Léctio libri primi Regum (18,20-39)
In diébus illis: Misit Achab rex ad omnes fílios Israel, et congregávit prophétas Baal in monte Carméli. Accédens autem Elías ad omnem pópulum ait: «Usquequo claudicátis in duas partes? Si Dóminus est Deus, sequímini eum; si autem Baal, sequímini illum». Et non respóndit ei pópulus verbum. Et ait rursus Elías ad pópulum: «Ego remánsi prophéta Dómini solus; prophétæ autem Baal quadringénti et quinquagínta viri sunt. Dentur nobis duo boves; et illi éligant sibi bovem unum et in frusta credéntes ponant super ligna; ignem autem non suppónant. Et ego fáciam bovem álterum, et impónam super ligna; ignem autem non suppónam. Invocáte nómina deórum vestrórum, et ego invocábo nomen Dómini mei; et Deus, qui exaudíerit per ignem, ipse sit Deus». Respóndens omnis pópulus ait: «Optima proposítio». Dixit ergo Elías prophétis Baal: «Elígite vobis bovem unum, et fácite primi, quia vos plures estis, et invocáte nómina deórum vestrórum, ignémque non supponátis». Qui, cum tulíssent bovem quem déderat eis, fecérunt, et invocábant nomen Baal de mane usque ad merídiem, dicéntes: «Baal, exáudi nos». Et non erat vox nec qui respondéret. Transiliebántque altáre quod fécerant. Cumque esset iam merídies, illudébat illis Elías, dicens: «Clamáte voce maióre: deus enim est, et fórsitan lóquitur, aut in deversório est, aut in itínere, aut certe dormit, ut excitétur». Clamábant ergo voce magna, et incidébant se iuxta ritum suum cultris et lancéolis, donec perfunderéntur sánguine. Postquam autem tránsiit merídies, et, illis prophetántibus, vénerat tempus quo sacrifícium offérri solet, nec audiebátur vox nec áliquis respondébat, nec attendébat orántes, dixit Elías omni pópulo: «Veníte ad me» Et, accedénte ad se pópulo, curávit altáre Dómini, quod destrúctum fúerat; et tulit duódecim lápides, iuxta mimérum tríbuum filiórum Iacob, ad quem factus est sermo Dómini dicens: «Israel erit nomen tuum». Et ædificávit de lapídibus altáre in nómine Dómini, fecítque aquædúctum quasi per duas aratiuúculas in circúitu altáris; et compósuit ligna, divisítque per membra bovem, et pósuit super ligna, et ait: «Impléte quáttuor hýdrias aqua, et fúndite super holocáustum et super ligna». Rursúmque dixit: «Etiam secúndo hoc fácite». Qui cum fecíssent secúndo, ait: «Etiam tértio idípsum fácite». Fecerúntque tértio, et currébant aquæ circum altáre, et fossa aquædúctus repléta est. Cumque iam tempus esset ut offerrétur holocáustum, accédens Elías prophéta ait: «Dómine, Deus Abraham et Isaac et Israel, osténde hódie quia to es Deus Israel et ego servos tuus, et iuxta præcéptum tuum feci ómnia verba hæc. Exáudi me, Dómine, exáudi me, ut discat pópulus iste, quia tu es Dóminus Deus, et tu convertísti cor eórum íterum». Cécidit autem ignis Dómini, et vorávit holocáustum, et ligna, et lápides, púlverem quoque, et aquam quæ erat in aquædúctu lambens. Quod cum vidísset omnis pópulus, cécidit in fáciem suam et ait: «Dóminus ipse est Deus. Dóminus ipse est Deus».
In those days: Achab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered together the Prophets in the mount of Carmel. And Elias coming to all the people, said: How long halt you on two sides? If our Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, follow him. And the people did not answer him a word. And Elias said again to the people: I only remain a Prophet of our Lord: and the Prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men. Let two oxen be given us, and let them choose to themselves one oxe, and cutting it into pieces let them lay it upon wood, but put no fire under: and I will dress the other oxe, and will lay it upon wood, and put no fire under. Invocate ye the names of your gods, & I will invocate the name of my Lord: and the God that shall hear by fire, let the same be God. And all the people answering said, A very good proposition. Elias therefore said to the Prophets of Baal: Choose you one oxe, and make it first, because you are many: and invocate the names of your gods, and put no fire under. Who when they had taken the oxe, which he gave them, they dressed it: and they invocated the name of Baal from morning until midday, saying: Baal hear us. And there was no voice, nor any that answered: and they leaped over the altar, that they had made. And when it was now midday, Elias jested at them, saying: Cry with a louder voice: for he is God, and perhaps he speaketh, or is in his inn, or in the way, or at the least he sleepeth, that he must be waked. They cried therefore with a loud voice, and cut themselves after their rite with knives and lancets, till they were all imbrued with blood. And after the midday was past, and whilst they prophesied, the time was come, when they used to offer sacrifice, neither voice was heard, nor any did answer, nor attend them praying: Elias said to all the people: Come unto me. And the people coming to him, he repaired the altar of our Lord, that was destroyed. And he took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the children of Jacob, to whom the word of our Lord came, saying: Israel shall be thy name. And he built of the stones an altar in the name of our Lord: and he made a water gutter, as it were by two furrows round about the altar, And he laid the wood in order, and divided the oxe in joints, and laid it upon the wood, and said: Fill four buckets with water, and pour upon the holocaust, and upon the wood. And again he said: Do it also the second time. Who having done it the second time, he said: The third time also do the same. And they did so the third time, and the waters ran about the altar, and the trough of the conduit was filled. And when it was now time that the holocaust should be offered, Elias the Prophet coming said: Lord God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, shew this day that thou art the God of Israel, and I thy servant, and that according to thy commandment I have done all these things. Hear me Lord, hear me that this people may learn, that thou art our Lord God, and thou hast converted their heart again. And the fire of our Lord fell, and devoured the holocaust, and the wood, and the stones, licking also the dust, and the water, that was in the water gutter. Which when all the people had seen, they fell on their face, and said: Our Lord he is God, our Lord he is God.