9
'Ovadyah replied, "How have I sinned, that you would hand your servant over to Ach'av to kill me?
10
As ADONAI your God lives, there can't be a single nation or kingdom where my master hasn't sent to search you out; and in each kingdom or nation where they said, 'He isn't here,' he made them take an oath that they hadn't found you.
11
Now you say, 'Go tell your master, "Eliyahu is here."'
12
But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of ADONAI will carry you off to I don't know where; so that when I come and tell Ach'av, and he can't find you, he will kill me. But I your servant have revered ADONAI from my youth -
13
wasn't my lord told what I did when Izevel killed ADONAI's prophets, how I hid a hundred of ADONAI's prophets by fifties in caves and supplied their food and water?
14
Now you say, 'Go tell your master, "Look, Eliyahu is here."' Why, he'll kill me!"
15
Eliyahu said, "As ADONAI-Tzva'ot lives, before whom I stand, I will present myself to him today."
16
So 'Ovadyah went, found Ach'av and told him; and Ach'av went to meet Eliyahu.
17
When Ach'av saw Eliyahu, Ach'av said to him, "Is it really you, you troubler of Isra'el?"
18
He answered, "I haven't troubled Isra'el, you have, you and your father's house, by abandoning ADONAI's mitzvot and following the ba'alim.
19
Now order all Isra'el to assemble before me on Mount Karmel, along with the 450 prophets of Ba'al and the 400 prophets of the asherah who eat at Izevel's table."