful had not let a few of its people survive.
Jeremiah 5:1
The Lord said to me: "Search Jerusalem for honest people who try to be faithful. If you can find even one, I'll forgive the whole city.
Acts 27:24
to tell me, "Paul, don't be afraid! You will stand trial before the Emperor. And because of you, God will save the lives of everyone on the ship."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And call ye on the name of your gods,.... The Baalim, the many lords and gods they served:

and I will call on the name of the Lord; the one true Jehovah and God of Israel, whom I serve:

and the God that answereth by fire; by causing fire to come down upon the sacrifice, and consume it:

let him be God; accounted, owned, and acknowledged as the true God, and so afterwards worshipped as such:

and all the people answered and said, it is well spoken; they thought it a very reasonable proposal, a very good method to determine the controversy, and come at the truth, and know who was the true God, and who not.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The God that answereth by fire - God had frequently before consumed offerings with supernatural fire Leviticus 9:24; Judges 6:21. The Baal-worshippers were no doubt in the habit of attributing thunder and lightning to their gods - the great Nature-power - and thus had no excuse for declining Elijah’s challenge.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 24. The God that answereth by fire — Elijah gave them every advantage when he granted that the God who answered by fire should be acknowledged as the true God; for as the Baal who was worshipped here was incontestably Apollo, or the sun, he was therefore the god of fire, and had only to work in his own element.


 
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