⁶ If you or your sons turn away from following me and do not keep my commands—my statutes that I have set before you—and if you go and serve other gods and bow in worship to them,^{(A) 7} I will cut off Israel from the land I gave them,^(B) and I will reject^[a] the temple I have sanctified for my name.^(C) Israel will become an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples.^{(D) 8} Though this temple is now exalted,^[b] everyone who passes by will be appalled and will scoff.^[c] They will say, “Why did the Lord do this to this land and this temple?”^{(E) 9} Then they will say, “Because they abandoned the Lord their God who brought their ancestors out of the land of Egypt. They held on to other gods and bowed in worship to them and served them. Because of this, the Lord brought all this ruin on them.”^(F)

¹⁸ He replied, “I have not ruined Israel, but you and your father’s family have, because you have abandoned the Lord’s commands^(A) and followed the Baals.^{(B) 19} Now summon all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel,^(C) along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah^(D) who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

Elijah at Mount Carmel

²⁰ So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. ²¹ Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions?^[a](E) If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal, follow him.”^(F) But the people didn’t answer him a word.