It was now three years since it had rained. A message came to Elijah from the Lord. He said,“ Go. Speak to Ahab. Then I will send rain on the land.”

过了许久，到第三年，耶和华的话临到以利亚说：“你去，使亚哈得见你；我要降雨在地上。”

过了许多日子，到了第三年，耶和华的话临到以利亚，说：“你去，让亚哈看见你，我要降雨在地面上。”

过了许多日子，到了第三年，耶和华的话临到以利亚，说：“你去，让亚哈看见你，我要降雨在地面上。”

旱灾持续了三年。一天，耶和华吩咐以利亚说：“你去见亚哈。我要降雨在地上。”

过了许久，到第三年，耶和华的话临到以利亚说：“你去在亚哈面前出现，我要降雨在地面上。”

過了許久，到第三年，耶和華的話臨到以利亞說：「你去，使亞哈得見你；我要降雨在地上。」

過了許多日子，到了第三年，耶和華的話臨到以利亞，說：「你去，讓亞哈看見你，我要降雨在地面上。」

過了許多日子，到了第三年，耶和華的話臨到以利亞，說：「你去，讓亞哈看見你，我要降雨在地面上。」

旱災持續了三年。一天，耶和華吩咐以利亞說：「你去見亞哈。我要降雨在地上。」

過了許久，到第三年，耶和華的話臨到以利亞說：“你去在亞哈面前出現，我要降雨在地面上。”

過了很多日子、永恆主的話在第三年又傳與以利亞、說：『你去，使亞哈看見你；我將要降雨在地上了。

歷時既久、越至三年、耶和華諭以利亞曰、往見亞哈、我將降雨於地、

撒馬利亞地歲大饑、越至三年、耶和華命以利亞、曰、我將降雨於斯土、汝可往見亞哈、以利亞遵命而行。

歷時既久、至三年、主謂以利亞曰、可往使亞哈見爾、我將降雨於地、

After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah:“ Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.”

After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying,“ Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.”

Later on, in the third year of the drought, the Lord said to Elijah,“ Go and present yourself to King Ahab. Tell him that I will soon send rain!”

After a long time, the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year:“ Go and present yourself to Ahab. I will send rain on the surface of the land.”

Now it happened after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying,“ Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will provide rain on the face of the earth.”

And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying,“ Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.”

And it came to pass after many days, that the word of Jehovah came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

After a long time, the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year:“ Go and present yourself to Ahab. I will send rain on the surface of the land.”

And it came to pass[ after] many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

Some time later, in the third year of the famine, the LORD told Elijah,“ Go, make an appearance before Ahab, so I may send rain on the surface of the ground.”

After many days, Yahweh’s word came to Elijah, in the third year, saying,“ Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.”

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.

Elijah was a human being, just as we are. He prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain. And it didn’t rain on the land for three and a half years.

The Lord will open up the heavens. That’s where he stores his riches. He will send rain on your land at just the right time. He’ll bless everything you do. You will lend money to many nations. But you won’t have to borrow from any of them.

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.”

Then I will send you rain at the right time. The ground will produce its crops. The trees will bear their fruit.

I will turn my vineyard into a dry and empty desert. It will not be pruned or taken care of. Thorns and bushes will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.”

Do any of the worthless gods of the nations bring rain? Do the skies send down showers all by themselves? No. Lord our God, you send the rain. So we put our hope in you. You are the one who does all these things.

People of Zion, be glad. Be joyful because of what the Lord your God has done. He has given you the right amount of rain in the fall. That’s because he is faithful. He has sent you plenty of showers. He has sent fall and spring rains alike, just as he did before.

She went away and did what Elijah had told her to do. So Elijah had food every day. There was also food for the woman and her family.

So Elijah went to speak to Ahab. There wasn’t enough food in Samaria. The people there were very hungry.

Elijah said,“ I serve the Lord who rules over all. You can be sure that he lives. And you can be just as sure that I will speak to Ahab today.”Obadiah went back to Ahab. He told Ahab that Elijah wanted to see him. So Ahab went to where Elijah was.When he saw Elijah, he said to him,“ Is that you? You are always stirring up trouble in Israel.”“ I haven’t made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied.“ But you and your father’s family have. You have turned away from the Lord’ s commands. You have followed gods that are named Baal.Now send for people from all over Israel. Tell them to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the 450 prophets of the god named Baal. Also bring the 400 prophets of the female god named Asherah. All of them eat at Jezebel’s table.”So Ahab sent that message all through Israel. He gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.Elijah went there and stood in front of the people. He said,“ How long will it take you to make up your minds? If the Lord is the one and only God, worship him. But if Baal is the one and only God, worship him.” The people didn’t say anything.Then Elijah said to them,“ I’m the only one of the Lord’ s prophets left. But Baal has 450 prophets.Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves. Let them cut it into pieces. Then let them put it on the wood. But don’t let them set fire to it. I’ll prepare the other bull. I’ll put it on the wood. But I won’t set fire to it.Then you pray to your god. And I’ll pray to the Lord. The god who answers by sending fire down is the one and only God.” Then all the people said,“ What you are saying is good.”Elijah said to the prophets of Baal,“ Choose one of the bulls. There are many of you. So prepare your bull first. Pray to your god. But don’t light the fire.”So they prepared the bull they had been given. They prayed to Baal from morning until noon.“ Baal! Answer us!” they shouted. But there wasn’t any reply. No one answered. Then they danced around the altar they had made.At noon Elijah began to tease them.“ Shout louder!” he said.“ I’m sure Baal is a god! Perhaps he has too much to think about. Or maybe he has gone to the toilet. Or perhaps he’s away on a trip. Maybe he’s sleeping. You might have to wake him up.”So they shouted louder. They cut themselves with swords and spears until their blood flowed. That’s what they usually did when things really looked hopeless.It was now past noon. The prophets of Baal continued to prophesy with all their might. They did it until the time came to offer the evening sacrifice. But there wasn’t any reply. No one answered. No one paid any attention.Then Elijah said to all the people,“ Come here to me.” So they went to him. He rebuilt the altar of the Lord. It had been torn down.Elijah got 12 stones. There was one for each tribe in the family line of Jacob. The Lord’ s message had come to Jacob. It had said,“ Your name will be Israel.”Elijah used the stones to build an altar to honor the Lord. He dug a ditch around it. The ditch was large enough to hold 24 pounds of seeds.He arranged the wood for the fire. He cut the bull into pieces. He placed the pieces on the wood. Then he said to some of the people,“ Fill four large jars with water. Pour it on the offering and the wood.” So they did.“ Do it again,” he said. So they did it again.“ Do it a third time,” he ordered. And they did it the third time.The water ran down around the altar. It even filled the ditch.When it was time to offer the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward. He prayed,“ Lord, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Today let everyone know that you are God in Israel. Let them know I’m your servant. Let them know I’ve done all these things because you commanded me to.Answer me. Lord, answer me. Then these people will know that you are the one and only God. They’ll know that you are turning their hearts back to you again.”The fire of the Lord came down. It burned up the sacrifice. It burned up the wood and the stones and the soil. It even dried up the water in the ditch.All the people saw it. Then they fell down flat with their faces toward the ground. They cried out,“ The Lord is the one and only God! The Lord is the one and only God!”Then Elijah commanded them,“ Grab the prophets of Baal. Don’t let a single one of them get away!” So they grabbed them. Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley. There he had them put to death.

When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar. He makes clouds rise from one end of the earth to the other. He sends lightning along with the rain. He brings the wind out from his storerooms.

Some time later the brook dried up. It hadn’t rained in the land for quite a while.

You take care of the land and water it. You make it able to grow many crops. You fill your streams with water. You do that to provide the people with grain. That’s what you have decided to do for the land.You water its rows. You smooth out its bumps. You soften it with showers. And you bless its crops.You bring the year to a close with huge crops. You provide more than enough food.The grass grows thick even in the desert. The hills are dressed with gladness.The meadows are covered with flocks and herds. The valleys are dressed with grain. They sing and shout for joy.

These witnesses have power to close up the sky. Then it will not rain while they are prophesying. They also have power to turn the waters into blood. And they can strike the earth with every kind of plague. They can do this as often as they want to.

“ I also held back rain from you. The time to harvest crops was still three months away. I sent rain on one town. But I held it back from another. One field had rain. But another had no rain and dried up.

But do not measure the outer courtyard. That’s because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will take over the holy city for 42 months.