Elijah Announces Famine

17 Now Elijah^(A) the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers,^[a](B) said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives,^(C) in whose presence I stand, there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!” ^(D)

Elijah’s Message to Ahab

18 After a long time, the word of the Lord^(A) came to Elijah in the third year:^(B) “Go and present yourself to Ahab.^(C) I will send rain on the surface of the land.”

¹⁷ Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land.^(A)