KJV King James Version
And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD [be] God, follow him: but if Baal, [then] follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
1 Kings 18:21
And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD [be] God, follow him: but if Baal, [then] follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.
WEB World English Bible
Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you waver between the two sides? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people answered him not a word.
ASV American Standard Version
And Elijah came near unto all the people, and said, How long go ye limping between the two sides? if Jehovah be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
and Elijah cometh nigh unto all the people, and saith, ‘Till when are ye leaping on the two branches?—if Jehovah is God, go after Him; and if Baal, go after him;’ and the people have not answered him a word.
Surrounding context — 1 Kings 18
18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.
19 Now therefore send, [and] gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.
20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD [be] God, follow him: but if Baal, [then] follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, [even] I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets [are] four hundred and fifty men.
23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay [it] on wood, and put no fire [under]: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay [it] on wood, and put no fire [under]:
24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
וַיִּגַּ֨שׁH5066 · na.gashto approach: approachאֵלִיָּ֜הוּH452 · e.liy.yahElijahאֶל־H413 · elto(wards)כָּל־H3605 · kolallהָעָ֗םH5971 · ampeopleוַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙H559 · a.marto sayעַד־H5704 · adtillמָתַ֞יH4970 · ma.tayhowאַתֶּ֣םH859 · at.tahyou(m.s.)פֹּסְחִים֮H6452 · pa.sachto passעַל־H5921 · aluponשְׁתֵּ֣יH8147 · she.na.yimtwoהַסְּעִפִּים֒H5587 · sa.iphdivisionאִם־H518 · imifיְהוָ֤הH3068 · ye.ho.vahLORDהָֽאֱלֹהִים֙H430 · e.lo.himGodלְכ֣וּH1980 · ha.lakhto go: wentאַחֲרָ֔יוH310 · a.charafterוְאִם־H518 · imifהַבַּ֖עַלH1168 · ba.alBaalלְכ֣וּH1980 · ha.lakhto go: wentאַחֲרָ֑יוH310 · a.charafterוְלֹֽא־H3808 · lonotעָנ֥וּH6030 · unto dwellהָעָ֛םH5971 · ampeopleאֹת֖וֹH853 · et[Obj.]דָּבָֽר׃H1697 · da.varword
Cross-references
Matthew 6:24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.Joshua 24:15And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.1 Corinthians 10:21-22Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.2 Corinthians 6:14-16Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?1 Samuel 7:3And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, [then] put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.2 Kings 17:41So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children’s children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.Revelation 3:15-16I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.Deuteronomy 4:35Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he [is] God; [there is] none else beside him.Zephaniah 1:5And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship [and] that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;Psalm 100:3Know ye that the LORD he [is] God: [it is] he [that] hath made us, and not we ourselves; [we are] his people, and the sheep of his pasture.Romans 6:16-22Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?1 Kings 18:39And when all the people saw [it], they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he [is] the God; the LORD, he [is] the God.Joshua 24:23-24Now therefore put away, [said he], the strange gods which [are] among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.2 Chronicles 33:13And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he [was] God.Genesis 44:16And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we [are] my lord’s servants, both we, and [he] also with whom the cup is found.Genesis 24:50Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.Matthew 22:34But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.Exodus 5:1-2And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
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