Thursday in Season after Pentecost

22Verse 22. Jacob had twelve sons: 23Verse 23. The sons of Leah were Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24Verse 24. The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. 25Verse 25. The sons of Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali. 26Verse 26. And the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah were Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram. 27Verse 27. Jacob returned to his father Isaac at Mamre, near Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 28Verse 28. And Isaac lived 180 years. 29Verse 29. Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

1Verse 1. After a long time, in the third year of the drought, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the face of the earth.” 2Verse 2. So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria, 3Verse 3. and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD, 4Verse 4. for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.) 5Verse 5. Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring and every valley. Perhaps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to destroy any livestock.” 6Verse 6. So they divided the land to explore. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself. 7Verse 7. Now as Obadiah went on his way, Elijah suddenly met him. When Obadiah recognized him, he fell facedown and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?” 8Verse 8. “It is I,” he answered. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here!’” 9Verse 9. But Obadiah replied, “How have I sinned, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death? 10Verse 10. As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made that kingdom or nation swear that they had not found you. 11Verse 11. And now you say, ‘Go tell your master that Elijah is here!’ 12Verse 12. I do not know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off when I leave you. Then when I go and tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth. 13Verse 13. Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred prophets of the LORD, fifty men per cave, and I provided them with food and water. 14Verse 14. And now you say, ‘Go tell your lord that Elijah is here!’ He will kill me!” 15Verse 15. Then Elijah said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will present myself to Ahab today.” 16Verse 16. So Obadiah went to inform Ahab, who went to meet Elijah.