“ 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.

“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 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.

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 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 is why the rains have been withheld, and the spring rains have not come. Yet in spite of this you are obstinate as a prostitute. You refuse to be ashamed of what you have done.

Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was there no hail.

I will make it a wasteland; no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground, and thorns and briers will grow there. I will order the clouds not to drop any rain on it.

Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and there was no rain on the land for three years and six months!

No one could see another person, and no one could rise from his place for three days. But the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.

But the Lord will distinguish between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing will die of all that the Israelites have.”’”

They are dismayed because the ground is cracked because there has been no rain in the land. The farmers, too, are dismayed and bury their faces in their hands.

“‘ If in spite of this you do not obey me but walk in hostility against me,I will walk in hostile rage against you and I myself will also discipline you seven times on account of your sins.

Look, I am putting a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and the ground around it is dry, then I will be sure that you will use me to deliver Israel, as you promised.”The LORD did as he asked. When he got up the next morning, he squeezed the fleece, and enough dew dripped from it to fill a bowl.Gideon said to God,“ Please do not get angry at me, when I ask for just one more sign. Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make only the fleece dry, while the ground around it is covered with dew.”That night God did as he asked. Only the fleece was dry and the ground around it was covered with dew.

“ 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,then listen from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Certainly you will then teach them the right way to live and send rain on your land that you have given your people to possess.

This is why the sky has held back its dew and the earth its produce.Moreover, I have called for a drought that will affect the fields, the hill country, the grain, new wine, fresh olive oil, and everything that grows from the ground; it also will harm people, animals, and everything they produce.’”

Then the anger of the LORD will erupt against you and he will close up the sky so that it does not rain. The land will not yield its produce, and you will soon be removed from the good land that the Lord is about to give you.

“‘ If in spite of these things you do not allow yourselves to be disciplined and you walk in hostility against me,I myself will also walk in hostility against you and strike you seven times on account of your sins.

But if any of the nations anywhere on earth refuse to go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD who rules over all, they will get no rain.

The crops of the fields have been destroyed. The ground is in mourning because the grain has perished. The fresh wine has dried up; the olive oil languishes.Be distressed, farmers; wail, vinedressers, over the wheat and the barley. For the harvest of the field has perished.The vine has dried up; the fig tree languishes– the pomegranate, date, and apple as well. In fact, all the trees of the field have dried up. Indeed, the joy of the people has dried up!Get dressed and lament, you priests! Wail, you who minister at the altar! Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you servants of my God, because no one brings grain offerings or drink offerings to the temple of your God anymore.Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the temple of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.How awful that day will be! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Divine Destroyer.Our food has been cut off right before our eyes! There is no longer any joy or gladness in the temple of our God!The grains of seed have shriveled beneath their shovels. Storehouses have been decimated and granaries have been torn down, for the grain has dried up.Listen to the cattle groan! The herds of livestock wander around in confusion because they have no pasture. Even the flocks of sheep are suffering.

When I close up the sky so that it doesn’t rain, or command locusts to devour the land’s vegetation, or send a plague among my people,if my people, who belong to me, humble themselves, pray, seek to please me, and repudiate their sinful practices, then I will respond from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

These two have the power to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the time they are prophesying. They have power to turn the waters to blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague whenever they want.

Do any of the worthless idols of the nations cause rain to fall? Do the skies themselves send showers? Is it not you, O Lord our God, who does this? So we put our hopes in you because you alone do all this.”

Citizens of Zion, rejoice! Be glad because of what the LORD your God has done! For he has given to you the early rains as vindication. He has sent to you the rains– both the early and the late rains as formerly.

The sky above your heads will be bronze and the earth beneath you iron.The LORD will make the rain of your land powder and dust; it will come down on you from the sky until you are destroyed.

They do not say to themselves,“ Let us revere the LORD our God. It is he who gives us the autumn rains and the spring rains at the proper time. It is he who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.”Your misdeeds have stopped these things from coming. Your sins have deprived you of my bounty.’

“‘ If, in spite of all these things, you do not obey me, I will discipline you seven times more on account of your sins.I will break your strong pride and make your sky like iron and your land like bronze.Your strength will be used up in vain, your land will not give its yield, and the trees of the land will not produce their fruit.“‘ If you walk in hostility against me and are not willing to obey me, I will increase your affliction seven times according to your sins.

Don’t you say,‘ There are four more months and then comes the harvest?’ I tell you, look up and see that the fields are already white for harvest!

But on that day I will mark off the land of Goshen, where my people are staying, so that no swarms of flies will be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of this land.

For who concedes you any superiority? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as though you did not?