Elijah Announces a Great Drought

17 Now Elijah^(A) the Tishbite, from Tishbe^[a] in Gilead,^(B) said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain^(C) in the next few years except at my word.”

⁶ They have power to shut up the heavens^(A) so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying;^(B) and they have power to turn the waters into blood^(C) and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

¹⁷ This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord:^(A) With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.^{(B) 18} The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink;^(C) the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’”^(D)

¹⁹ The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff^(E) and stretch out your hand^(F) over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels^[a] of wood and stone.”

⁸ We’re doomed! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck^(A) the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues^(B) in the wilderness.