Ahab Reigns in Israel

²⁹ In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. ³⁰ Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. ³¹ And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, ^(A)that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the ^(B)Sidonians; ^(C)and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. ³² Then he set up an altar for Baal in ^(D)the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. ^33 (E)And Ahab made a ^[a]wooden image. Ahab ^(F)did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. ³⁴ In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation ^[b]with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, ^(G)according to the word of the Lord, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun.

Elijah Proclaims a Drought

17 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the ^(H)inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, ^(I)“As the Lord God of Israel lives, ^(J)before whom I stand, ^(K)there shall not be dew nor rain ^(L)these years, except at my word.”

² Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ³ “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. ⁴ And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ^(M)ravens to feed you there.”

⁵ So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. ⁶ The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.