Elijah and the Prophets of Baal
以利亚与巴力的先知

Elijah was God’s prophet in Israel when many of God’s people worshiped a false god called Baal. God wanted to remind his people that he was the true God—the God who would one day send a Savior.
以利亚是上帝在以色列设立的先知，当时有很多上帝的子民在敬拜一个名叫巴力的假神。上帝要提醒他的百姓，他才是真神——是将来会差遣一位救主的上帝。
He told Elijah to challenge the prophets of Baal to a contest. All the Israelites gathered at
Mount Carmel to watch!
上帝让以利亚去挑战巴力的众先知。所有的以色列人都聚集到迦密山观看！
Elijah said to the people, “It’s time to decide! If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, follow him!” The people just stood there and said nothing.
以利亚对百姓说:”现在是时候做出决定了！若耶和华是神，就当顺从耶和华！若巴力是神，就当顺从巴力！”人们只是站在那里，一言不发。
So Elijah said, “Listen. Baal has 450 prophets, and the true God has one prophet: me. So let’s have a contest. We’ll each kill a bull and lay it on some firewood on an altar. Then we’ll pray for fire. You ask Baal, and I’ll ask the LORD. Whichever god answers by sending down fire—he is the true God.”
于是以利亚说，“听着。巴力有四百五十个先知，而真神耶和华只有一个先知——就是我。那就让我们来比个赛吧。我们各杀一头公牛，把它放到祭坛的柴火上。然后我们来求火。你们求告巴力，我求告耶和华。那应允祷告降下火来的，就是真神。”
Early in the morning it began. The prophets of Baal went first. They began begging Baal to send fire. They prayed all day. They danced around the altar and shouted as loudly as they could. Elijah said, “Shout louder! Maybe Baal is busy, or sleeping.” They cut themselves and made themselves bleed, hoping to get Baal’s attention. But, of course, nothing happened. Baal didn’t send fire, because Baal isn’t real. There is only one true God.
比赛一大早就开始了。巴力的先知们先来。他们恳求巴力降火，一整天都在向巴利祷告。他们围着祭坛跳舞，竭尽全力大声喊叫。以利亚说:”你们再喊大声点吧!也许巴力在忙，也许他在睡觉呢。”巴力的先知们割伤自己，直到流血，希望引起巴力的注意。但是，当然了，什么也没发生。巴力没有降下火，因为巴力不是真的。只有一位真神。
When evening came, it was Elijah’s turn. He built an altar of 12 stones and put some wood on it. Then he put the pieces of the bull on the wood. Then he did something to make it even harder for a fire to start: he poured gallons and gallons of water on the altar, drenching everything! He even dug a ditch around the altar and filled that with water too!
到了晚上，轮到以利亚了。他用十二块石头筑了一座祭坛，在坛上摆好了柴。然后他把牛切成的碎块放在柴上。接着，他又做了一件让火更难燃起的事:他把一加仑又一加仑的水倒在了祭坛上，把所有的东西都浇湿了!他甚至在祭坛的四围挖了一条沟，把沟也灌满了水！
Then he prayed: “Answer me, LORD, so that these people will know you are the true God.” He didn’t even say, “Send fire.” He just said, “Show them that you’re the true God!” And what do you think happened? Fire came down from heaven and burned up everything! It burned up the bull and the wood. It burned up the stones of the altar! It even burned up the soil and all the water in the ditch!
之后他祷告说：“耶和华阿，求你应允我，使这些人知道你是真神。”他甚至没有说，“降下火来吧。”他只是说:“让他们知道你是真神!”你认为接下来发生了什么呢?有火从天上降下来，把一切都烧灭了！火烧尽了公牛和木柴，烧尽了祭坛的石头。它甚至烧掉了沟里的土壤和里面所有的水!
When the people saw what had happened, they knew! They said, “The LORD—he is God!” and they bowed down and worshiped him.
百姓们看到所发生的一切，心里就明白了！他们说，“耶和华是神！”然后就俯伏敬拜祂。

How did God remind his people that he was the true God? God answered Elijah’s prayer and sent fire from heaven.
上帝如何提醒祂的百姓，祂是真神？
上帝应许了以利亚的祷告，从天上降下了火。

As I hang the ALTAR on the JESSE TREE, Here is an Advent promise for me:
当我把这个祭坛挂上耶西树，
我会收到这个将临期的应许：

God brought his people back to him through Elijah.
Through these people, he would send the Savior, Jesus.

上帝藉着以利亚使祂的百姓归回了自己。
祂会通过这些百姓差派救主——耶稣。

MARTIN LUTHER COLLEGE 出版
Lulu翻译

下面分别是涂色画和颜色画，下载涂色画打印，按照颜色画的样式涂色。