Obadiah Meets Elijah

1 Now it happened aafter many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and bI will send rain on the face of the earth.”

2 So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.

3 Ahab called Obadiah awho was over the household. (Now Obadiah 1bfeared the Lord greatly;

4 for awhen Jezebel 1destroyed the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and bprovided them with bread and water.)

5 Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not 1have to kill some of the cattle.”

6 So they divided the land between them to 1survey it; Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way by himself.

7 Now as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah 1met him, aand he recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Is this you, Elijah my master?”

8 He said to him, “It is I. Go, say to your master, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.’ ”

9 He said, “What 1sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to put me to death?

10 “aAs the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent to search for you; and when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you.

11 “And now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here.” ’

12 “It will come about when I leave you athat the Spirit of the Lord will carry you where I do not know; so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have 1feared the Lord from my youth.

13 “aHas it not been told to my master what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, that I hid 1a hundred prophets of the Lord by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water?

14 “And now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here” ’; he will then kill me.”

15 Elijah said, “aAs the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”

16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17 When Ahab saw Elijah, aAhab said to him, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?”

18 He said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because ayou have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and byou have followed the Baals.

19 “Now then send and gather to me all Israel at aMount Carmel, btogether with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of cthe Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

God or Baal on Mount Carmel

20 So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel.