Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version I don’t know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the LORD since my youth. New Living Translation But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you away to who knows where. When Ahab comes and cannot find you, he will kill me. Yet I have been a true servant of the LORD all my life. English Standard Version And as soon as I have gone from you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you I know not where. And so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth. Berean Standard Bible 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. King James Bible And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth. New King James Version And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you to a place I do not know; so when I go and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me. But I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth. New American Standard Bible And it will come about when I leave you that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you to where I do not know; so when I come and inform Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, though I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth. NASB 1995 “It will come about when I leave you that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you where I do not know; so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth. NASB 1977 “And it will come about when I leave you that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you where I do not know; so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth. Legacy Standard Bible And it will be that when I leave you, the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you where I do not know; and I will come and tell Ahab, and he will not find you, and he will kill me, although I your servant have feared Yahweh from my youth. Amplified Bible And as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you to a place I do not know; so when I come to tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. Yet your servant has [reverently] feared the LORD from my youth. Christian Standard Bible But when I leave you, the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off to some place I don’t know. Then when I go report to Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth. Holman Christian Standard Bible But when I leave you, the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off to some place I don’t know. Then when I go report to Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth. American Standard Version And it will come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of Jehovah 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 Jehovah from my youth. Contemporary English Version What if the LORD's Spirit takes you away as soon as I leave? When Ahab comes to get you, he won't find you. Then he will surely kill me. I have worshiped the LORD since I was a boy. English Revised Version And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth. GOD'S WORD® Translation This is what will happen: When I leave you, the LORD's Spirit will take you away to some unknown place. I'll tell Ahab, but he won't be able to find you. Then he will kill me. "I have been faithful to the LORD since I was a child. Good News Translation What if the spirit of the LORD carries you off to some unknown place as soon as I leave? Then, when I tell Ahab that you are here and he can't find you, he will put me to death. Remember that I have been a devout worshiper of the LORD ever since I was a boy. International Standard Version As soon as I've left you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you off to I don't know where! Then when I go tell Ahab and he can't find you, he'll kill me, even though I have been your servant and have feared the LORD since I was young! Majority Standard Bible 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. NET Bible But when I leave you, the LORD's spirit will carry you away so I can't find you. If I go tell Ahab I've seen you, he won't be able to find you and he will kill me. That would not be fair, because your servant has been a loyal follower of the LORD from my youth. New Heart English Bible It will happen, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you I do not 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. Webster's Bible Translation And it will come to pass, as soon as I have gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD 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 LORD from my youth. World English Bible It will happen, as soon as I leave you, that Yahweh’s Spirit 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 Yahweh from my youth. Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionand it has been, I go from you, and the Spirit of YHWH lifts you up to where I do not know, and I have come to declare to Ahab, and he does not find you, and he has slain me; and your servant is fearing YHWH from my youth. Young's Literal Translation and it hath been, I go from thee, and the Spirit of Jehovah doth lift thee up, whither I know not, and I have come to declare to Ahab, and he doth not find thee, and he hath slain me; and thy servant is fearing Jehovah from my youth. Smith's Literal Translation And being I shall go from thee and the spirit of Jehovah will lift thee up where I shall not know; and I went to announce to Ahab, and he will not find thee, and he will kill me: and thy servant feared Jehovah from my youth. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd when I am gone from thee, the spirit of the Lord will carry thee into a place that I know not: and I shall go in and tell Achab, and he not finding thee, will kill me: but thy servant feareth the Lord from his infancy. Catholic Public Domain Version And when I will have departed from you, the Spirit of the Lord will transport you to a place that I do not know. And entering, I will report to Ahab. And he, not finding you, will put me to death. Yet your servant has feared the Lord from his infancy. New American Bible After I leave you, the spirit of the LORD will carry you to some place I do not know, and when I go to inform Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me—though your servant has revered the LORD from his youth! New Revised Standard Version As soon as I have gone from you, the spirit of the LORD will carry you I know not where; so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have revered the LORD from my youth. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd as soon as I am gone from you, the Spirit of the LORD will take you up and carry you whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he shall slay me; but I your servant have revered the LORD from my youth. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And when I go from your presence, The Spirit of LORD JEHOVAH will pick you up and will carry you where I will not know, and I shall go on to show Akhab, and we will not find you, and he will kill me, and your Servant is in awe of LORD JEHOVAH from his childhood! OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And it will come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the spirit of the LORD 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 LORD from my youth. Brenton Septuagint Translation And it shall come to pass when I shall have departed from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee to a land which I know not, and I shall go in to tell the matter to Achaab, and he will not find thee and will slay me: yet thy servant fears the Lord from his youth. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Elijah Confronts Ahab…11And now you say, ‘Go tell your master that Elijah is here!’ 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. 13Was 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.… Cross References 2 Kings 2:16 “Look now,” they said to Elisha, “we your servants have fifty valiant men. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and put him on one of the mountains or in one of the valleys.” “Do not send them,” Elisha replied. Acts 8:39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing. 2 Kings 2:11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind. 2 Kings 1:15 Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king. 2 Kings 6:17 Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. Ezekiel 3:12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me: “Blessed be the glory of the LORD in His dwelling place!” Ezekiel 8:3 He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes jealousy was seated. Ezekiel 11:24 And the Spirit lifted me up and carried me back to Chaldea, to the exiles in the vision given by the Spirit of God. After the vision had gone up from me, Acts 10:19-20 As Peter continued to reflect on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. / So get up! Go downstairs and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.” Acts 16:9-10 During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” / As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. Acts 12:7-10 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. / “Get dressed and put on your sandals,” said the angel. Peter did so, and the angel told him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” / So Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel was doing was real. He thought he was only seeing a vision. ... Acts 5:19-20 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying, / “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.” Acts 9:10-11 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Here I am, Lord,” he answered. / “Get up!” the Lord told him. “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. Acts 13:2-4 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” / And after they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them off. / So Barnabas and Saul, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 1 Samuel 10:2-6 When you leave me today, you will find two men at Rachel’s tomb in Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you seek have been found, and now your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and started worrying about you, asking, “What should I do about my son?”’ / Then you will go on from there until you come to the Oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. / They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hands. ... Treasury of Scripture And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry you where I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he shall slay me: but I your servant fear the LORD from my youth. the Spirit of the Lord 2 Kings 2:11,16 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven… Ezekiel 3:12-14 Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place… Ezekiel 8:3 And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy. he shall slay me 1 Samuel 22:11-19 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king… Daniel 2:5-13 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill… Matthew 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. from my youth 1 Samuel 2:18,26 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod… 1 Samuel 3:19,20 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground… 2 Chronicles 34:3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. Jump to Previous Ahab Although Carry Fear Feared Find Kill Leave Revered Servant Slay Soon Spirit Whither YouthJump to Next Ahab Although Carry Fear Feared Find Kill Leave Revered Servant Slay Soon Spirit Whither Youth1 Kings 18 1. In the extremity of famine Elijah, sent to Ahab, meets good Obadiah9. Obadiah brings Ahab to Elijah 17. Elijah, reproving Ahab, by fire from heaven convinces Baal's prophets 41. Elijah, by prayer obtaining rain, follows Ahab to Jezreel I do not know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off when I leave you. In this phrase, Obadiah expresses his concern about Elijah's unpredictable movements, guided by the Spirit of the LORD. The Spirit's role in transporting individuals is seen elsewhere in Scripture, such as in Ezekiel 3:12-14 and Acts 8:39-40, where Philip is carried away by the Spirit. This highlights the sovereignty and power of God, who directs His servants according to His will. The uncertainty of Elijah's location underscores the divine nature of his mission and the miraculous elements often present in the lives of prophets. 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. Persons / Places / Events 1. ElijahA prophet of God who played a crucial role in challenging the idolatry of Israel and demonstrating God's power. 2. Obadiah A devout believer in the LORD who served as the palace administrator under King Ahab. He feared God and protected the prophets from Jezebel's persecution. 3. Ahab The king of Israel, known for his wickedness and promotion of Baal worship, influenced by his wife Jezebel. 4. Spirit of the LORD Refers to the divine presence and power of God, capable of miraculous acts, such as transporting individuals. 5. Israel The northern kingdom during a time of spiritual decline and idolatry, under the rule of Ahab and Jezebel. Teaching Points Fear of the LORD as a FoundationObadiah's life exemplifies the importance of fearing the LORD from a young age, which shapes one's character and decisions. Divine Protection and Guidance The Spirit of the LORD's ability to transport Elijah underscores God's sovereign control and protection over His servants. Courage in the Face of Danger Obadiah's willingness to serve God despite the threat from Ahab teaches us about standing firm in faith amidst adversity. Faithfulness in Secular Roles Obadiah serves as a model for maintaining one's faith and integrity while working in a secular or even hostile environment. Trust in God's Plan Despite uncertainties, like Obadiah's fear of Elijah's disappearance, believers are called to trust in God's overarching plan and provision.(12) The Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee.--In this phrase there is perhaps a survival of the original physical sense of the word "Spirit"--the whirlwind which is "the breath of the Lord." (Comp. 2Kings 2:16; Acts 8:39.) To Obadiah it seemed that only by such miraculous agency could Elijah have been removed from the persecution for so long a time, and that, having emerged for a moment, he will be swept away into his hidden refuge again.Verse 12. - And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that [Heb. I shall go from thee, and] the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know not [These words, which literally translated are "shall lift thee up upon where," etc., are to be explained by 2 Kings 2:16, "lest the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up" (same word) "and cast him upon some mountain," etc. Seb. Schmidt, Wordsworth, al. think that such a transportation must have already occurred in the history of Elijah, but the sudden, mysterious disappearance and the long concealment of the prophet is quite sufficient to account for Obadiah's fear. Compare Acts 8:39. The words do suggest, however, that it had been believed by some that the Lord had hid Elijah, and it is not improbable that during his long absence rumours had often gained credence that he had been seen and had suddenly disappeared, just as later Jews have held that he "has appeared again and again as an Arabian merchant to wise and good Rabbis at their prayers or in their journeys" (Stanley)]; and so when I come and tell [Heb. and I come to tell] Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me [This is just what a prince like Ahab, or any prince who was under the guidance of a Jezebel, would do, out of sheer vexation at losing his prey when so nearly in his grasp]: but [Heb. and] I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth. [Obadiah's meaning clearly is not that he, "as a God-fearing man and a protector of the prophets, cannot have any special favour to expect from Ahab" (Keil; similarly Ewald), but that it was hard that one who was a steadfast worshipper of Elijah's God should be slain for his sake. It is extremely unlikely that Ahab knew of Obadiah's having protected the prophets. He could hardly have maintained him in his post had he known that the steward of the palace had thwarted the designs of his queen.] Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew I do notלֹֽא־ (lō-) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no know אֵדָ֔ע (’ê·ḏā‘) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular Strong's 3045: To know where עַ֚ל (‘al) Preposition Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against the Spirit וְר֨וּחַ (wə·rū·aḥ) Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular construct Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit of the LORD יְהוָ֤ה ׀ (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel may carry you off יִֽשָּׂאֲךָ֙ (yiś·śā·’ă·ḵā) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take when I אֲנִ֣י ׀ (’ă·nî) Pronoun - first person common singular Strong's 589: I leave אֵלֵ֣ךְ (’ê·lêḵ) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk you. מֵאִתָּ֗ךְ (mê·’it·tāḵ) Preposition-m | Direct object marker | second person masculine singular Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case Then when I go וּבָ֨אתִי (ū·ḇā·ṯî) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go [and] tell לְהַגִּ֧יד (lə·hag·gîḏ) Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous Ahab לְאַחְאָ֛ב (lə·’aḥ·’āḇ) Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 256: Ahab -- 'father's brother', a king of Israel, also a false prophet and he does not וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō) Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no find you, יִֽמְצָאֲךָ֖ (yim·ṣā·’ă·ḵā) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present he will kill me. וַהֲרָגָ֑נִי (wa·hă·rā·ḡā·nî) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular Strong's 2026: To smite with deadly intent But I, your servant, וְעַבְדְּךָ֛ (wə·‘aḇ·də·ḵā) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 5650: Slave, servant have feared יָרֵ֥א (yā·rê) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 3372: To fear, to revere, caus, to frighten the LORD יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel from my youth. מִנְּעֻרָֽי׃ (min·nə·‘u·rāy) Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular Strong's 5271: Youth, the state, the persons Links 1 Kings 18:12 NIV1 Kings 18:12 NLT 1 Kings 18:12 ESV 1 Kings 18:12 NASB 1 Kings 18:12 KJV 1 Kings 18:12 BibleApps.com 1 Kings 18:12 Biblia Paralela 1 Kings 18:12 Chinese Bible 1 Kings 18:12 French Bible 1 Kings 18:12 Catholic Bible OT History: 1 Kings 18:12 It will happen as soon as (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg) |
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