Page:JPS-1917-Universal.djvu/453

Rh over the household.—Now Obadiah feared the greatly; for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.—And Ahab said unto Obadiah: 'Go through the land, unto all the springs of water, and unto all the brooks; peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.' So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him; and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said: 'Is it thou, my lord Elijah?' And he answered him: 'It is I; go, tell thy lord: Behold, Elijah is here.' And he said: 'Wherein have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? As the thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee; and when they said: He is not here, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not. And now thou sayest: Go, tell thy lord: Behold, Elijah is here. And it will come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the spirit of the will carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he will slay me; but I thy servant fear the  from my youth. Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the, how I hid a hundred men of the prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water? And now thou sayest: Go, tell thy lord: Behold, Elijah is here; and he will slay me.' And Elijah said: 'As the of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him to-day.'

So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah. And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him: 'Is it thou, thou troubler of Israel?' And he answered: 'I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the, and thou hast followed the Baalim. Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, that eat at Jezebel's table.'

And Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. And Elijah came near unto all the people, and said: 'How long halt ye between two opinions? if the be God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.' And the people answered him not a word. Then said Elijah unto the people: 'I, even I only, am left a prophet of the ; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under. And call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the ; and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God.' And all the people answered and said: 'It is well spoken.'

And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal: 'Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for