1 Kings 18:1-15

New Life Version

Elijah’s Word to Ahab

18 After 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 time without food was very hard in Samaria. ³ And Ahab called Obadiah who was the boss over his house. (Now Obadiah had much fear of the Lord. ⁴ For when Jezebel destroyed the men who spoke for the Lord, Obadiah took 100 of these men and hid them by fifties in a cave. And he fed them with bread and water.) ⁵ Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the wells of water and to all the valleys. It may be that we will find grass and keep the horses and donkeys alive, and not lose some of the animals. ⁶ So they divided the land between them to pass through it. Ahab went one way by himself. And Obadiah went another way by himself.

⁷ As Obadiah was on the way, Elijah met him. Obadiah knew who he was, and fell on his face and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?” ⁸ He answered, “It is I. Go and tell your owner, ‘See, Elijah is here.’” ⁹ Obadiah said, “What sin have I done? Why are you giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to be killed? ¹⁰ As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation where the king has not sent men to look for you. And when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made the nation prove that they could not find you. ¹¹ Now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your owner, “See, Elijah is here.” ‘ ¹² And after I have left you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you where I do not know. So I will go and tell Ahab, and he will not be able to find you. Then he will kill me. But I your servant have honored the Lord since I was young. ¹³ Have you not been told what I did when Jezebel killed the men who spoke for the Lord? I hid 100 men of the Lord by fifties in a cave. And I gave them bread and water. ¹⁴ Now you are saying, ‘Go and tell your owner, “See, Elijah is here.”’ He will kill me.” ¹⁵ Elijah said, “As the Lord of All lives, before Whom I stand, I will show myself to Ahab today.”