Ahab

So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son reigned in his place.

In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.

Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.

Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did yet more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the foreigners of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”

After 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.”

Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria.

Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:

Ahab 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.”

So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

He said, “Wherein have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?

It will happen, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the LORD 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.

So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel.

Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”

So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his face between his knees.

On the seventh time, he said, “Behold, a small cloud, like a man’s hand, is rising out of the sea.” He said, “Go up, tell Ahab, ‘Get ready and go down, so that the rain doesn’t stop you.’”

In a little while, the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

The hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.

He sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, “Thus says Ben Hadad,

Behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel, and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this day; and you shall know that I am the LORD.’”

Ahab said, “By whom?” He said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘By the young men of the princes of the provinces.’” Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?” He answered, “You.”

Ben Hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore. You shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria.” “I”, said Ahab, “will let you go with this covenant.” So he made a covenant with him, and let him go.