The Story of Elijah and the Prophets of Baal

1 Kings 18:1–19 WEB

¹After many days, the LORD’s word came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.” ²Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria. ³Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly; ⁴for when Jezebel cut off the LORD’s prophets, Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) ⁵Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals.” ⁶So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. ⁷As Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. He recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?” ⁸He answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here!’” ⁹He said, “How have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me? ¹⁰As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he took an oath of the kingdom and nation that they didn’t find you. ¹¹Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here.”’ ¹²It will happen, as soon as I leave you, that the LORD’s Spirit will carry you I don’t know where; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he can’t find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth. ¹³Wasn’t it told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the LORD’s prophets, how I hid one hundred men of the LORD’s prophets with fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water? ¹⁴Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here”.’ He will kill me.” ¹⁵Elijah said, “As the LORD of Armies lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.” ¹⁶So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah. ¹⁷When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” ¹⁸He answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken the LORD’s commandments and you have followed the Baals. ¹⁹Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and four hundred fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”