1 Kings 18:24

THE MESSAGE

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."

Contemporary English Version
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.

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 challenged the people: "How long are you going to sit on the fence? If God is the real God, follow him; if it's Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!" Nobody said a word; nobody made a move. ²²Then Elijah said, "I'm the only prophet of God left in Israel; and there are 450 prophets of Baal. Let the Baal prophets bring up two oxen; let them pick one, butcher it, and lay it out on an altar on firewood—but don't ignite it. I'll take the other ox, cut it up, and lay it on the wood. But neither will I light the fire. Then you pray to your gods and I'll pray to God . The god who answers with fire will prove to be, in fact, God." All the people agreed: "A good plan—do it!" ²⁵ Elijah told the Baal prophets, "Choose your ox and prepare it. You go first, you're the majority. Then pray to your god, but don't light the fire." ²⁶ So they took the ox he had given them, prepared it for the altar, then prayed to Baal. They prayed all morning long, "O Baal, answer us!" But nothing happened—not so much as a whisper of breeze. Desperate, they jumped and stomped on the altar they had made. ²⁷By noon, Elijah had started making fun of them, taunting, "Call a little louder—he is a god, after all. Maybe he's off meditating somewhere or other, or maybe he's gotten involved in a project, or maybe he's on vacation. You don't suppose he's overslept, do you, and needs to be waked up?" They prayed louder and louder, cutting themselves with swords and knives—a ritual common to them—until they were covered with blood. ²⁹ This went on until well past noon. They used every religious trick and strategy they knew to make something happen on the altar, but nothing happened—not so much as a whisper, not a flicker of response. ³⁰Then Elijah told the people, "Enough of that—it's my turn. Gather around." And they gathered. He then put the altar back together for by now it was in ruins. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes of Jacob, the same Jacob to whom God had said, "From now on your name is Israel." He built the stones into the altar in honor of God . Then Elijah dug a fairly wide trench around the altar. He laid firewood on the altar, cut up the ox, put it on the wood, and said, "Fill four buckets with water and drench both the ox and the firewood." Then he said, "Do it again," and they did it. Then he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it a third time. The altar was drenched and the trench was filled with water. ³⁶When it was time for the sacrifice to be offered, Elijah the prophet came up and prayed, "O God , God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make it known right now that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I'm doing what I'm doing under your orders. Answer me, God ; O answer me and reveal to this people that you are God , the true God, and that you are giving these people another chance at repentance." ³⁸ Immediately the fire of God fell and burned up the offering, the wood, the stones, the dirt, and even the water in the trench. ³⁹ All the people saw it happen and fell on their faces in awed worship, exclaiming, " God is the true God! God is the true God!"

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
God said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh saying, ‘Me? Have a baby? An old woman like me?' Is anything too hard for God ? I'll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby."

Genesis 18:32
He wouldn't quit, "Don't get angry, Master—this is the last time. What if you only come up with ten?" "For the sake of only ten, I won't destroy the city."

Jeremiah 5:1
"Patrol Jerusalem's streets. Look around. Take note. Search the market squares. See if you can find one man, one woman, A single soul who does what is right and tries to live a true life. I want to forgive that person." God 's Decree. "But if all they do is say, ‘As sure as God lives...' they're nothing but a bunch of liars."

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.