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1 Kings 18:1–19

Elijah and Obadiah

18 After a long time, in the thirdu year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and presentv yourself to Ahab, and I will send rainw on the land.” So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.

Now the famine was severex in Samaria, and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, his palace administrator.y (Obadiah was a devout believerz in the Lord. While Jezebela was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hiddenb them in two caves, fifty in each, and had suppliedc them with food and water.) Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springsd and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals.”e So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another.

As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognizedf him, bowed down to the ground, and said, “Is it really you, my lord Elijah?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’ ”

“What have I done wrong,” asked Obadiah, “that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? 10 As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to lookg for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. 11 But now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ 12 I don’t know where the Spirith of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the Lord since my youth. 13 Haven’t you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. 14 And now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ He will kill me!”

15 Elijah said, “As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely presenti myself to Ahab today.”

Elijah on Mount Carmel

16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troublerj of Israel?”

18 “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But youk and your father’s family have. You have abandonedl the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. 19 Now summonm the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel.n And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”o

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