Elijah met with Obadiah

18 For almost three years there was no rain in Samaria. Then Yahweh said this to Elijah: “Go and meet with King Ahab and tell him that I will soon send rain.” 2 So Elijah went to talk to Ahab.

In Samaria there was almost no food for anyone to eat. 3 There was a man there named Obadiah. He was in charge of the king’s palace. He greatly revered Yahweh. 4 One time when Queen Jezebel had tried to kill all Yahweh’s prophets, Obadiah hid 100 of them in two caves. He put 50 prophets in each cave, and he brought food and water to them.

5 By this time, the ◄famine/lack of food and water► had become very severe in Samaria. So Ahab summoned Obadiah and said to him, “We must check/look near every spring and in every valley to see if we can find enough grass to give to some of my horses and mules, so that they will not all die.” 6 So they both started walking throughout the land. Obadiah went in one direction by himself, and Ahab went in another direction by himself.

7 While Obadiah was walking along, he saw Elijah coming toward him. Obadiah recognized Elijah and bowed down in front of him and said, “Is it really you, Elijah, my master?”

8 Elijah replied, “Yes. Now go and tell Ahab, your master, that I am here.”

9 Obadiah objected. He said, “Sir, I have not [RHQ] harmed you at all. So why are you sending me back to Ahab? He will kill me! 10 Yahweh your God knows that I am telling the truth when I solemnly declare that King Ahab has searched in every kingdom all over the world [HYP] to find you. Each time that some king said to him, ‘Elijah is not here,’ Ahab demanded that the king of that country solemnly swear/declare that the king was telling the truth. 11 Now you say to me, ‘Go and tell your master that Elijah is here!’ 12 But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you away, and I will not know where he will take you. So when I tell Ahab that you are here and he comes to me and he does not find you here, he will kill me! But I do not deserve to die because I have revered Yahweh since I was a boy. 13 My master, have you not heard about what I did when Jezebel wanted to kill all of Yahweh’s prophets? I hid 100 of them in two caves and took food and water to them. 14 Now, sir, you say, ‘Go and tell your master that Elijah is here.’ But if I do that, and he comes and you are not here, he will kill me!”

15 But Elijah replied, “Yahweh, the Almighty One whom I serve [IDM], knows that I am telling the truth as I solemnly declare that I will go to meet with Ahab today.”