18:1 Some time later, in the third year of the famine, the Lord told Elijah, 1 “Go, make an appearance before Ahab, so I may send rain on the surface of the ground.” 18:2 So Elijah went to make an appearance before Ahab.
Now the famine was severe in Samaria. 2 18:3 So Ahab summoned Obadiah, who supervised the palace. (Now Obadiah was a very loyal follower of the Lord. 3 18:4 When Jezebel was killing 4 the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah took one hundred prophets and hid them in two caves in two groups of fifty. He also brought them food and water.) 18:5 Ahab told Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grazing areas 5 so we can keep the horses and mules alive and not have to kill 6 some of the animals.” 18:6 They divided up the land between them; Ahab went 7 one way and Obadiah went the other.
18:7 As Obadiah was traveling along, Elijah met him. 8 When he recognized him, he fell facedown to the ground and said, “Is it really you, my master, Elijah?” 18:8 He replied, “Yes, 9 go and say to your master, ‘Elijah is back.’” 10 18:9 Obadiah 11 said, “What sin have I committed that you are ready to hand your servant over to Ahab for execution? 12
1 tn Heb “the word of the
2 map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.
3 tn Heb “now Obadiah greatly feared the
4 tn Heb “cutting off.”
5 tn Heb “grass.”
6 tn Heb “to cut off.”
7 tn The Hebrew text has “alone” here and again in reference to Obadiah toward the end of the verse.
8 tn Heb “look, Elijah [came] to meet him.”
9 tn Heb “[It is] I.”
10 tn Heb “Look, Elijah”; or “Elijah is here.”
11 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Obadiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12 tn Heb “to kill me.”