"But I gaveyou alsocleannessof teethin allyour citiesAnd lackof breadin allyour places,Yet you have not returnedto Me," declaresthe LORD.
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."
So Elijahwentto showhimself to Ahab.Now the famine[was] severein Samaria.
When Elishareturnedto Gilgal,[there was] a faminein the land.As the sonsof the prophetswere sittingbeforehim, he saidto his servant,"Puton the largepotand boilstewfor the sonsof the prophets."
Now Elishaspoketo the womanwhosesonhe had restoredto life,saying,"Ariseand gowith your household,and sojournwhereveryou can sojourn;for the LORDhas calledfor a famine,and it will evencomeon the landfor sevenyears."
Now in the timeof his distressthissameKingAhazbecameyetmoreunfaithfulto the LORD.
O LORD,Your handis liftedup [yet] they do not seeit. They see[Your] zealfor the peopleand are putto shame;Indeed,firewill devourYour enemies.
For behold,the LordGODof hostsis going to removefrom Jerusalemand JudahBoth supplyand support,the wholesupplyof breadAnd the wholesupplyof water;
The Arameanson the eastand the Philistineson the west;And they devourIsraelwith gapingjaws.In [spite of] allthis,His angerdoes not turnawayAnd His handis stillstretchedout.
Yet the peopledo not turnbackto Him who struckthem, Nordo they seekthe LORDof hosts.
IfI goout to the country,Behold,those slainwith the sword!Or ifI enterthe city,Behold,diseasesof famine!For bothprophetand priestHave gone rovingaboutin the landthat they do not know.'"
O LORD,do not Your eyes[look] for truth?You have smittenthem, [But] they did not weaken;You have consumedthem, But they refusedto takecorrection.They have madetheir facesharderthanrock;They have refusedto repent.
For thussaysthe LordGOD,"HowmuchmorewhenI sendMy fourseverejudgmentsagainstJerusalem:sword,famine,wildbeastsand plagueto cutoffmanand beastfrom it!
"Beholdnow, I have stretchedout My handagainstyou and diminishedyour rations.And I deliveredyou up to the desireof those who hateyou, the daughtersof the Philistines,who are ashamedof your lewdconduct.
They will not returnto the landof Egypt;But Assyria--he will be their kingBecausethey refusedto return[to Me].
I will goaway [and] returnto My placeUntilthey acknowledgetheir guiltand seekMy face;In their afflictionthey will earnestlyseekMe.
Has not foodbeen cutoffbeforeour eyes,Gladnessand joyfrom the houseof our God?
And ifby thesethingsyou are not turnedto Me, but actwith hostilityagainstMe,
When I breakyour staffof bread,tenwomenwill bakeyour breadin oneoven,and they will bringbackyour breadin rationedamounts,so that you will eatand not be satisfied.
I smoteyou [and] everyworkof your handswith blastingwind,mildewand hail;yet you [did] not [come] [back] to Me,' declaresthe LORD.
"You shall bringout muchseedto the fieldbut you will gatherin little,for the locustwill consumeit.
I gaveher timeto repent,and she does not wantto repentof her immorality.
Now it cameabout in the dayswhen the judgesgoverned,that there was a faminein the land.And a certain manof Bethlehemin Judahwentto sojournin the landof Moabwith his wifeand his twosons.
