Thematic Bible: A fearless reformer

And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, Is it thou, thou troubler of Israel? And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of LORD, and thou have followed the Baalim. Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, who eat at Jezebel's table. read more.
So Ahab sent to all the sons of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to mount Carmel. And Elijah came near to all the people, and said, How long do ye go limping between the two sides? If LORD be God, follow him, but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Then Elijah said to the people, I, even I only, am left a prophet of LORD, but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks, and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under. And I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on the wood, and put no fi And call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of LORD. And the God that answers by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. And Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first, for ye are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under. And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped about the alt And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is meditating, or he is gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it was so, when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the [evening] oblation, but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. And Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of LORD that was thrown down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob to whom the word of LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name. And with the stones he built an altar in the name of LORD. And he made a trench around the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it on the wood. And he said, Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt-offering, and on the wood. And he said, Do it the second time, and they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time, and they did it the third time. And the water ran round about the altar, and he also filled the trench with water. And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the [evening] oblation, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, O LORD, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou are God in Israel, and Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou, LORD, are God, and [that] thou have turned their heart back again. Then the fire of LORD fell, and consumed the burnt-offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. And they said, LORD, he is God, LORD, he is God. and Elijah said to them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them, and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.