Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Yahweh Surrounds His People

A Song of Ascents.

Obadiah Meets Elijah

18 Now it happened ^(A)after many days that the word of Yahweh came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and ^(B)I will send rain on the face of the earth.” ² So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. ³ And Ahab called Obadiah ^(C)who was over the household. (Now Obadiah ^[a](D)feared Yahweh greatly. ⁴ And it happened that ^(E)when Jezebel was cutting down the prophets of Yahweh, Obadiah took one hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and ^(F)sustained them with bread and water.) ⁵ Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to cut down some of the cattle.” 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 Now it happened that as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah ^[b]met him, ^(G)and he recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Is this you, Elijah my master?” ⁸ And he said to him, “It is I. Go, say to your master, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.’” ⁹ And he said, “What ^[c]sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to put me to death? ^10 (H)As Yahweh your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent to search for you; and if they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you. ¹¹ And now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here.”’ ¹² And it will be that when I leave you, ^(I)the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you where I do not know; and I will come and tell Ahab, and he will not find you, and he will kill me, although I your servant have ^[d]feared Yahweh from my youth. ^13 (J)Has it not been told to my master what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of Yahweh, that I hid ^[e]one hundred prophets of Yahweh by fifties in a cave, and sustained them with bread and water? ¹⁴ So now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here”’; he will then kill me.” ¹⁵ And Elijah said, “^(K)As Yahweh of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.” ¹⁶ So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

¹⁷ Now it happened when Ahab saw Elijah, that ^(L)Ahab said to him, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?” ¹⁸ And he said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because ^(M)you have forsaken the commandments of Yahweh and ^(N)you have followed the Baals.

The Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, ^(A)be strong in the Lord and in ^(B)the might of His strength. ^11 (C)Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the ^(D)schemes of the devil. ¹² For our ^(E)struggle is not against ^[a](F)flesh and blood, but ^(G)against the rulers, against the authorities, against the ^(H)world forces of this ^(I)darkness, against the ^(J)spiritual forces of wickedness in ^(K)the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore, take up ^(L)the full armor of God, so that you will be able to ^(M)resist in ^(N)the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand firm therefore, ^(O)having girded your loins with truth, and having ^(P)put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having ^(Q)shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. ^16 [b]In addition to all, having taken up the ^(R)shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the ^(S)flaming arrows of ^(T)the evil one, ¹⁷ also receive ^(U)the helmet of salvation, and the ^(V)sword of the Spirit, which is ^(W)the word of God,