“ Suppose your people have sinned against you. And because of that, the sky is closed up and there isn’t any rain. But your people pray toward this place. They praise you by admitting they’ve sinned. And they turn away from their sin because you have made them suffer.

“你的民因得罪你，你惩罚他们，使天闭塞不下雨，他们若向此处祷告，承认你的名，离开他们的罪，

“你的百姓若得罪了你，你使天闭塞不下雨；他们若向此处祷告，宣认你的名，因你的惩罚而离开他们的罪，

“你的百姓若得罪了你，你使天闭塞不下雨；他们若向此处祷告，宣认你的名，因你的惩罚而离开他们的罪，

“当你的子民得罪你，你惩罚他们，使天不降雨时，如果他们向着这地方祷告，承认你的名，并离开罪恶，

“你的子民因得罪了你，你惩罚他们，使天闭塞不下雨；如果他们向着这地方祷告，承认你的名，离开他们的罪，

「你的民因得罪你，你懲罰他們，使天閉塞不下雨，他們若向此處禱告，承認你的名，離開他們的罪，

「你的百姓若得罪了你，你使天閉塞不下雨；他們若向此處禱告，宣認你的名，因你的懲罰而離開他們的罪，

「你的百姓若得罪了你，你使天閉塞不下雨；他們若向此處禱告，宣認你的名，因你的懲罰而離開他們的罪，

「當你的子民得罪你，你懲罰他們，使天不降雨時，如果他們向著這地方禱告，承認你的名，並離開罪惡，

“你的子民因得罪了你，你懲罰他們，使天閉塞不下雨；如果他們向著這地方禱告，承認你的名，離開他們的罪，

『你人民因犯罪得罪了你，天便被制住而沒有雨水；你這樣懲罰他們，他們若向這聖地而禱告，稱讚你的名，離開他們的罪而歸向你，

民獲罪爾、致天閉塞不雨、遭爾罰時、若向此祈禱、而認爾名、改悔厥罪、

如人獲罪於爾、使天閉塞、雨澤不降、至殿祈禱、呼籲爾名、緣遘患難、去厥罪愆、

如民獲罪於主、致天閉塞不雨、而在此處祈禱、主罰之之後、遂認主之名、悔改罪惡、

“ When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them,

“ When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them,

“ If the skies are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and if they pray toward this Temple and acknowledge your name and turn from their sins because you have punished them,

When the skies are shut and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, and they pray toward this place and praise your name, and they turn from their sins because you are afflicting them,

“ When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them,

“ When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them,

When the heavens are shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them:

When the skies are shut and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name, and they turn from their sins because You are afflicting them,

When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee;[ yet] if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them;

“ The time will come when the skies are shut up tightly and no rain falls because your people sinned against you. When they direct their prayers toward this place, renew their allegiance to you, and turn away from their sin because you punish them,

“ When the sky is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you; if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when you afflict them;

If you do, the Lord will be very angry with you. He’ll close up the sky. It won’t rain. The ground won’t produce its crops. Soon you will die. You won’t live to enjoy the good land the Lord is giving you.

I will break down your stubborn pride. I will make the sky above you like iron, and it will not rain. I will make the ground under you like bronze, and you will not be able to farm it.

The sky above you will be like bronze. The ground beneath you will be like iron.

I will go back to my lion’s den. I will stay there until they pay the price for their sin. Then they will turn to me. They will suffer so much that they will really want me to help them.”The people say,“ Come. Let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces. But he will heal us. He has wounded us. But he’ll bandage our wounds.

But suppose a sinful person turns away from the evil things they have done. And they do what is fair and right. Then they will save their life.They think about all the evil things they have done. And they turn away from them. So you can be sure they will live. They will not die.But the Israelites still say,‘ What the Lord does isn’t fair.’ People of Israel, what I do is always fair. What you do is not.“ So I will judge you Israelites. I will judge each of you in keeping with what you have done,” announces the Lord and King.“ Turn away from your sins! Turn away from all the evil things you have done. Then sin will not bring you down.Get rid of all the evil things you have done. Let me give you a new heart and a new spirit. Then you will be faithful to me. Why should you die, people of Israel?When anyone dies, it does not give me any joy,” announces the Lord and King.“ So turn away from your sins. Then you will live!

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 a message came to Elijah from the Lord. He said,“ Leave this place. Go east and hide in the Kerith Valley. It is east of the Jordan River.You will drink water from the brook. I have directed some ravens to supply you with food there.”So Elijah did what the Lord had told him to do. He went to the Kerith Valley. It was east of the Jordan River. He stayed there.The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning. They also brought him bread and meat in the evening. He drank water from the brook.Some time later the brook dried up. It hadn’t rained in the land for quite a while.A message came to Elijah from the Lord. He said,“ Go right away to Zarephath in the region of Sidon. Stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.”So Elijah went to Zarephath. He came to the town gate. A widow was there gathering sticks. He called out to her. He asked,“ Would you bring me a little water in a jar? I need a drink.”She went to get the water. Then he called out to her,“ Please bring me a piece of bread too.”“ I don’t have any bread,” she replied.“ And that’s just as sure as the Lord your God is alive. All I have is a small amount of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I’m gathering a few sticks to take home. I’ll make one last meal for myself and my son. We’ll eat it. After that, we’ll die.”Elijah said to her,“ Don’t be afraid. Go home. Do what you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me. Make it out of what you have. Bring it to me. Then make some for yourself and your son.The Lord is the God of Israel. He says,‘ The jar of flour will not be used up. The jug will always have oil in it. You will have flour and oil until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’ ”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.The jar of flour wasn’t used up. The jug always had oil in it. That’s what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken that message through Elijah.Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. He got worse and worse. Finally he stopped breathing.The woman said to Elijah,“ You are a man of God. What do you have against me? Did you come to bring my sin out into the open? Did you come to kill my son?”

When Manasseh was in trouble, he asked the Lord his God to help him. He made himself very humble in the sight of the God of his people.Manasseh prayed to him. When he did, the Lord felt sorry for him. He answered his prayer. The Lord brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.

Priests, put on the clothing of sadness and mourn. Cry, you who serve at the altar. Come, you who serve my God in the temple. Spend the night dressed in the clothes of sadness. Weep because no one brings grain offerings and drink offerings to the house of your God anymore.Announce a holy fast. Tell the people not to eat anything. Gather them together for a special service. Send for the elders and all who live in the land. Have them come to the house of the Lord your God. And pray to him.The day of the Lord is near. How sad it will be on that day! The Mighty One is coming to destroy you.Our food has been taken away right in front of our eyes. There isn’t any joy or gladness in the house of our God.The seeds have dried up in the ground. The grain is also gone. The storerooms have been destroyed. The barns are broken down.Listen to the cattle groan! The herds wander around. They don’t have any grass to eat. The flocks of sheep are also suffering.Lord, I call out to you. Fire has burned up the desert grasslands. Flames have destroyed all the trees in the fields.Even the wild animals cry out to you for help. The streams of water have dried up. Fire has burned up the desert grasslands.

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.”

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.

“ Son of man, suppose the people in a certain country sin against me. And they are not faithful to me. So I reach out my powerful hand against them. I cut off their food supply. I make them very hungry. I kill them and their animals.

“ People of Samaria, go to Bethel and sin! Go to Gilgal! Sin there even more! Bring your sacrifices every morning. Every third year, bring a tenth of everything you produce.Bake some bread with yeast. Burn it as a thank offering. Brag about the offerings you freely give. This is what you Israelites love to do,” announces the Lord and King.“ I made sure your stomachs were empty in every city. You did not have enough bread in any of your towns. In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,” announces the Lord.“ 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.People wandered from town to town to look for water. But they did not get enough to drink. In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,” announces the Lord.“ Many times I kept your gardens and vineyards from growing. I sent hot winds to dry them up completely. Locusts ate up your fig and olive trees. In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,” announces the Lord.

Anyone who hides their sins doesn’t succeed. But anyone who admits their sins and gives them up finds mercy.

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.

A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. He told Jeremiah there wouldn’t be any rain in the land. The Lord said,“ Judah is filled with sadness. Its cities are wasting away. The people weep for the land. Crying is heard in Jerusalem.The nobles send their servants to get water. They go to the wells. But they do not find any water. They return with empty jars. They are terrified. They do not have any hope. They cover their heads.The ground is dry and cracked. There isn’t any rain in the land. The farmers are terrified. They cover their heads.Even the female deer in the fields desert their newborn fawns. There isn’t any grass to eat.Wild donkeys stand on the bare hilltops. They long for water as wild dogs do. Their eyesight fails because they do not have any food to eat.”Lord, our sins are a witness against us. But do something for the honor of your name. We have often turned away from you. We’ve sinned against you.You are Israel’s only hope. You save us when we’re in trouble. Why are you like a stranger to us? Why are you like a traveler who stays for only one night?Why are you like a man taken by surprise? Why are you like a soldier who can’t save anyone? Lord, you are among us. And we are your people. Please don’t desert us!

The Lord says to the people in Jerusalem,“ Do you think I divorced your people who lived before you? Is that why I sent them away? If it is, show me the letter of divorce. I did not sell you into slavery to pay someone I owe. You were sold because you sinned against me. Your people were sent away because of their lawless acts.When I came to save you, why didn’t anyone welcome me? When I called out to you, why didn’t anyone answer me? Wasn’t I powerful enough to set you free? Wasn’t I strong enough to save you? I dry up the sea with a single command. I turn rivers into a desert. Then fish rot because they do not have any water. They die because they are thirsty.

Priests, blow the trumpets in Zion. Announce a holy fast. Tell the people not to eat anything. Gather them together for a special service.Bring them together. Set all of them apart to me. Bring together the elders. Gather the children and the babies who are still nursing. Let the groom leave his bedroom. Let the bride leave their marriage bed.Let the priests who serve the Lord weep. Let them cry between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say,“ Lord, spare your people. Don’t let others make fun of them. Don’t let the nations laugh at them. Don’t let them tease your people and say,‘ Where is their God?’ ”