Elijah Confronts Ahab
1 1After many days the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth."
2
So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.
3
And Ahab called Obadiah, who was
2over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly,
4
and
3when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.)
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And Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals."
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So they divided the land between them to pass through it. Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.
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And as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. And Obadiah recognized him and fell on his face and said, "Is it you, my lord Elijah?"
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And he answered him, "It is I. Go, tell your lord, 'Behold, Elijah is here.'"
9
And he said, "How have I sinned, that you would give your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?
10
4As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. And when they would say, 'He is not here,' he would take an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you.
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And now you say, 'Go, tell your lord, "Behold, Elijah is here."'
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And as soon as I have gone from you,
5the Spirit of the LORD will carry you I know not where. And so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth.
13
Has it not been told my lord what I did
6when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, how I hid a hundred men of the LORD's prophets by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water?
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And now you say, 'Go, tell your lord, "Behold, Elijah is here"'; and he will kill me."
15
And Elijah said,
7"As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today."
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So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him. And Ahab went to meet Elijah.
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When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him,
8"Is it you, you
9troubler of Israel?"
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And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house, because you have
10abandoned the commandments of the LORD and
11followed the Baals.
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Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount
12Carmel, and the prophets of Baal and
13the 400 prophets of Asherah,
14who eat at Jezebel's table."