"When the heavensare shutup and there is norain,becausethey have sinnedagainst You, and they praytowardthisplaceand confessYour nameand turnfrom their sinwhenYou afflictthem,
Now David'shearttroubledhim afterhe had numberedthe people.So Davidsaidto the LORD,"I have sinnedgreatlyin whatI have done.But now,O LORD,pleasetakeawaythe iniquityof Your servant,for I have actedveryfoolishly."
So Gadcameto Davidand toldhim, and saidto him, "Shall sevenyearsof faminecometo you in your land?Orwill you fleethreemonthsbeforeyour foeswhile they pursueyou? Or shall there be threedays'pestilencein your land?Nowconsiderand seewhatanswerI shall returnto Him who sentme."
Now Elijahthe Tishbite,who was of the settlersof Gilead,saidto Ahab,"As the LORD,the Godof Israellives,beforewhomI stand,surelythere shall be neitherdewnor raintheseyears,exceptby my word."
"When Your peopleIsraelare defeatedbeforean enemy,becausethey have sinnedagainst You, if they turnto You againand confessYour nameand prayand makesupplicationto You in thishouse,
then hearin heaven,and forgivethe sinof Your peopleIsrael,and bringthem backto the landwhichYou gaveto their fathers.
"IfYour peopleIsraelare defeatedbeforean enemybecausethey have sinnedagainst You, and they return[to You] and confessYour name,and prayand makesupplicationbeforeYou in thishouse,
"When the heavensare shutup and there is norainbecausethey have sinnedagainst You, and they praytowardthisplaceand confessYour name,and turnfrom their sinwhenYou afflictthem;
"Behold,He restrainsthe waters,and they dryup; And He sendsthem out, and they inundatethe earth.
"I will layit waste;It will not be prunedor hoed,But briarsand thornswill comeup. I will also chargethe cloudsto rainnorainon it."
Yet the peopledo not turnbackto Him who struckthem, Nordo they seekthe LORDof hosts.
"Sonof man,ifa countrysinsagainst Me by committingunfaithfulness,and I stretchout My handagainstit, destroyits supplyof bread,sendfamineagainst it and cutofffrom it both manand beast,
Return,O Israel,to the LORDyour God,For you have stumbledbecause of your iniquity.
I will also breakdownyour prideof power;I will also makeyour skylike ironand your earthlike bronze.
"Therefore,becauseof you the skyhas withheldits dewand the earthhas withheldits produce.
And it will be that whicheverof the familiesof the earthdoes not goup to Jerusalemto worshipthe King,the LORDof hosts,there will be norainon them.
"Bringthe wholetitheinto the storehouse,so that there may be foodin My house,and testMe nowin this,"saysthe LORDof hosts,"ifI will not openfor you the windowsof heavenand pourout for you a blessinguntilit overflows.
"But I sayto you in truth,there were manywidowsin Israelin the daysof Elijah,whenthe skywas shutup for threeyearsand sixmonths,whena greatfaminecameoverallthe land;
that ifyou confesswith your mouthJesus[as] Lord,and believein your heartthat GodraisedHim from the dead,you will be saved;
and for the Gentilesto glorifyGodfor His mercy;as it is written,"THEREFOREI WILL GIVE PRAISETO YOU AMONGTHE GENTILES,AND I WILL SINGTO YOUR NAME."
"Bewarethat your heartsare not deceived,and that you do not turnawayand serveothergodsand worshipthem.
"Or the angerof the LORDwill be kindledagainst you, and He will shutup the heavensso that there will be norainand the groundwill not yieldits fruit;and you will perishquicklyfrom the goodlandwhichthe LORDis givingyou.
"The LORDwill openfor you His goodstorehouse,the heavens,to giverainto your landin its seasonand to blessallthe workof your hand;and you shall lendto manynations,but you shall not borrow.
Thesehavethe powerto shutup the sky,sothat rainwill not fallduring the daysof their prophesying;and they havepoweroverthe watersto turnthem into blood,and to strikethe earthwith everyplague,as oftenas they desire.
