1 Kings 18:21

NETBible

Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision? 1  If the Lord is the true God, 2  then follow him, but if Baal is, follow him!” But the people did not say a word.

NIV ©

Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing.

NASB ©

Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people did not answer him a word.

NLT ©

Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, "How long are you going to waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!" But the people were completely silent.

MSG ©

Elijah challenged the people: "How long are you going to sit on the fence? If GOD is the real God, follow him; if it's Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!" Nobody said a word; nobody made a move.

BBE ©

And Elijah came near to all the people and said, How long will you go on balancing between two opinions? if the Lord is God, then give worship to him; but if Baal, give worship to him. And the people said not a word in answer.

NRSV ©

Elijah then came near to all the people, and said, "How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." The people did not answer him a word.

NKJV ©

And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word.

KJV
And Elijah
<0452>
came
<05066> (8799)
unto all the people
<05971>_,
and said
<0559> (8799)_,
How long
<05921>
halt
<06452> (8802)
ye between two
<08147>
opinions
<05587>_?
if the LORD
<03068>
[be] God
<0430>_,
follow him: but if Baal
<01168>_,
[then] follow
<03212> (8798) <0310>
him. And the people
<05971>
answered
<06030> (8804)
him not a word
<01697>_.
{opinions: or, thoughts}
NASB ©
Elijah
<452>
came
<5066>
near
<5066>
to all
<3605>
the people
<5971>
and said
<559>
, "How
<4970>
long
<5704>
<4970>
will
you hesitate
<6452>
between
<5921>
two
<8147>
opinions
<5589>
? If
<518>
the LORD
<3068>
is God
<430>
, follow
<1980>
<310> Him; but if
<518>
Baal
<1168>
, follow
<1980>
<310> him." But the people
<5971>
did not answer
<6030>
him a word
<1697>
.
LXXM
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
proshgagen
<4317> 
V-AAI-3S
hliou {N-PRI} prov
<4314> 
PREP
pantav
<3956> 
A-APM
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
eipen {V-AAI-3S} autoiv
<846> 
D-DPM
hliou {N-PRI} ewv
<2193> 
PREP
pote
<4218> 
PRT
umeiv
<4771> 
P-NP
cwlaneite {V-FAI-2P} ep
<1909> 
PREP
amfoteraiv {A-DPF} taiv
<3588> 
T-DPF
ignuaiv {N-DPF} ei
<1487> 
CONJ
estin
<1510> 
V-PAI-3S
kuriov
<2962> 
N-NSM
o
<3588> 
T-NSM
yeov
<2316> 
N-NSM
poreuesye
<4198> 
V-PMD-2P
opisw
<3694> 
PREP
autou
<846> 
D-GSM
ei
<1487> 
CONJ
de
<1161> 
PRT
o
<3588> 
T-NSM
baal
<896> 
N-PRI
autov
<846> 
D-NSM
poreuesye
<4198> 
V-PMD-2P
opisw
<3694> 
PREP
autou
<846> 
D-GSM
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
ouk
<3364> 
ADV
apekriyh {V-API-3S} o
<3588> 
T-NSM
laov
<2992> 
N-NSM
logon
<3056> 
N-ASM
NET [draft] ITL
Elijah
<0452>
approached
<05066>
all
<03605>
the people
<05971>
and said
<0559>
, “How
<04970>
long
<05704>
are you
<0859>
going to be paralyzed
<06452>
by
<05921>
indecision
<05587>

<08147>
? If
<0518>
the Lord
<03068>
is the true God
<0430>
, then follow
<0310>

<01980>
him, but if
<0518>
Baal
<01168>
is, follow
<0310>

<01980>
him!” But the people
<05971>
did not
<03808>
say
<06030>
a word
<01697>
.
HEBREW
rbd
<01697>
wta
<0853>
Meh
<05971>
wne
<06030>
alw
<03808>
wyrxa
<0310>
wkl
<01980>
lebh
<01168>
Maw
<0518>
wyrxa
<0310>
wkl
<01980>
Myhlah
<0430>
hwhy
<03068>
Ma
<0518>
Mypeoh
<05587>
yts
<08147>
le
<05921>
Myxop
<06452>
Mta
<0859>
ytm
<04970>
de
<05704>
rmayw
<0559>
Meh
<05971>
lk
<03605>
la
<0413>
whyla
<0452>
sgyw (18:21)
<05066>
NETBible

Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision? 1  If the Lord is the true God, 2  then follow him, but if Baal is, follow him!” But the people did not say a word.

NET Notes

1 tn Heb “How long are you going to limp around on two crutches?” (see HALOT 762 s.v. סְעִפִּים). In context this idiomatic expression refers to indecision rather than physical disability.

2 tn Heb “the God.”