You can have three years when there will not be enough food in the land. You can have three months when your enemies will sweep you away. They will catch up with you. They will destroy you with their swords. Or you can have three days when the sword of the Lord will punish you. That means there would be three days of plague in the land. My angel would strike down people in every part of Israel.’ So take your pick. Tell me how to answer the one who sent me.”

或三年的饥荒；或败在你敌人面前，被敌人的刀追杀三个月；或在你国中有耶和华的刀，就是三日的瘟疫，耶和华的使者在以色列的四境施行毁灭。’现在你要想一想，我好回复那差我来的。”

三年的饥荒，或败在敌人面前，被敌人的刀追杀三个月，或在国中三日有耶和华的刀，就是瘟疫，让耶和华的使者在以色列全境施行毁灭呢？’现在你要想一想，我怎样去回覆那差我来的。”

三年的饥荒，或败在敌人面前，被敌人的刀追杀三个月，或在国中三日有耶和华的刀，就是瘟疫，让耶和华的使者在以色列全境施行毁灭呢？’现在你要想一想，我怎样去回覆那差我来的。”

或三年的饥荒，或被敌人追杀三个月，或国中遭三天的瘟疫，让耶和华的天使在以色列全境施行毁灭。请你考虑好后告诉我，我好回复那差我来的。”

或是三年的饥荒；或是在你敌人面前逃亡，被你仇敌的刀剑追杀三个月；或是耶和华的刀攻击三天，就是在国中发生瘟疫三日，耶和华的使者在以色列的四境施行毁灭。’现在你考虑一下，我该用什么话回覆那差派我来的。”

或三年的饑荒；或敗在你敵人面前，被敵人的刀追殺三個月；或在你國中有耶和華的刀，就是三日的瘟疫，耶和華的使者在以色列的四境施行毀滅。』現在你要想一想，我好回覆那差我來的。」

三年的饑荒，或敗在敵人面前，被敵人的刀追殺三個月，或在國中三日有耶和華的刀，就是瘟疫，讓耶和華的使者在以色列全境施行毀滅呢？』現在你要想一想，我怎樣去回覆那差我來的。」

三年的饑荒，或敗在敵人面前，被敵人的刀追殺三個月，或在國中三日有耶和華的刀，就是瘟疫，讓耶和華的使者在以色列全境施行毀滅呢？』現在你要想一想，我怎樣去回覆那差我來的。」

或三年的饑荒，或被敵人追殺三個月，或國中遭三天的瘟疫，讓耶和華的天使在以色列全境施行毀滅。請你考慮好後告訴我，我好回覆那差我來的。」

或是三年的饑荒；或是在你敵人面前逃亡，被你仇敵的刀劍追殺三個月；或是耶和華的刀攻擊三天，就是在國中發生瘟疫三日，耶和華的使者在以色列的四境施行毀滅。’現在你考慮一下，我該用甚麼話回覆那差派我來的。”

或者是三年的饑荒；或者是在你敵人面前被掃滅，而你仇敵的刀追殺着你三個月；或者是遭永恆主的刀三天、就是在你國中有瘟疫，有永恆主的使者在以色列四境施行着殺滅。」現在你要看清楚我該用甚麼話去回覆那差遣我的。』

或饑饉三年、或為敵所敗、被敵以刃追襲三月、或耶和華以疫為刃、遍行斯土、耶和華之使者滅以色列四境三日、爾其思之、俾我覆遣我者、

或饑饉三年、或敗於敵前、被敵以刀追殺三月、或主之刀即疫癘、流行爾國中、主之使者於以色列遍地、滅民三日、此三者、爾何擇、今爾思之、明以告我、俾我歸而覆命於遣我者、

three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord— days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”

either three years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord, pestilence on the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me.”

You may choose three years of famine, three months of destruction by the sword of your enemies, or three days of severe plague as the angel of the Lord brings devastation throughout the land of Israel. Decide what answer I should give the Lord who sent me.”

three years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes with the sword of your enemy overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD— a plague on the land, the angel of the LORD bringing destruction to the whole territory of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I should take back to the one who sent me.”

three years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your foes while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord: a plague in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout the territory of Israel.’ Now, therefore, consider what answer I shall bring back to Him who sent me.”

either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the Lord— the plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.”

either three years of famine; or three months to be consumed before thy foes, while the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of Jehovah, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of Jehovah destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore consider what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

three years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes with the sword of your enemy overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord— a plague on the land, the angel of the Lord bringing destruction to the whole territory of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I should take back to the One who sent me.”

Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh[ thee]; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

three years of famine, or three months being chased by your enemies and struck down by their swords, or three days being struck down by the LORD, during which a plague will invade the land and the LORD’s messenger will destroy throughout Israel’s territory.’ Now, decide what I should tell the one who sent me.”

either three years of famine; or three months to be consumed before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you; or else three days the sword of Yahweh, even pestilence in the land, and Yahweh’s angel destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me.’”

For three years in a row there wasn’t enough food in the land. That was while David was king. So David asked the Lord why he wasn’t blessing his people. The Lord said,“ It is because Saul and his family committed murder. He put the people of Gibeon to death.”

Those killed by swords are better off than those who die of hunger. Those who are hungry waste away to nothing. They don’t have any food from the fields.

But suppose you don’t obey the Lord your God. And you aren’t careful to obey all his commands and rules I’m giving you today. Then he will send curses on you. They’ll catch up with you. Here are those curses.

The Lord will go through the land to strike down the Egyptians. He’ll see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. He will pass over that house. He won’t let the destroying angel enter your homes to strike you down.

I will send war against you to punish you for breaking my covenant. When you go back into your cities, I will send a plague among you. You will be handed over to your enemies.I will cut off your supply of bread. Ten women will need only one oven to bake your bread. They will weigh out the bread piece by piece. Even when you eat all of it, it will not be enough to satisfy you.“‘ After all that, suppose you still do not listen to me. And suppose you continue to be my enemy.Then I will be angry with you. I will be your enemy. I myself will again punish you for your sins over and over.You will eat the dead bodies of your sons. You will also eat the dead bodies of your daughters.

The Lord will make you sick and very weak. He will strike you with fever and swelling. He’ll send burning heat. There won’t be any rain. The hot winds will completely dry up your crops. All those things will happen until you die.

That night the angel of the Lord went into the camp of the Assyrians. He put to death 185,000 people there. The people of Jerusalem got up the next morning and looked out at the camp. There were all the dead bodies!

Elisha had brought a woman’s son back to life. He had said to her,“ Go away with your family. Stay for a while anywhere you can. The Lord has decided that there won’t be enough food in the land. That will be true for seven years.”

I tell you for sure that there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah. And there had been no rain for three and a half years. There wasn’t enough food to eat anywhere in the land.

God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing it, the Lord saw it. The Lord decided to end the plague he had sent. So he spoke to the angel who was destroying the people. He said,“ That is enough! Do not kill any more people!” The angel of the Lord was standing at Araunah’s threshing floor. Araunah was from the city of Jebus.David looked up. He saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth. The angel was holding out a sword over Jerusalem. David and the elders fell with their faces to the ground. They were wearing the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad.

So Gad went to David. He said to him,“ Take your choice. Do you want three years when there won’t be enough food in your land? Or do you want three months when you will run away from your enemies while they chase you? Or do you want three days when there will be a plague in your land? Think it over. Then take your pick. Tell me how to answer the one who sent me.”David said to Gad,“ I’m suffering terribly. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord. His mercy is great. But don’t let me fall into human hands.”

The Lord will help your enemies win the battle over you. You will come at them from one direction. But you will run away from them in every direction. All the kingdoms on earth will be completely shocked when they see you.

Right away an angel of the Lord struck Herod down. Herod had not given praise to God. So he was eaten by worms and died.

“‘ Sword of the Lord!’ you cry out.‘ How long will it be until you rest? Return to the place you came from. Stop killing us! Be still!’

They will eat up the young animals among your livestock. They’ll eat up the crops on your land. They’ll destroy you. They won’t leave you any grain, olive oil or fresh wine. They won’t leave you any calves or lambs. They’ll destroy you.They’ll surround all the cities throughout your whole land. They’ll attack those cities until the high, strong walls you trust in fall down. That’s what will happen to the cities in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

After this I saw four angels. They were standing at the four corners of the earth. They were holding back the four winds of the earth. This kept the winds from blowing on the land or the sea or on any tree.Then I saw another angel coming up from the east. He brought the official seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels. They had been allowed to harm the land and the sea.“ Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees,” he said.“ Wait until we mark with this seal the foreheads of those who serve our God.”

Then the war you fear will catch up with you there. The hunger you are afraid of will follow you into Egypt. And you will die there.

“‘ Some of you will be left in the lands of your enemies. I will fill your hearts with fear. The sound of a leaf blown by the wind will scare you away. You will run as if you were escaping from swords. You will fall down, even though no one is chasing you.You will trip over one another as if you were running away from the battle. You will run away, even though no one is chasing you. You will not be able to stand and fight against your enemies.

Elijah was from Tishbe in the land of Gilead. He said to Ahab,“ I serve the Lord. He is the God of Israel. You can be sure that he lives. And you can be just as sure that there won’t be any dew or rain on the whole land. There won’t be any during the next few years. It won’t come until I say so.”

I will turn against you. Then your enemies will win the battle over you. Those who hate you will rule over you. You will run away even when no one is chasing you.

The Lord will send painful boils on your knees and legs. No one will be able to heal them. They will cover you from head to toe.

“ Or suppose I send a plague into that land. And I pour out my great anger on it by spilling blood. I kill its people and their animals.And suppose Noah, Daniel and Job were in that land. Then they could not save their own sons or daughters. They could save only themselves by doing what is right. And that is just as sure as I am alive,” announces the Lord and King.The Lord and King says,“ It will get much worse. I will punish Jerusalem in four horrible ways. There will be war, hunger, wild animals and plague. They will destroy the people and their animals.

Many will come to destroy it. They will gather on the bare hilltops in the desert. I will use them as my sword to destroy my people. They will kill them from one end of the land to the other. No one will be safe.

The Lord will judge with fire and with his sword. He will judge all people. He will put many people to death.

The Lord will send boils on you, just like the ones he sent on the Egyptians. You will have growths in your bodies and boils on your skin. You will itch all over. No one will be able to heal you.

You won’t have to be afraid of the sickness that attacks in the darkness. You won’t have to fear the plague that destroys at noon.

You will still be eating last year’s crops when you will have to make room for new crops.

This is how it will be on judgment day. The angels will come. They will separate the people who did what is wrong from those who did what is right.They will throw the evil people into the blazing furnace. There the evil ones will weep and grind their teeth.