Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
8 I will listen to what God the Lord says.[a]
For he will make[b] peace with his people, his faithful followers.[c]
Yet they must not[d] return to their foolish ways.
9 Certainly his loyal followers will soon experience his deliverance;[e]
then his splendor will again appear in our land.[f]
10 Loyal love and faithfulness meet;[g]
deliverance and peace greet each other with a kiss.[h]
11 Faithfulness grows from the ground,
and deliverance looks down from the sky.[i]
12 Yes, the Lord will bestow his good blessings,[j]
and our land will yield[k] its crops.
13 Deliverance goes[l] before him,
and prepares[m] a pathway for him.[n]
Elijah Meets the King’s Servant
18 Some time later, in the third year of the famine,[a] the Lord’s message came to Elijah, “Go, make an appearance before Ahab, so I may send rain on the surface of the ground.” 2 So Elijah went to make an appearance before Ahab.
Now the famine was severe in Samaria. 3 So Ahab summoned Obadiah, who supervised the palace. (Now Obadiah was a very loyal follower of the Lord.[b] 4 When Jezebel was killing[c] the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah took 100 prophets and hid them in two caves in two groups of fifty. He also brought them food and water.) 5 Ahab told Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grazing areas[d] so we can keep the horses and mules alive and not have to kill[e] some of the animals.” 6 They divided up the land between them to search it; Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went the other way by himself.
7 As Obadiah was traveling along, Elijah met him.[f] When he recognized him, he fell facedown to the ground and said, “Is it really you, my master, Elijah?” 8 He replied, “Yes,[g] go and say to your master, ‘Elijah is back.’”[h] 9 Obadiah[i] said, “What sin have I committed that you are ready to hand your servant over to Ahab for execution?[j] 10 As certainly as the Lord your God lives, my master has sent to every nation and kingdom in an effort to find you. When they say, ‘He’s not here,’ he makes them[k] swear an oath that they could not find you. 11 Now you say, ‘Go and say to your master, “Elijah is back.”’[l] 12 But when I leave you, the Lord’s Spirit will carry you away so I can’t find you.[m] If I go tell Ahab I’ve seen you, he won’t be able to find you and he will kill me.[n] That would not be fair,[o] because your servant has been a loyal follower of[p] the Lord from my youth. 13 Certainly my master is aware of what I did[q] when Jezebel was killing the Lord’s prophets. I hid 100 of the Lord’s prophets in two caves in two groups of fifty and I brought them food and water. 14 Now you say, ‘Go and say to your master, “Elijah is back,”’[r] but he will kill me.” 15 But Elijah said, “As certainly as the Lord of Heaven’s Armies[s] lives (whom I serve),[t] I will make an appearance before him today.”
Elijah Confronts Baal’s Prophets
16 When Obadiah went and informed Ahab, the king went to meet Elijah.[u]
Paul and Silas at Berea
10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea[a] at once, during the night. When they arrived,[b] they went to the Jewish synagogue.[c] 11 These Jews[d] were more open-minded[e] than those in Thessalonica,[f] for they eagerly[g] received[h] the message, examining[i] the scriptures carefully every day[j] to see if these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few[k] prominent[l] Greek women and men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica[m] heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God[n] in Berea, they came there too, inciting[o] and disturbing[p] the crowds. 14 Then the brothers sent Paul away to the coast[q] at once, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea.[r] 15 Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens, and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.[s]
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.