¹⁹ I will break down your stubborn pride^(A) and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze.^{(B) 20} Your strength will be spent in vain,^(C) because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of your land yield their fruit.^(D)

²¹ “‘If you remain hostile^(E) toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over,^(F) as your sins deserve. ²² I will send wild animals^(G) against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few^(H) in number that your roads will be deserted.^(I)

²³ “‘If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction^(J) but continue to be hostile toward me, ²⁴ I myself will be hostile^(K) toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over. ²⁵ And I will bring the sword^(L) on you to avenge^(M) the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague^(N) among you, and you will be given into enemy hands. ²⁶ When I cut off your supply of bread,^(O) ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but you will not be satisfied.

²⁷ “‘If in spite of this you still do not listen to me^(P) but continue to be hostile toward me, ²⁸ then in my anger^(Q) I will be hostile^(R) toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over.^{(S) 29} You will eat^(T) the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters.^(U)

²³ The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron.^(A)

²⁴ The Lord will turn the rain^(A) of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed.

³⁸ You will sow much seed in the field but you will harvest little,^(A) because locusts^(B) will devour^(C) it. ³⁹ You will plant vineyards and cultivate them but you will not drink the wine^(D) or gather the grapes, because worms will eat^(E) them.^{(F) 40} You will have olive trees throughout your country but you will not use the oil, because the olives will drop off.^{(G) 41} You will have sons and daughters but you will not keep them, because they will go into captivity.^{(H) 42} Swarms of locusts^(I) will take over all your trees and the crops of your land.

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.”