Wednesday of the 10th week of Ordinary Time

20Ahab sent to all the sons of Israel, and he gathered together the prophets on mount Carmel. 21Then Elijah, drawing near to all the people, said: “How long will you waver between two sides? If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal is, then follow him.” And the people did not respond a word to him. 22And Elijah said again to the people: “I alone remain as a prophet of the Lord. But the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men. 23Let two oxen be given to us. And let them choose one ox for themselves, and, cutting it into pieces, let them set it on the wood. But they may not place fire under it. And I will prepare the other ox, and set it on the wood. But I will not place fire under it. 24Call upon the names of your gods. And I will call on the name of my Lord. And the God who will have heeded with fire, let him be God.” And in response, all the people said, “Excellent proposition.” 25Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal: “Choose for yourselves one ox, and prepare it first. For you are many. And call on the names of your gods, but do not place fire under it.” 26And when they had taken an ox, which he had given to them, they prepared it. And they called on the name of Baal, from morning even until midday, saying, “O Baal, heed us.” And there was no voice, nor did anyone respond. And so they leaped upon the altar that they had made. 27And when it was now midday, Elijah ridiculed them, saying: “Cry out with a louder voice. For he is a god, and perhaps he is talking, or at an inn, or on a journey, or certainly he may be asleep, and must be awakened.” 28Then they cried out with a loud voice, and they cut themselves, in accord with their ritual, with knives and lancets, until they were entirely covered in blood. 29Then, after midday had passed, and they were prophesying, the time had arrived when the sacrifice is usually offered. And there was no voice heard, neither did anyone heed or respond to the praying. 30Elijah said to all the people, “Draw near to me.” And as the people were drawing near to him, he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. 31And he took twelve stones, in accord with the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32And he built from the stones an altar to the name of the Lord. And he made a trench for water, like two furrows of plowed land, all around the altar. 33And he arranged the wood, and he cut the ox into pieces, and he placed it on the wood. 34And he said, “Fill four containers with water, and pour it over the holocaust, and over the wood.” And again, he said, “Do this a second time.” And when they had done it a second time, he said, “Do it also a third time.” And they did so a third time. 35And the water was running down around the altar, and the pit of the trench was filled with water. 36And when it was now time for the holocaust to be offered, the prophet Elijah, drawing near, said: “O Lord, God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, reveal this day that you are the God of Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have acted, in all these things, in accord with your precept. 37Heed me, O Lord, heed me, so that this people may learn that you are the Lord God, and that you have converted their heart again.” 38Then the fire of the Lord fell down and devoured the holocaust, and the wood, and the stones, and even the dust, and it absorbed the water that was in the trench. 39And when all the people had seen it, they fell upon their face, and they said: “The Lord himself is God! The Lord himself is God!”

1The inscription of a title: of David himself. Preserve me, O Lord, because I have hoped in you.

2I have said to the Lord: “You are my God, so you have no need of my goodness.”

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4Their infirmities have been multiplied; after this, they acted more quickly. I will not gather for their convocations of blood, nor will I remember their names with my lips.

5The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup. It is you who will restore my inheritance to me.

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8I have made provision for the Lord always in my sight. For he is at my right hand, so that I may not be disturbed.

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11You have made known to me the ways of life; you will fill me with joy by your countenance. At your right hand are delights, even to the end.

17Do not think that I have come to loosen the law or the prophets. I have not come to loosen, but to fulfill. 18Amen I say to you, certainly, until heaven and earth pass away, not one iota, not one dot shall pass away from the law, until all is done. 19Therefore, whoever will have loosened one of the least of these commandments, and have taught men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever will have done and taught these, such a one shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.