After a long time, the word of the Lord came to Elijah, it was in the third year, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain.” And there was a great famine in Samaria, and Ahab called his steward Obadiah who feared God, because when Jezebel cut off the prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hid them in two groups of fifty in caves, and fed them with bread and water. Ahab said, “We will go through the land to see if we can find grass at the springs of water and the brooks to save the horses and mules alive, so we will not lose all the animals.” So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it.
As Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. He fell on his face, saying, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?” Elijah said, “Go, tell your lord, ‘Elijah is here.’ ” Obadiah replied, “How have I sinned, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?
As your God lives, there is no kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you and you say, ‘Go, tell thy lord, Elijah is here.’ Now if I go and report it to Ahab and the Spirit of the Lord carries you somewhere else, he will kill me.” And Elijah said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, I will surely show myself to him today.” And Elijah met Ahab. “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” Elijah said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. Now, gather all Israel at Carmel and four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”