36. When it was time to offer the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward. He prayed, "Lord, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Today let everyone know that you are God in Israel. Let them know I'm your servant. Let them know I've done all of these things because you commanded me to.
37. Answer me. Lord, answer me. Then these people will know that you are the one and only God. They'll know that you are turning their hearts back to you again."
38. The fire of the Lord came down. It burned up the sacrifice. It burned up the wood and the stones and the soil. It even licked up the water in the ditch.
39. All of the people saw it. Then they fell down flat with their faces toward the ground. They cried out, "The Lord is the one and only God! The Lord is the one and only God!"
40. Then Elijah commanded them, "Grab hold of the prophets of Baal. Don't let a single one of them get away!" So they grabbed them. Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley. There he had them put to death.
41. Elijah said to Ahab, "Go. Eat and drink. I can hear the sound of a heavy rain."
42. So Ahab went off to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel. He bent down toward the ground. Then he put his face between his knees.
43. "Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. So he went up and looked. "I don't see anything there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."
44. The seventh time the servant said, "I see a cloud. It's as small as a man's hand. It's coming up over the sea." Elijah said, "Go to Ahab. Tell him, 'Tie your chariot to your horse. Go down to Jezreel before the rain stops you.' "
45. Black clouds filled the sky. The wind came up, and a heavy rain began to fall. Ahab rode off to Jezreel.