1 Kings 16:29-17:6

New American Standard Bible 1995

²⁹ Now Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. ³⁰ Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord ^(A)more than all who were before him.

³¹ It came about, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that ^(B)he married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the ^(C)Sidonians, and went to serve Baal and worshiped him. ³² So he erected an altar for Baal in ^(D)the house of Baal which he built in Samaria. ³³ Ahab also made ^(E)the ^[a]Asherah. Thus ^(F)Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him. ^34 (G)In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho; he laid its foundations with the loss of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.

Elijah Predicts Drought

17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of ^[b](H)the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “^(I)As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely ^(J)there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” ² The word of the Lord came to him, saying, ³ “Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is ^[c]east of the Jordan. ⁴ It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and ^(K)I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.” ⁵ So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is ^[d]east of the Jordan. ⁶ The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook.