3 Kingdoms 18

Βασιλειῶν Γ´

1 ΚΑΙ ἐγένετο μεθ᾿ ἡμέρας πολλὰς καὶ ρῆμα Κυρίου ἐγένετο πρὸς Ἠλιοὺ ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ τῷ τρίτῳ λέγων· πορεύθητι καὶ ὄφθητι τῷ Ἀχαάβ, καὶ δώσω ὑετὸν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς.

And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Eliu in the third year, saying, Go, and appear before Achaab, and I will bring rain upon the face of the earth.

2 καὶ ἐπορεύθη Ἠλιοὺ τοῦ ὀφθῆναι τῷ Ἀχαάβ, καὶ ἡ λιμὸς κραταιὰ ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ.

And Eliu went to appear before Achaab: and the famine [was] severe in Samaria.

3 καὶ ἐκάλεσεν Ἀχαὰβ τὸν Ἀβδιοὺ τὸν οἰκονόμον· (καὶ Ἀβδιοὺ ἦν φοβούμενος τὸν Κύριον σφόδρα,

And Achaab called Abdiu the steward. Now Abdiu feared the Lord greatly.

4 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ τύπτειν τὴν Ἰεζάβελ τοὺς προφήτας Κυρίου καὶ ἔλαβεν Ἀβδιοὺ ἑκατὸν ἄνδρας προφήτας καὶ κατέκρυψεν αὐτοὺς κατὰ πεντήκοντα ἐν σπηλαίῳ καὶ διέτρεφεν αὐτοὺς ἐν ἄρτῳ καὶ ὕδατι·)

And it came to pass when Jezabel struck the prophets of the Lord, that Abdiu took one hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.

5 καὶ εἶπεν Ἀχαὰβ πρὸς Ἀβδιού· δεῦρο καὶ διέλθωμεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ ἐπὶ πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων καὶ ἐπὶ χειμάρρους, ἐάν πως εὕρωμεν βοτάνην καὶ περιποιησώμεθα ἵππους καὶ ἡμιόνους, καὶ οὐκ ἐξολοθρευθήσονται ἀπὸ τῶν σκηνῶν.

And Achaab said to Abdiu, Come, and let us go through the land, and to the fountains of water, and to the brooks, if by any means we may find grass, and may save the horses and mules, and so they will not perish from the tents.

6 καὶ ἐμέρισαν ἑαυτοῖς τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ διελθεῖν αὐτήν· Ἀχαὰβ ἐπορεύθη ἐν ὁδῷ μιᾷ καὶ Ἀβδιοὺ ἐπορεύθη ἐν ὁδῷ ἄλλῃ μόνος.

And they made a division of the way between them to pass through it: Achaab went one way, and Abdiu went by another way alone.

7 καὶ ἦν Ἀβδιοὺ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ μόνος, καὶ ἦλθεν Ἠλιοὺ εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτοῦ μόνος· καὶ Ἀβδιοὺ ἔσπευσεν καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν· εἰ σὺ εἶ αὐτός, κύριέ μου Ἠλιού;

And Abdiu was alone in the way; and Eliu came alone to meet him: and Abdiu hasted, and fell upon his face, and said, My lord Eliu, are you [indeed] he?

8 καὶ εἶπεν Ἠλιοὺ αὐτῷ· ἐγώ. πορεύου, λέγε τῷ κυρίῳ σου· ἰδοὺ Ἠλιού.

And Eliu said to him, I [am]: go say to your master, Behold, Eliu [is here].

9 καὶ εἶπεν Ἀβδιού· τί ἡμάρτηκα, ὅτι δίδως τὸν δοῦλόν σου εἰς χεῖρα Ἀχαὰβ τοῦ θανατῶσαί με;

And Abdiu said, What sin have I committed, that you give your servant into the hand of Achaab to kill me?

10 ζῇ Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, εἰ ἔστιν ἔθνος ἢ βασιλεία, οὗ οὐκ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ κύριός μου ζητεῖν σε, καὶ εἰ εἶπον· οὐκ ἔστι, καὶ ἐνέπρησε τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ τὰς χώρας αὐτῆς, ὅτι οὐχ εὕρηκέ σε.

[As] the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom, whither my lord has not sent to seek you; and if they said, He is not [here], then has he set fire to the kingdom and its territories, because he has not found you.

11 καὶ νῦν σὺ λέγεις· πορεύου, ἀνάγγελλε τῷ κυρίῳ σου· ἰδοὺ Ἠλιού.

And now you say, Go, tell your lord, Behold, Eliu [is here].

12 καὶ ἔσται ἐὰν ἐγὼ ἀπέλθω ἀπὸ σοῦ, καὶ πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἀρεῖ σε εἰς τὴν γῆν, ἣν οὐκ οἶδα, καὶ εἰσελεύσομαι ἀπαγγεῖλαι τῷ Ἀχαάβ, καὶ οὐχ εὑρήσει σε, καὶ ἀποκτενεῖ με· καὶ ὁ δοῦλός σού ἐστι φοβούμενος τὸν Κύριον ἐκ νεότητος αὐτοῦ.

And it shall come to pass when I shall have departed from you, that the Spirit of the Lord shall carry you to a land which I know not, and I shall go in to tell the matter to Achaab, and he will not find you and will kill me: yet your servant fears the Lord from his youth.

13 ᾖ οὐκ ἀπηγγέλη σοι τῷ κυρίῳ μου, οἷα πεποίηκα ἐν τῷ ἀποκτείνειν τὴν Ἰεζάβελ τοὺς προφήτας Κυρίου, καὶ ἔκρυψα ἀπὸ τῶν προφητῶν Κυρίου ἑκατὸν ἄνδρας, ἀνὰ πεντήκοντα ἐν σπηλαίῳ, καὶ ἔθρεψα ἐν ἄρτοις καὶ ὕδατι;

Has it not been told to you my lord, what I did when Jezabel killed the prophets of the Lord, that I hid one hundred men of the prophets of the Lord, by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?

14 καὶ νῦν σὺ λέγεις μοι· πορεύου, λέγε τῷ κυρίῳ σου· ἰδοὺ Ἠλιού· καὶ ἀποκτενεῖ με;

And now you say to me, Go, say to your master, Behold, Eliu [is here]: and he shall kill me.

15 καὶ εἶπεν Ἠλιού· ζῇ Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων, ᾧ παρέστην ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, ὅτι σήμερον ὀφθήσομαι αὐτῷ.

And Eliu said, [As] the Lord of Hosts before whom I stand lives, today I will appear before him.

16 καὶ ἐπορεύθη Ἀβδιοὺ εἰς συναντὴν τῷ Ἀχαὰβ καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ· καὶ ἐξέδραμεν Ἀχαὰβ καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς συνάντησιν Ἠλιού.

And Abdiu went to meet Achaab, and told him: and Achaab hasted forth, and went to meet Eliu.

17 Καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς εἶδεν Ἀχαὰβ τὸν Ἠλιού, καὶ εἶπεν Ἀχαὰβ πρὸς Ἠλιού· εἰ σὺ εἶ αὐτὸς ὁ διαστρέφων τὸν Ἰσραήλ;

And it came to pass when Achaab saw Eliu, that Achaab said to Eliu, Are you he that perverts Israel?

18 καὶ εἶπεν Ἠλιού· οὐ διαστρέφω τὸν Ἰσραήλ, ὅτι ἀλλ᾿ ἢ σὺ καὶ οἶκος τοῦ πατρός σου ἐν τῷ καταλιμπάνειν ὑμᾶς τὸν Κύριον Θεὸν ὑμῶν καὶ ἐπορεύθης ὀπίσω τῶν Βααλίμ.

And Eliu said, I do not pervert Israel; but it is you and your father's house, in that you⌃ forsake the Lord your God, and you have gone after Baalim.

19 καὶ νῦν ἀπόστειλον, συνάθροισον πρός με πάντα Ἰσραὴλ εἰς ὄρος τὸ Καρμήλιον καὶ τοὺς προφήτας τῆς αἰσχύνης τετρακοσίους καὶ πεντήκοντα καὶ τοὺς προφήτας τῶν ἀλσῶν τετρακοσίου ἐσθίοντας τράπεζαν Ἰεζάβελ.

And now send, gather to me all Israel to mount Carmel, and the prophets of shame four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, that eat [at] Jezabel's table.

20 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ἀχαὰβ εἰς πάντα Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἐπισυνήγαγε πάντας τοὺς προφήτας εἰς ὄρος τὸ Καρμήλιον.

And Achaab sent to all Israel, and gathered all the prophets to mount Carmel.

21 καὶ προσήγαγεν Ἠλιοὺ πρὸς πάντας, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Ἠλιού· ἕως πότε ὑμεῖς χωλανεῖτε ἐπ᾿ ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς ἰγνύαις; εἰ ἔστι Κύριος ὁ Θεός, πορεύεσθε ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ· εἰ δὲ ὁ Βάαλ, πορεύεσθε ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ. καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ λαὸς λόγον.

And Eliu drew near to them all: and Eliu said to them, How long will you⌃ halt on both feet? if the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, follow him. And the people answered not a word.

22 καὶ εἶπεν Ἠλιοὺ πρὸς τὸν λαόν· ἐγὼ ὑπολέλειμμαι προφήτης τοῦ Κυρίου μονώτατος, καὶ οἱ προφῆται τοῦ Βάαλ τετρακόσιοι καὶ πεντήκοντα ἄνδρες, καὶ οἱ προφῆται τοῦ ἄλσους τετρακόσιοι·

And Eliu said to the people, I am left, the only one prophet of the Lord; and the prophets of Baal [are] four hundred and fifty men, and the prophets of the groves four hundred.

23 δότωσαν ἡμῖν δύο βόας, καὶ ἐκλεξάσθωσαν ἑαυτοῖς τὸν ἕνα καὶ μελισάτωσαν καὶ ἐπιθέτωσαν ἐπὶ τῶν ξύλων καὶ πῦρ μὴ ἐπιθέτωσαν, καὶ ἐγὼ ποιήσω τὸν βοῦν τὸν ἄλλον, καὶ πῦρ οὐ μὴ ἐπιθῶ.

Let them give us two oxen, and let them choose one for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire [on] the wood: and I will dress the other bullock, and put on no fire.

24 καὶ βοᾶτε ἐν ὀνόματι θεῶν ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐγὼ ἐπικαλέσομαι ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ μου, καὶ ἔσται ὁ θεὸς ὃς ἐὰν ἐπακούσῃ ἐν πυρί, οὗτος Θεός. καὶ ἀπεκρίθησαν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς καὶ εἶπον· καλὸν τὸ ρῆμα, ὃ ἐλάλησας.

And do you⌃ 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 you have spoken [is] good.

25 καὶ εἶπεν Ἠλιοὺ τοῖς προφήταις τῆς αἰσχύνης· ἐκλέξασθε ἑαυτοῖς τὸν μόσχον τὸν ἕνα καὶ ποιήσατε πρῶτοι, ὅτι πολλοὶ ὑμεῖς, καὶ ἐπικαλέσασθε ἐν ὀνόματι θεοῦ ὑμῶν καὶ πῦρ μὴ ἐπιθῆτε.

And Eliu said to the prophets of shame, Choose to yourselves one calf, and dress it first, for you⌃ [are] many; and call you⌃ on the name of your god; but apply no fire.

26 καὶ ἔλαβον τὸν μόσχον καὶ ἐποίησαν καὶ ἐπεκαλοῦντο ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ Βάαλ ἐκ πρωΐθεν ἕως μεσημβρίας καὶ εἶπον· ἐπάκουσον ἡμῶν, ὁ Βάαλ, ἐπάκουσον ἡμῶν· καὶ οὐκ ἦν φωνὴ καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἀκρόασις· καὶ διέτρεχον ἐπὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, οὗ ἐποίησαν.

And they took the calf and dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning till noon, and said, hear us, O Baal, hear us. And there was no voice, neither was there hearing, and they ran up and down on the altar which they [had] made.

27 καὶ ἐγένετο μεσημβρία καὶ ἐμυκτήρισεν αὐτοὺς Ἠλιοὺ ὁ Θεσβίτης καὶ εἶπεν· ἐπικαλεῖσθε ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ, ὅτι θεός ἐστιν, ὅτι ἀδολεσχία αὐτῷ ἐστι, καὶ ἅμα μή ποτε χρηματίζει αὐτός, ἢ μή ποτε καθεύδει αὐτός, καὶ ἐξαναστήσεται.

And it was noon, and Eliu the Thesbite mocked them, and said, Call with a loud voice, for he is a god; for he is meditating, or else perhaps he is engaged in business, or perhaps he is asleep, and is to be awaked.

28 καὶ ἐπεκαλοῦντο ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ καὶ κατετέμνοντο κατὰ τὸν ἐθισμὸν αὐτῶν ἐν μαχαίραις καὶ σειρομάσταις ἕως ἐκχύσεως αἵματος ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς·

And they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves according to their custom with knives and lancets until the blood gushed out upon them.

29 καὶ ἐπροφήτευον ἕως οὗ παρῆλθε τὸ δειλινόν. καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ὁ καιρὸς τοῦ ἀναβῆναι τὴν θυσίαν καὶ οὐκ ἦν φωνή. καὶ ἐλάλησεν Ἠλιοὺ ὁ Θεσβίτης πρὸς τοὺς προφήτας τῶν προσοχθισμάτων λέγων· μετάστητε ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν, καὶ ἐγὼ ποιήσω τὸ ὁλοκαύτωμά μου. καὶ μετέστησαν, καὶ ἀπῆλθον.

And they prophesied until the evening came; and it came to pass as it was the time of the offering of the sacrifice, that Eliu the Thesbite spoke to the prophets of the abominations, saying, Stand by for the present, and I will offer my sacrifice. And they stood aside and departed.

30 καὶ εἶπεν Ἠλιοὺ πρὸς τὸν λαόν· προσαγάγετε πρός με· καὶ προσήγαγε πᾶς ὁ λαὸς πρὸς αὐτόν.

And Eliu said to the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near to him.

31 καὶ ἔλαβεν Ἠλιοὺ δώδεκα λίθους κατὰ ἀριθμὸν φυλῶν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, ὡς ἐλάλησε Κύριος πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγων· Ἰσραὴλ ἔσται τὸ ὄνομά σου.

And Eliu took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, as the Lord spoke to him, saying, Israel shall be your name.

32 καὶ ᾠκοδόμησε τοὺς λίθους ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου καὶ ἰάσατο τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ κατεσκαμμένον, καὶ ἐποίησε θάλασσαν χωροῦσαν δύο μετρητὰς σπέρματος κυκλόθεν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου.

And he built up the stones in the name of the Lord, and repaired the altar that had been broken down; and he made a trench that would hold two measures of seed round about the altar.

33 καὶ ἐστοίβασε τὰς σχίδακας ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον, ὃ ἐποίησε, καὶ ἐμέλισε τὸ ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ ἐπέθηκεν ἐπὶ τὰς σχίδακας καὶ ἐστοίβασεν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον καὶ εἶπε· λάβετέ μοι τέσσαρας ὑδρίας ὕδατος καὶ ἐπιχέετε ἐπὶ τὸ ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς σχίδακας· καὶ ἐποίησαν οὕτως.

And he piled the cleft wood on the altar which he [had] made, and divided the whole burnt offering, and laid [it] on the wood, and laid [it] in order on the altar, and said, Fetch me four pitchers of water, and pour [it] on the whole burnt offering, and on the wood. And they did so. 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. (verse 18:33-34 in Brenton's English)

34 καὶ εἶπε· δευτερώσατε· καὶ ἐδευτέρωσαν. καὶ εἶπε· τρισσώσατε· καὶ ἐτρίσσευσαν.

This verse is not in Brenton's English, which follows another reading of the Greek.

35 καὶ διεπορεύετο τὸ ὕδωρ κύκλῳ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν ἔπλησαν ὕδατος.

And the water ran round about the altar, and they filled the trench with water.

36 καὶ ἀνεβόησεν Ἠλιοὺ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ εἶπε· Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς Ἁβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰσραήλ, ἐπάκουσόν μου, Κύριε, ἐπάκουσόν μου σήμερον ἐν πυρί, καὶ γνώτωσαν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς οὗτος ὅτι σὺ εἶ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἐγὼ δοῦλός σου καὶ διὰ σὲ πεποίηκα τὰ ἔργα ταῦτα.

And Eliu cried aloud to the heaven, and said, Lord God of Abraam, and Isaac, and Israel, answer me, O Lord, answer me this day by fire, and let all this people know that you are the Lord, the God of Israel, and I [am] your servant, and for your sake I have wrought these works.

37 ἐπάκουσόν μου, Κύριε, ἐπάκουσόν μου ἐν πυρί, καὶ γνώτω ὁ λαὸς οὗτος, ὅτι σὺ εἶ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς καὶ σὺ ἔστρεψας τὴν καρδίαν τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου ὀπίσω.

Hear me, O Lord, hear me, and let this people know that you are the Lord God, and you have turned back the heart of this people.

38 καὶ ἔπεσε πῦρ παρὰ Κυρίου ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ κατέφαγε τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ τὰς σχίδακας καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, καὶ τοὺς λίθους καὶ τὸν χοῦν ἐξέλειξε τὸ πῦρ.

Then fire fell from the Lord out of heaven, and devoured the whole burnt offerings, and the wood and the water that was in the trench, and the fire licked up the stones and the earth.

39 καὶ ἔπεσε πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν καὶ εἶπον· ἀληθῶς Κύριος ὁ Θεός, αὐτὸς ὁ Θεός.

And all the people fell upon their faces, and said, Truly the Lord [is] God; he [is] God.

40 καὶ εἶπεν Ἠλιοὺ πρὸς τὸν λαόν· συλλάβετε τοὺς προφήτας τοῦ Βάαλ, μηδεὶς σωθήτω ἐξ αὐτῶν· καὶ συνέλαβον αὐτούς, καὶ κατάγει αὐτοὺς Ἠλιοὺ εἰς τὸν χειμάρρουν Κισσῶν καὶ ἔσφαξεν αὐτοὺς ἐκεῖ.

And Eliu said to the people, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them; and Eliu brings them down to the brook Kisson, and he killed them there.

41 Καὶ εἶπεν Ἠλιοὺ τῷ Ἀχαάβ· ἀνάβηθι καὶ φάγε καὶ πίε, ὅτι φωνὴ τῶν ποδῶν τοῦ ὑετοῦ.

And Eliu said to Achaab, Go up, and eat and drink, for [there is] a sound of the coming of rain.

42 καὶ ἀνέβη Ἀχαὰβ τοῦ φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν, καὶ Ἠλιοὺ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὸν Κάρμηλον καὶ ἔκυψεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ ἔθηκε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν γονάτων αὐτοῦ.

And Achaab went up to eat and to drink; and Eliu went up to Carmel, and stooped to the ground, and put his face between his knees,

43 καὶ εἶπε τῷ παιδαρίῳ αὐτοῦ· ἀνάβηθι καὶ ἐπίβλεψον ὁδὸν τῆς θαλάσσης. καὶ ἐπέβλεψεν τὸ παιδάριον καὶ εἶπεν· οὐκ ἔστιν οὐθέν. καὶ εἶπεν Ἠλιού· καὶ σὺ ἐπίστρεψον ἑπτάκις·

and said to his servant, Go up, and look towards the sea. And the servant looked, and said, There is nothing: and Eliu said, Do you then go again seven times.

44 καὶ ἐπέστρεψε τὸ παιδάριον ἑπτάκις. καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἑβδόμῳ καὶ ἰδοὺ νεφέλη μικρὰ ὡς ἴχνος ἀνδρὸς ἀνάγουσα ὕδωρ· καὶ εἶπεν· ἀνάβηθι καὶ εἶπον τῷ Ἀχαάβ· ζεῦξον τὸ ἅρμα σου καὶ κατάβηθι, μὴ καταλάβῃ σε ὁ ὑετός.

And the servant went again seven times: and it came to pass at the seventh time, that, behold, a little cloud like the sole of a man's foot brought water; and he said, Go up, and say to Achaab, make ready your chariot, and go down, lest the rain overtake you.

45 καὶ ἐγένετο ἕως ὧδε καὶ ὧδε καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς συνεσκότασε νεφέλαις καὶ πνεύματι, καὶ ἐγένετο ὑετὸς μέγας· καὶ ἔκλαιε καὶ ἐπορεύετο Ἀχαὰβ ἕως Ἰεζράελ.

And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Achaab wept, and went to Jezrael.

46 καὶ χεὶρ Κυρίου ἐπὶ τὸν Ἠλιού, καὶ συνέσφιξε τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔτρεχεν ἔμπροσθεν Ἀχαὰβ ἕως Ἰεζράελ.

And the hand of the Lord [was] upon Eliu, and he girded up his loins, and ran before Achaab to Jezrael.

Greek: the Septuagint as the Orthodox Media Network published it (Mount Athos); 2 Maccabees and the Prayer of Manasseh from Brenton's edition (1851). English: Brenton's translation (1851), its spelling updated by Michael Paul Johnson; public domain. About these texts.