to come all together to have speech with Elijah.
Then said Elijah to all that multitude,
'How long will ye halt on two sides thus?
If our Lord is God, then follow Him,
If Baal is god, follow his service.'
Then the people were silent, and Elijah resumed,
'I only am left of all God's prophets,
and Baal has four-hundred and fifty prophets.
Let them take an ox, and offer to their god,
and I will offer another ox to my God,
and let them both be surrounded with wood beneath.
Let us afterward severally entreat of God,
I of my God, that He will burn up my sacrifice
with fire from heaven, and do ye also likewise;
then let Him be the true God that sendeth fire from above.'
Then said all the people that he had spoken excellently.
Then the idolaters took the dun ox,
surrounded it with wood, as was their wont with sacrifices,
and cried to Baal that he would hear their prayer.
They stood there from early morning, lamentably crying,
until over midday, exceeding troubled,
but no answer came to them, nor was the sacrifice consumed.
Then said Elijah to the false prophets,
'Cry ye yet louder, peradventure he sleepeth,
that he may at least awaken and answer unto you.'
They cried then the more, and afflicted themselves;
but the false Baal could not gladden them.
Then Elijah took the other ox,
and surrounded it with wood in the old manner.
Then he bade men water all the wood,
and cried with single mind to the Almighty God,
' Thou Almighty God, in whom Abraham believed,
