“ I kept the rain from falling when your crops needed it the most. I sent rain on one town but withheld it from another. Rain fell on one field, while another field withered away.

“在收割的前三月，我使雨停止，不降在你们那里；我降雨在这城，不降雨在那城；这块地有雨，那块地无雨；无雨的就枯干了。

“在收割的前三个月，我不降雨在你们那里，我降雨在这城，不降雨在那城；这块地有雨，那块无雨的地就必枯干。

“在收割的前三个月，我不降雨在你们那里，我降雨在这城，不降雨在那城；这块地有雨，那块无雨的地就必枯干。

“我在收割前三个月停止降雨。我在一座城降雨，在另一座城不降雨；我使一块田有雨水的滋润，另一块田因无雨而干裂。

“我曾在收割前三个月，不降雨给你们；我降雨给一个城，在另一个城却不降雨；我在一块地降雨，另一块地没有雨水就枯干了。

在收割的前三月，我使雨停止，不降在你們那裏；我降雨在這城，不降雨在那城；這塊地有雨，那塊地無雨；無雨的就枯乾了。

「在收割的前三個月，我不降雨在你們那裏，我降雨在這城，不降雨在那城；這塊地有雨，那塊無雨的地就必枯乾。

「在收割的前三個月，我不降雨在你們那裏，我降雨在這城，不降雨在那城；這塊地有雨，那塊無雨的地就必枯乾。

「我在收割前三個月停止降雨。我在一座城降雨，在另一座城不降雨；我使一塊田有雨水的滋潤，另一塊田因無雨而乾裂。

“我曾在收割前三個月，不降雨給你們；我降雨給一個城，在另一個城卻不降雨；我在一塊地降雨，另一塊地沒有雨水就枯乾了。

『也是我在收割前還有三個月使雨停止不降在你們那裏；我降雨在一個城，不降雨在另一個城；這一塊地有雨，那一塊地無雨，就枯乾了。

穫前三月、我禁厥雨、惟雨此邑、不雨彼邑、一田得雨、他田無雨、則枯槁焉、

耶和華又曰、秋前三月、我不降雨、惟雨一邑、他邑不雨、惟潤一田、他田不潤、遂致荒蕪、

穡前三月、我禁止雨降、降雨於一邑、不降雨於他邑、一田得雨、他田不得雨、遂致乾旱、

“ I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away. I sent rain on one town, but withheld it from another. One field had rain; another had none and dried up.

“ 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.

“ I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city; one field would have rain, and the field on which it did not rain would wither;

I also withheld the rain from you while there were still three months until harvest. I sent rain on one city but no rain on another. One field received rain while a field with no rain withered.

“ Furthermore, I withheld the rain from you While there were still three months until harvest. Then I would send rain on one city, But on another city I would not send rain; One part would be rained on, While the part not rained on would dry up.

“ I also withheld rain from you, When there were still three months to the harvest. I made it rain on one city, I withheld rain from another city. One part was rained upon, And where it did not rain the part withered.

And I also have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.

I also withheld the rain from you while there were still three months until harvest. I sent rain on one city but no rain on another. One field received rain while a field with no rain withered.

And also I have withholden the rain from you, when[ there were] yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.

“ I withheld rain from you three months before the harvest. I gave rain to one city, but not to another. One field would get rain, but the field that received no rain dried up.

“ I also have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain on one city, and caused it not to rain on another city. One place was rained on, and the piece where it didn’t rain withered.

That’s why even the spring rains have failed. For you are a brazen prostitute and completely shameless.

The only place without hail was the region of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived.

I will make it a wild place where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed, a place overgrown with briers and thorns. I will command the clouds to drop no rain on it.

Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!

During all that time the people could not see each other, and no one moved. But there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived.

But the Lord will again make a distinction between the livestock of the Israelites and that of the Egyptians. Not a single one of Israel’s animals will die!

The ground is parched and cracked for lack of rain. The farmers are deeply troubled; they, too, cover their heads.

“ If in spite of all this you still refuse to listen and still remain hostile toward me,then I will give full vent to my hostility. I myself will punish you seven times over for your sins.

prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.”And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water.Then Gideon said to God,“ Please don’t be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew.”So that night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was dry in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew.

“ 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,then hear from heaven and forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them to follow the right path, and send rain on your land that you have given to your people as their special possession.

It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops.I have called for a drought on your fields and hills— a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.”

If you do, the Lord’s anger will burn against you. He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in that good land the Lord is giving you.

“ And if you fail to learn the lesson and continue your hostility toward me,then I myself will be hostile toward you. I will personally strike you with calamity seven times over for your sins.

Any nation in the world that refuses to come to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will have no rain.

The fields are ruined, the land is stripped bare. The grain is destroyed, the grapes have shriveled, and the olive oil is gone.Despair, all you farmers! Wail, all you vine growers! Weep, because the wheat and barley— all the crops of the field— are ruined.The grapevines have dried up, and the fig trees have withered. The pomegranate trees, palm trees, and apple trees— all the fruit trees— have dried up. And the people’s joy has dried up with them.Dress yourselves in burlap and weep, you priests! Wail, you who serve before the altar! Come, spend the night in burlap, you ministers of my God. For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of your God.Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Bring the leaders and all the people of the land into the Temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to him there.The day of the Lord is near, the day when destruction comes from the Almighty. How terrible that day will be!Our food disappears before our very eyes. No joyful celebrations are held in the house of our God.The seeds die in the parched ground, and the grain crops fail. The barns stand empty, and granaries are abandoned.How the animals moan with hunger! The herds of cattle wander about confused, because they have no pasture. The flocks of sheep and goats bleat in misery.

At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you.Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.

Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, you are the one, O Lord our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wait for you to help us.

Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring.

The skies above will be as unyielding as bronze, and the earth beneath will be as hard as iron.The Lord will change the rain that falls on your land into powder, and dust will pour down from the sky until you are destroyed.

They do not say from the heart,‘ Let us live in awe of the Lord our God, for he gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings. Your sin has robbed you of all these good things.

“ And if, in spite of all this, you still disobey me, I will punish you seven times over for your sins.I will break your proud spirit by making the skies as unyielding as iron and the earth as hard as bronze.All your work will be for nothing, for your land will yield no crops, and your trees will bear no fruit.“ If even then you remain hostile toward me and refuse to obey me, I will inflict disaster on you seven times over for your sins.

You know the saying,‘ Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.

But this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the Lord and that I am present even in the heart of your land.

For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?