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.

²⁵ I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.^(A)

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.”

¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins^(A) to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.^(B) The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.^(C)

¹⁷ Elijah was a human being, even as we are.^(D) He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.^{(E) 18} Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.^(F)

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.

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.”

²⁰ Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded.^(G) He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile,^(H) and all the water was changed into blood.^{(I) 21} The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

²² But the Egyptian magicians^(J) did the same things by their secret arts,^(K) and Pharaoh’s heart^(L) became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. ²³ Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. ²⁴ And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water^(M), because they could not drink the water of the river.

The Plague of Frogs

²⁵ Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.

The End Has Come

7 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to the land of Israel:

“‘Then you will know that I am the Lord.’^(F)

⁵ “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Then you will know that it is I the Lord who strikes you.^(O)