Study Desk

Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "There are many of you, so you go first. Choose a bull and prepare it, but don't start your fire."

So the prophets took the bull that was given to them and prepared it. They started praying to Baal and prayed until noon. They said, "Baal, please answer us!" But there was no sound. No one answered. Then they began jumping around on the altar they had built.

So the prophets prayed louder. They cut themselves with swords and spears. (This was the way they worshiped.) They cut themselves until they were bleeding all over.

Then Elijah said to all the people, "Now come here." So they gathered around Elijah. The Lord 's altar had been torn down, so Elijah repaired it.

Then Elijah said, "Get the prophets of Baal! Don't let any of them escape!" So the people captured all the prophets. Then Elijah led them down to Kishon Creek and killed them all.

So King Ahab went to eat. At the same time Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel. At the top of the mountain, Elijah bent down. He put his head between his knees.

So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah and said, "I swear that by this time tomorrow, you will be just as dead as those prophets. If I don't succeed, may the gods do the same or worse to me."

When Elijah heard this, he was afraid. So he ran away to save his life. He took his servant with him, and they went to Beersheba in Judah. Then Elijah left his servant in Beersheba

So Elijah got up. He ate and drank and felt strong. Then Elijah walked for 40 days and nights to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God.

So Elijah left that place and went to find Elisha son of Shaphat. Elisha was plowing 12 acres of land and was working on the last acre when Elijah came. Elijah went to Elisha and put his coat on Elisha.

The message was, "Ben-Hadad says, ‘Your silver and your gold are mine, and so are the best of your wives and children.'"

Then the messengers came back to Ahab. They said, "Ben-Hadad says, ‘I told you before that all of your silver and gold and your wives and children belong to me. So give them to me!

So King Ahab called a meeting of all the elders of his country and said, "Look, Ben-Hadad is looking for trouble. First he told me that I must give him my wives and children and my silver and gold. I agreed to give them to him."

So Ahab sent a message to Ben-Hadad that said, "I will do what you said at first, but I cannot obey your second command." King Ben-Hadad's men carried the message to the king.

King Ben-Hadad was drinking in his tent with the other rulers when the messengers came back and gave him the message from King Ahab. King Ben-Hadad commanded his men to prepare to attack the city, so the men moved into their places for the battle.

So Ahab gathered the young helpers of the government officials. There were 232 of these young men. Then the king called together the army of Israel. The total number was 7000.

So Ben-Hadad said, "They might be coming to fight or they might be coming to ask for peace. Capture them alive."

Each of the men of Israel killed the man who had come against him. So the men from Aram began to run away and the army of Israel chased them. King Ben-Hadad escaped on a horse with the chariots.

King Ahab led the army and attacked all the horses and chariots. So King Ahab made the Arameans suffer a great defeat.

Then the prophet went to King Ahab and said, "The king of Aram will come back to fight again next spring. So go back and strengthen your army and make careful plans to defend yourself against him."