“Elijah Confronts Ahab” (from Elijah)
TEXTS

English Text by William Bartholomew (1793-1867) and Paul McCreesh

10. Recitative and Chorus: As God the Lord of Sabaoth Liveth

Elijah
As God the Lord of Sabaoth liveth, before whom I stand,
three years this day fulfilled, I will show myself unto Ahab;
and the Lord will then send rain again upon the earth.

Ahab
Art thou Elijah, art thou he that troubleth Israel?

Chorus
Thou art Elijah, he that troubleth Israel!

Elijah
I never troubled Israel’s peace; it is thou, Ahab,
and all thy Father’s house. Ye have forsaken God’s
commandments, and bowed before the idol Baal.
Now send and gather to me the whole of Israel unto
Mount Carmel: there summon the prophets of
Baal, and also the prophets of the groves, who are
feasted at Jezebel’s table. Then we shall see whose
God is the Lord.

Chorus
And then we shall see whose God is the Lord.

Elijah
Rise then, ye priests of Baal; select and slay a
bullock, and put no fire under it: uplift your voices,
and call the god ye worship; and I then will call on
the Lord Jehovah: and the God who by fire shall
answer, let him be God.

Chorus
Yea: and the God who by fire shall answer, let him
be God.

Elijah
Call first upon your god: your numbers are many:
I, even I alone remain, one prophet of the Lord!
Invoke your forest-gods and mountain-deities.

11. Chorus: Baal, We Cry to Thee

Priests of Baal
Baal we cry to thee! Hear and answer us!
Heed the sacrifice we offer! Hear us! O hear us, Baal!
Hear, mighty god! Baal, O answer us! Let thy flames fall
and extirpate the foe! O hear us, Baal!

12. Recitative and Chorus: Call Him Louder, for He is a God!

Elijah
Call him louder, for he is a god! He talketh; or he is
pursuing; or he is on a journey; or, peradventure,
he sleepeth; so awaken him; call him louder.

Priest of Baal
Hear our cry, O Baal! Now arise! Wherefore slumber?

13. Recitative and Chorus: Call Him Louder! He Heareth Not

Elijah
Call him louder! He heareth not, With knives and
lancets cut yourselves after your manner: leap upon
the altar ye have made: call him, and prophesy!
Not a voice will answer you; none will listen, none
heed you.

Priests of Baal
Hear and answer Baal! Mark how the scorner
derideth us! Hear and answer!

14. Recitative and Aria: Lord God of Abraham

Elijah
Draw near, all ye people: come to me!
Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel! This day let
it be known that thou art God; and I am Thy servant!
O show to all this people that I have done these
things according to Thy word! O hear me, Lord, and
answer me; and show this people that Thou art Lord
God; and let their heart again be turned!

15. Quartet: Cast Thy Burden Upon the Lord

Angels
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain
thee. He never will suffer the righteous to fall:
He is at Thy right hand. Thy mercy, Lord, is great;
and far above the heav’ns. Let none be made
ashamed that wait upon Thee!

16. Recitative and Chorus: O Thou, Who Makest

Elijah
O Thou, who makest Thine angels spirits; Thou,
whose ministers are flaming fires, let them now
descend!

The People
The fire descends from heav’n. the flames consume
his offering! Before Him upon your faces fall!
The Lord is God: O Israel, hear! Our God is one Lord:
and we will have no other gods before the Lord!

Elijah
Take all the prophets of Baal; and let not one of
them escape you; ring them down to Kishon’s
brook, and there let them be slain.

The People
Take all the prophets of Baal; and let not one of
them escape us: bring all, and slay them!

17. Aria: Is Not His Word Like a Fire

Elijah
Is not his word like a fire: like a hammer
that breaketh the rock into pieces?
For God is angry with the wicked every day:
and if the wicked turn not, the Lord will whet his
sword; and he hath bent his ow, and made it
ready.

18. Arioso: Woe Unto Them That Forsaketh Him

Mezzo-Soprano
Woe unto them that forsake Him! Destruction shall
fall upon them, for they have transgressed against
Him. Though they are by Him redeemed, yet they
have spoken falsely against Him.

19. Recitative, Aria & Chorus: O Man of God, Help Thy People

Obadiah
O man of God, help thy people! Among the idols of
the Gentiles, are there any that can command the
rain, or cause the heavens to give their showers?
The Lord our God alone can do these things.

Elijah
O Lord, thou hast overthrown thine enemies and
destroyed them. Look down on us from heaven,
O Lord; regard the distress of Thy people: open
the heavens and send us relief: help, help Thy
servant now, O God!

The People
Open the heavens and send us relief. Help, help
They servant now, O God!

Elijah
Go up now, child, and look toward the sea. Hath my
prayer been heard by the Lord:

The Youth
There is nothing. The heavens are as brass, they are
as brass above me.

Elijah
When the heavens are closed up because they
have sinned against Thee, yet if they pray and
confess Thy name, and turn from their sin when
Thou dost afflict them: then hear from heaven, and
forgive the sin! Help, send Thy servant help, O God!

The People
Then hear from heaven, and forgive the sin! Help,
send Thy servant help, O God!

Elijah
Go up again, and still look toward the sea.

The Youth
There is nothing. The earth is as iron under me!

Elijah
Hearest thou no sign of rain? Seest thou nothing
arise from the deep?

The Youth
No; there is nothing.

Elijah
Have respect to the prayer of Thy servant, O Lord,
my God! Unto Thee will I cry, Lord, my rock; be not
silent to me; and Thy great mercies remember, Lord!

The Youth
Behold, a little cloud ariseth now from the waters;
it is like a man’s hand! The heavens are black with
clouds and with wind: the storm rusheth louder and
louder!

The People
Thanks be to God, for all His mercies!

Elijah
Thanks be to God, for he is gracious, and His mercy
endureth forever more!

20. Chorus: Thanks Be to God!

The People
Thanks be to God! He laveth the thirsty land!
The waters gather; they rush along; they are lifting
their voices! The stormy billows are high; their fury
is mighty. But the Lord is above them, and Almighty!