They do not sayin their heart,"Let us nowfearthe LORDour God,Who givesrainin its season,Both the autumnrainand the springrain,Who keepsfor us The appointedweeksof the harvest."
"Whilethe earthremains,Seedtimeand harvest,And coldand heat,And summerand winter,And dayand nightShall not cease."
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."
"They waitedfor me as for the rain,And openedtheir mouthas for the springrain.
"Whocan countthe cloudsby wisdom,Or tipthe waterjarsof the heavens,
"He givesrainon the earthAnd sendswateron the fields,
Who coversthe heavenswith clouds,Who providesrainfor the earth,Who makes grassto growon the mountains.
You visitthe earthand cause it to overflow;You greatlyenrichit; The streamof Godis fullof water;You preparetheir grain,for thusYou preparethe earth.
Thereis noonewho callson Your name,Who arouseshimself to takeholdof You; For You have hiddenYour facefrom us And have deliveredus into the powerof our iniquities.
When He uttersHis voice,[there is] a tumultof watersin the heavens,And He causes the cloudsto ascendfrom the endof the earth;He makeslightningfor the rain,And bringsout the windfrom His storehouses.
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.
"Your own wickednesswill correctyou, And your apostasieswill reproveyou; Knowtherefore and seethat it is eviland bitterFor you to forsakethe LORDyour God,And the dreadof Me is not in you," declaresthe LordGODof hosts.
"Therefore the showershave been withheld,And there has beennospringrain.Yet you hada harlot'sforehead;You refusedto be ashamed.
Do you not fearMe?' declaresthe LORD.'Do you not tremblein My presence?For I have placedthe sandas a boundaryfor the sea,An eternaldecree,so it cannotcrossoverit. Though the wavestoss,yet they cannotprevail;Though they roar,yet they cannotcrossoverit.
"They will askfor the wayto Zion,[turning] their facesin its direction;they will comethat they may jointhemselves to the LORD[in] an everlastingcovenantthat will not be forgotten.
Afterwardthe sonsof Israelwill returnand seekthe LORDtheir Godand Davidtheir king;and they will cometremblingto the LORDand to His goodnessin the lastdays.
"Come,let us returnto the LORD.For He has torn[us], but He will healus; He has wounded[us], but He will bandageus.
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.
"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.
Askrainfrom the LORDat the timeof the springrain--The LORDwho makesthe stormclouds;And He will givethem showersof rain,vegetationin the fieldto [each] man.
sothat you may be sonsof your Fatherwhois in heaven;for He causesHis sunto riseon [the] eviland [the] good,and sends rainon [the] righteousand [the] unrighteous.
and yetHe did not leaveHimselfwithout witness,in that He did goodand gaveyou rainsfrom heavenand fruitfulseasons,satisfyingyour heartswith foodand gladness."
"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.
Thereforebe patient,brethren,untilthe comingof the Lord.The farmerwaitsfor the preciousproduceof the soil,being patientaboutit, untilit getsthe earlyand laterains.
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.
