"Furthermore,I withheldthe rainfrom you While [there were] stillthreemonthsuntil harvest.Then I would sendrainon onecityAnd on anothercityI would not sendrain;Onepartwould be rainedon, While the partnot rainedon would dryup.
So Mosesstretchedout his handtowardthe sky,and there was thickdarknessin allthe landof Egyptfor threedays.
They did not seeoneanother,nordid anyonerisefrom his placefor threedays,but allthe sonsof Israelhadlightin their dwellings.
"But on that dayI will setapartthe landof Goshen,whereMy peopleare living,so that noswarmsof insects will be there,in orderthat you may knowthat I, the LORD,am in the midstof the land.
Onlyin the landof Goshen,wherethe sonsof Israel[were], there was nohail.
"But the LORDwill makea distinctionbetweenthe livestockof Israeland the livestockof Egypt,so that nothingwill dieof allthat belongs to the sonsof Israel."'"
"I will layit waste;It will not be prunedor hoed,But briarsand thornswill comeup. I will also chargethe cloudsto rainnorainon it."
Are thereanyamong the idolsof the nationswho giverain?Orcan the heavensgrantshowers?Is it not You, O LORDour God?Therefore we hopein You, For You are the one who has doneallthesethings.
"Their nobleshave senttheir servantsfor water;They have cometo the cisternsand foundnowater.They have returnedwith their vesselsempty;They have beenputto shameand humiliated,And they covertheir heads.
"Becausethe groundis cracked,For there has beennorainon the land;The farmershave beenputto shame,They have coveredtheir heads.
"Therefore the showershave been withheld,And there has beennospringrain.Yet you hada harlot'sforehead;You refusedto be ashamed.
So rejoice,O sonsof Zion,And be gladin the LORDyour God;For He has givenyou the earlyrainfor [your] vindication.And He has poureddownfor you the rain,The earlyand latterrainas before.
And it will be that whicheverof the familiesof the earthdoes not goup to Jerusalemto worshipthe King,the LORDof hosts,there will be norainon them.
"Do you not say,'There are yetfour months,and [then] comesthe harvest?Behold,I sayto you, liftup your eyesand lookon the fields,that they are whitefor harvest.
For whoregards you as superior?Whatdo you havethat you did not receive?And ifyou did receiveit, whydo you boastas ifyou had not receivedit?
"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.
Elijahwas a manwith a nature likeours,and he prayedearnestlythat it would not rain,and it did not rainon the earthfor threeyearsand sixmonths.
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.
