The First of Kings

18 After some time, for the third year, Jehovah tell E·li′jah say: “Go, show yourself to A′hab, and I go make rain fall for ground.” 2 So E·li′jah go show imself to A′hab. That time, hunger dey Sa·mar′i·a no be small.

3 As this things de happen, A′hab call O·ba·di′ah wey de take care of im house. (This O·ba·di′ah na person wey de fear Jehovah no be small. 4 When Jez′e·bel de kill Jehovah prophets, O·ba·di′ah take 100 prophets and e hide 50 for one cave, and 50 for another cave, and e de give them bread and water.) 5 Then A′hab tell O·ba·di′ah say: “Go all the areas for the land wey water de come out from ground, and all the lowlands.* Maybe we go see enough grass for our horse them and our mules,* so that them go dey alive and all our animals no go die.” 6 So them divide the land to know where each of them go go. Only A′hab go one side, and only O·ba·di′ah go the other side.

7 As O·ba·di′ah de go im own side, E·li′jah go meet-am for there. As O·ba·di′ah see-am, na once e just know say na E·li′jah be that, e come fall face ground and talk say: “My lord E·li′jah, na you be this?” 8 E answer-am say: “Na me, go tell your lord say: ‘E·li′jah dey here.’” 9 But e tell-am say: “Which sin I commit, wey make you want put me your servant for A′hab hand say make e kill me? 10 As Jehovah your God dey alive, e no get any nation or kingdom wey my lord no send people to go look for you. When the people talk say, ‘E no dey here,’ e go make the kingdom and the nation swear say them no see you. 11 Now you de talk say, ‘Go tell your lord say: “E·li′jah dey here.”’ 12 When I comot from your side, the spirit of Jehovah go carry you go where I no know, and when I tell A′hab and e no see you, e go surely kill me. But me your servant don de fear Jehovah from when I dey young. 13 Them no tell you my lord wetin I do when Jez′e·bel de kill the prophets of Jehovah? How I hide 100 prophets of Jehovah, 50 for one cave and 50 for another cave, and I continue to give them bread and water. 14 But now you de tell me say, ‘Go tell your lord say: “E·li′jah dey here.”’ E go surely kill me.” 15 But E·li′jah talk say: “As Jehovah of armies wey I de serve* dey alive, today, I go let-am see me.”

16 So O·ba·di′ah go meet A′hab and tell-am, and A′hab go meet E·li′jah.

17 As A′hab just see E·li′jah, e talk say: “Na you be this, you wey don cause big problem for Israel?”

18 So e tell-am say: “I no cause problem for Israel, but na you and your papa family don cause-am, as una leave the commandments of Jehovah and una de follow the idols of Ba′al. 19 And now, make you gather all Israel people to come meet me for Mount Car′mel, with the 450 prophets of Ba′al and the 400 prophets of the idol pole,* wey de chop for Jez′e·bel table.” 20 So A′hab send message to all the people of Israel, and them gather the prophets together for Mount Car′mel.

21 Then E·li′jah meet all the people and talk say: “How long e go take una to decide wetin una want do?* If Jehovah na the true God, follow-am, but if na Ba′al, follow-am!” But the people no answer-am. 22 Then E·li′jah tell the people say: “Na only me be the prophet of Jehovah wey remain, but the prophets of Ba′al na 450 men. 23 Make them give us two young bulls, and make the prophets of Ba′al choose one young bull and cut-am to pieces and put-am ontop wood. But make them no light fire put. I go prepare another young bull, and I go put-am ontop wood, but I no go light fire put. 24 Then una must call the name of una god, and I go call the name of Jehovah. The God wey go use fire answer go show say na im be the true God.” So all the people answer say: “Wetin you talk good.”

25 So E·li′jah tell the prophets of Ba′al say: “Make una choose one young bull and make una first prepare-am, because una plenty. Then make una call the name of una god, but make una no light fire put.” 26 So them take the young bull wey them don give them and prepare-am, and them continue to call the name of Ba′al from morning go reach afternoon, de talk say: “O Ba′al, answer us!” But them no hear any voice, and nobody de answer them. Them continue to jump round the altar wey them don make. 27 When e don reach afternoon, E·li′jah start to laugh them and de talk say: “Make una shout well-well! After all, na god e be! E fit be say e de think many things or e don go ease imself.* Or e fit be say e de sleep and person need to go wake-am up!” 28 Them be de shout with all their voice and de cut theirself with daggers and lance* them, as them de normally do, until their blood start to rush out and full all their body. 29 Afternoon pass, and them continue to behave anyhow* until the time for evening when people de do grain offering, but them no hear any voice and nobody de answer; nobody de listen.

30 At last, E·li′jah tell all the people say: “Make una come my side.” So all the people come meet-am. Then e repair the altar of Jehovah wey them don scatter. 31 Then E·li′jah take 12 stones, wey be the same number with the tribes of the sons of Jacob, wey Jehovah tell say: “Your name go be Israel.” 32 E use the stones build altar for Jehovah name. Then e dig round the altar, and the place wey e dig big reach to fit plant two baskets* of seed. 33 After that one, e arrange the pieces of wood, cut the young bull to pieces, and put-am ontop the wood. Then e talk say: “Make una fetch water full four big containers and pour-am ontop the animal wey them want use do sacrifice and ontop the pieces of wood.” 34 Then e talk say: “Do-am again.” So them do-am again. E still talk say: “Do-am the third time.” So them do-am the third time. 35 And the water go round the altar, and e still pour water full the place wey e dig.

36 Around the time for evening when people de do grain offering, prophet E·li′jah come out and talk say: “O Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make people know today say you be God for Israel, and say I be your servant and na you talk say make I do all this things. 37 Answer me, O Jehovah! Answer me so that this people go know say you, Jehovah, na the true God, and say you de turn their heart make e come back to you.”

38 As e talk this one, fire from Jehovah come down and burn the animal, the pieces of wood, the stones, and the dust, and e dry all the water from the place wey e don dig. 39 When all the people see this one, quick-quick, them fall face down and de talk say: “Na Jehovah be the true God! Na Jehovah be the true God!” 40 Then E·li′jah tell them say: “Hold the prophets of Ba′al! No let any one of them run comot!” Quick-quick, them hold them, and E·li′jah carry them go down go the stream* of Ki′shon, and e kill them for there.

41 Now, E·li′jah tell A′hab say: “Make you go up, make you go chop and drink, because I de hear the sound of heavy rain wey go soon fall.” 42 So A′hab go up go chop and drink, but E·li′jah climb go the up-up part for Mount Car′mel and e bend down and continue to put im face between im knees. 43 Then e tell im servant say: “Abeg, make you go up, and look the side of the sea.” So e go up and look and e talk say: “I no see anything at all.” E·li′jah tell-am seven times say, “Go back.” 44 For the seventh time, im servant talk say: “See! Small cloud like person hand de come out from the sea.” Then E·li′jah talk say: “Go tell A′hab say, ‘Prepare your chariot! Go down so that the heavy rain no go hold you!’” 45 Small time, cloud come gather and make the sky dark, breeze start to blow, and heavy rain start to fall, and A′hab continue to ride im chariot until e reach Jez′re·el. 46 But Jehovah give E·li′jah power* and e tie im cloth around im hips and e run pass A′hab go reach Jez′re·el.