And Ahab had said to Obadiah, "Go into the land to all the springs of water and to all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, so that we will not have to kill any livestock.

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

"For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, [And] hewn themselves cisterns -- broken cisterns that can hold no water.

And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

"Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: 'Make [peace] with me by a present and come out to me; and every one of you eat from his own vine and every one from his own fig tree, and every one of you drink the waters of his own cistern;

The beasts of the field also cry out to You, For the water brooks are dried up, And fire has devoured the open pastures.

So two [or] three cities wandered to another city to drink water, But they were not satisfied; Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the LORD.

" As the thief is ashamed when he is found out, So is the house of Israel ashamed; They and their kings and their princes, and their priests and their prophets,

Saying to a tree, 'You [are] my father,' And to a stone, 'You gave birth to me.' For they have turned [their] back to Me, and not [their] face. But in the time of their trouble They will say, 'Arise and save us.'

But the LORD [is] with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. [Their] everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.

Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion Who seek to destroy my life; Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor Who wish me evil.

Let my accusers be clothed with shame, And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.

They shall be ashamed And also disgraced, all of them; They shall go in confusion together, [Who are] makers of idols.

[But] Israel shall be saved by the LORD With an everlasting salvation; You shall not be ashamed or disgraced Forever and ever.

Because the ground is parched, For there was no rain in the land, The plowmen were ashamed; They covered their heads.

So David went up by the Ascent of the [Mount of] Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who [were] with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up.

But the king covered his face, and the king cried out with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!"

Afterward Mordecai went back to the king's gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered.