1 Kings 18:26

²⁴ Then you may call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people answered, “What you say is good.”

²⁵ Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.”

And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made.

²⁷ At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, “Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!”

²⁸ So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made.
KJV: And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
WEB: They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, “Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice, and nobody answered. They leaped about the altar which was made.
ASV: And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped about the altar which was made.
DARBY: And they took the bullock which had been given them, and sacrificed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, O Baal, answer us! But there was no voice, and none answered. And they leaped about the altar that had been made.
BLB: And they took the bull that was given to them, and they prepared [it] and called on the name of the Baal from the morning and until the noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us.” And [there was] no voice, and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar that they had made.

ÅB: Sa tok de den okse han hadde gitt dem, og stelte den til og påkalte Ba'als navn fra morgen til middag og ropte: Ba'al, svar oss! Men det hørtes ingen røst, og det var ikke noen som svarte; og de hinket omkring det alter de hadde gjort.
OTB: Så tok de oksen som ble gitt dem og forberedte den, og de påkalte navnet til Baal fra morgen til middag, og sa: "Å Baal, svar oss!" Men det var ingen stemme, og ingen svarte. Og de haltet omkring alteret som de hadde laget.
B1930: Sa tok de den okse han hadde gitt dem, og stelte den til og påkalte Ba'als navn fra morgen til middag og ropte: Ba'al, svar oss! Men det hørtes ingen røst, og det var ikke nogen som svarte; og de hinket omkring det alter de hadde gjort.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Jeremiah 10:5
Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.”
Read in context
1 Corinthians 8:4
So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one.
Read in context
Matthew 6:7
And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 12:2
You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.
Read in context
Isaiah 44:17
From the rest he makes a god, his graven image. He bows down to it and worships; he prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.”
Read in context
1 Kings 18:24
Then you may call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people answered, “What you say is good.”
Read in context
Psalms 135:15–20
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
Read in context
Isaiah 37:38
One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.
Read in context