¹⁶ Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them.^{(A) 17} Then the Lord’s anger^(B) will burn against you, and he will shut up^(C) the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce,^(D) and you will soon perish^(E) from the good land the Lord is giving you.

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

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.