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Recitative Chorus
The deeps afford no water, and the rivers are exhausted! The tongue of
the nurseling cleave to the roof of his mouth: the infant children
ask for bread, and there is no one breaketh it to feed them!
(I Kings XVII 7; Lamentations IV 4)
2. Duet with Chorus — The
People
Lord! bow Thine ear to our prayer!
Duet (Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano)
Zion spreadeth her hands for aid; and there is neither help nor comfort.
(Psalm LXXXVI 1; Lamentations I 17)
3. Recitative — Obadiah
Ye people, rend your hearts, and not your garments, for your transgressions
the Prophet Elijah hath sealed the heavens through the word of
God. I therefore say to ye, Forsake your idols, return to God;
for He is slow to anger, and merciful, and kind and gracious, and
repenteth Him of the evil.
(Joel II 12, 13)
4. Air — Tenor
If with all your hearts ye truly seek Me, ye shall ever surely find Me.
Thus saith our God. Oh! that I knew where I might find Him, that
I might even come before His presence.
(Deut. IV 29; Job XXIII 3)
5. Chorus — The
People
Yet doth the Lord see it not: He mocketh at us; His curse hath fallen
down upon us; His wrath will pursue us, till He destroy us! For He, the
Lord our God, He is a jealous God: and He visiteth all the fathers’ sins
on the children to the third and the fourth generation of them that hate
Him. His mercies on thousands fall — fall on all them that love
Him, and keep His commandments.
(Deut. XXVIII 22; Exodus XX 5, 6)
6. Recitative — An
Angel (Mezzo-Soprano)
Elijah! get thee hence, Elijah; depart and turn thee eastward: thither
hide thee by Cherith’s brook. There shalt thou drink its waters;
and the Lord thy God hath commanded the ravens to feed thee there: so
do according unto His word.
(I Kings XVII 3, 4)
7. Semi-Chorus — Angels
For He shall give His angels charge over thee; that they shall protect
thee in all ways thou goest; that their hands shall uphold and
guide thee, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
(Psalm XCI 11,12)
Recitative — An Angel
Now Cherith’s brook drieth up, Elijah, arise and depart, and get
thee to Zarepath; and dwell there awhile: for the Lord hath commanded
a widow woman there to sustain thee. And her barrel of meal shall not
empty, nor her cruse of oil fail her, until the day that the Lord sendeth
rain upon the earth.
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(I Kings XVII 7, 9, 14)
8. Recitative,
Air and Duet — The Widow (Soprano)
What have I to do with thee, O man of God? art thou come to me to call
my sin unto remembrance? — to slay my son art thou come thither?
Help me, man of God! my son is sick! and his sickness is so sore, that
there is no breath left in him! I go mourning all the day long; I lie
down and weep at night. See mine affliction. Be thou the orphan’s
helper! Help my son! there is no breath left in him!
— Elijah
Give me thy son. Turn unto her, O Lord my God, O turn in mercy; in mercy
help this widow’s son! For Thou art gracious, and full of
compassion, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Lord, my God, let
the spirit of this child return, that he again may live!
— The
Widow
Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? There is no breath in him!
—Elijah
Lord, my God, let the spirit of this child return, that he again may
live!
— The
Widow
Shall the dead arise and praise thee?
— Elijah
Lord, my God, O let the spirit of this child return, that he may again
live!
— The
Widow
The Lord hath heard thy prayer, the soul of my son reviveth!
— Elijah
Now, behold, thy son liveth.
— The
Widow
Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that His word in thy
mouth is the truth. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits
to me?
— Both
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, love Him with all thine heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy might. O blessed are all they
that fear Him!
(I Kings XVII 17-19, 21-24;
Job X 15; Psalms XXXVIII 6,
VI 6, X 14, LXXXVI 15, 16, LXXXVIII 10, CXVI 12;
Deut. VI 5; Psalm CXXVIII 1)
9. Chorus
Blessed are all they that fear Him: they ever walk in the
ways of peace. Through darkness riseth light to the upright.
He is gracious, compassionate: He is righteous.
(Psalm CXXVIII 1, CXII 1,4)
10. Recitative — Elijah,
Ahab and Chorus
— 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 command: and thou hast followed Baalim!
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 God 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 then I will call on the Lord Jehovah: and the God who shall
answer us by the fire, he is God.
— Chorus
Yea: and the God who shall answer us by the fire, he is God.
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— Elijah
Call first upon your god: your numbers are many: I, even I, only remain,
one prophet of the Lord! Invoke your forest-gods and mountain-deities.
(I Kings XVIII 1, 15, 17-19, 22-25)
11. Chorus — Priests
of Baal
Baal, we cry unto thee; hear and answer us! Heed the sacrifice we offer!
Baal, O hear us, and answer us! Hear us, Baal! Hear, mighty god! Baal,
O answer us! Baal, let thy flames fall and devour the foe! Baal, O hear
us!
12. Recitative — 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.
Chorus — Priests
of Baal
Hear our cry, O Baal! now arise! wherefore slumber?
13. Recitative — 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.
Chorus — Priests
of Baal
Give an answer, Baal! Mark! how the scorner derideth us! Give an answer!
(I Kings XVIII 26-29)
14. Recitative and Air — 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 hearts
again be turned!
(I Kings XVIII 30, 36, 37)
15. Chorale — 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 heavens. Let none be made ashamed
that wait upon Thee.
(Psalm LV 22, XVI 8, CVIII 4, XXV 3)
16. Recitative — Elijah
O Thou, Who makest Thine angels spirits; Thou, Whose ministers are flaming
fires, let them now descend!
(Psalm CIV 4)
Chorus — The People
The fire falls from heaven; 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!
(I Kings XVIII 38, 39; Deut. V 7, VI 4)
Recitative — Elijah
Take all the prophets of Baal; and let not one of them escape you: bring
them down to Kishon’s brook, and there let them be slain.
Chorus — The People
Take all the prophets of Baal; and let not one of them escape us: bring
all, and slay them!
(I Kings XVIII 40)
17. Air — Elijah
Is not His word like a fire: and 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 bow, and made it ready.
(Jeremiah XXIII 29; Psalm VII 11,12)
18. Arioso (Mezzo-Soprano)
Woe unto them who forsake Him! Destruction shall fall upon them, for
they have transgressed against Him. Though they are by Him redeemed,
yet have they spoken falsely against Him, from Him they have fled.
(Hosea VII 13)
19. Recitative with Chorus — 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.
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— 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 Thy servant now, O God!
— Elijah
Go up now, child, and look towards the sea. Hath my prayer been heard
by the Lord?
—The
Youth (Elijah’s protégé and successor, Elisha)
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 didst 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 Lord!
— Elijah
Go up again, and still look towards the sea.
— The
Youth
There is nothing. The earth is as iron under me!
— Elijah
Hearest thou no sound 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
I will 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 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 for evermore!
20. Chorus — 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!
(Jeremiah XIV 22; II Chronicles 19, 26, 27; Deut.
XXVIII 23;
Psalms XXVIII 1, CVI 1; I Kings XVIII 43-45; Psalm XCIII
3-4)
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