In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him.

当士师秉政的时候，国中遭遇饥荒。在犹大的伯利恒，有一个人带着妻子和两个儿子往摩押地去寄居。

士师统治的时候，国中有饥荒。在犹大的伯利恒，有一个人带着妻子和两个儿子往摩押地去寄居。

士师统治的时候，国中有饥荒。在犹大的伯利恒，有一个人带着妻子和两个儿子往摩押地去寄居。

在士师执政的时代，犹大发生了饥荒。有一个人带着妻子和两个儿子从犹大的伯利恒迁到摩押境内寄居。

在士师统治期间，国内发生了饥荒。有一个人带着妻子和两个儿子，从犹大的伯利恒前往摩押地去，寄居在那里。

在士师们治理的日子里，犹大地有了饥荒。犹大的伯利恒有一个人，带着他的妻子和两个儿子，去摩押地寄居。

當士師秉政的時候，國中遭遇饑荒。在猶大的伯利恆，有一個人帶着妻子和兩個兒子往摩押地去寄居。

士師統治的時候，國中有饑荒。在猶大的伯利恆，有一個人帶着妻子和兩個兒子往摩押地去寄居。

士師統治的時候，國中有饑荒。在猶大的伯利恆，有一個人帶着妻子和兩個兒子往摩押地去寄居。

在士師執政的時代，猶大發生了饑荒。有一個人帶著妻子和兩個兒子從猶大的伯利恆遷到摩押境內寄居。

在士師統治期間，國內發生了饑荒。有一個人帶著妻子和兩個兒子，從猶大的伯利恆前往摩押地去，寄居在那裡。

當士師執政的日子、猶大地鬧饑荒；有一個人從猶大、伯利恆往摩押鄉間去寄居；他和他妻子跟兩個兒子一同去。

在士師們治理的日子裡，猶大地有了饑荒。猶大的伯利恆有一個人，帶著他的妻子和兩個兒子，去摩押地寄居。

當士師主治時、斯土薦饑、有猶大伯利恆人、與妻及二子、往旅於摩押地、

當士師治以色列族時、歲饑、猶大之伯利恆人、攜妻及二子、往摩押地居焉。

當士師秉政時、國值歲饑、有猶大之伯利恆人、攜妻及二子、往摩押地寄居、

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.

There was a time when Israel didn’t have kings to rule over them. But they had leaders to help them. This is a story about some things that happened during that time. There wasn’t enough food in the land of Judah. So a man went to live for a while in the country of Moab. He was from Bethlehem in Judah. His wife and two sons went with him.

In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.

During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to stay in the territory of Moab for a while.

Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to reside in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.

Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.

And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth- lehem- judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to live in the land of Moab for a while.

Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

During the time of the judges there was a famine in the land of Judah. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live as a resident foreigner in the region of Moab, along with his wife and two sons.

In the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to live in the country of Moab with his wife and his two sons.

At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner.

A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.

“ Son of man, suppose the people of a country were to sin against me, and I lifted my fist to crush them, cutting off their food supply and sending a famine to destroy both people and animals.

He called for a famine on the land of Canaan, cutting off its food supply.

Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought back to life,“ Take your family and move to some other place, for the Lord has called for a famine on Israel that will last for seven years.”So the woman did as the man of God instructed. She took her family and settled in the land of the Philistines for seven years.

But the famine continued to ravage the land of Canaan.

He had left Bethlehem in search of another place to live, and as he traveled, he came to the hill country of Ephraim. He happened to stop at Micah’s house as he was traveling through.

There was a famine during David’s reign that lasted for three years, so David asked the Lord about it. And the Lord said,“ The famine has come because Saul and his family are guilty of murdering the Gibeonites.”

So Elijah went to appear before Ahab. Meanwhile, the famine had become very severe in Samaria.

The skies above will be as unyielding as bronze, and the earth beneath will be as hard as iron.The Lord will change the rain that falls on your land into powder, and dust will pour down from the sky until you are destroyed.

Then the Lord raised up judges to rescue the Israelites from their attackers.Yet Israel did not listen to the judges but prostituted themselves by worshiping other gods. How quickly they turned away from the path of their ancestors, who had walked in obedience to the Lord’s commands.Whenever the Lord raised up a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge’s lifetime. For the Lord took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering.

Our food disappears before our very eyes. No joyful celebrations are held in the house of our God.The seeds die in the parched ground, and the grain crops fail. The barns stand empty, and granaries are abandoned.How the animals moan with hunger! The herds of cattle wander about confused, because they have no pasture. The flocks of sheep and goats bleat in misery.Lord, help us! The fire has consumed the wilderness pastures, and flames have burned up all the trees.Even the wild animals cry out to you because the streams have dried up, and fire has consumed the wilderness pastures.

The fields are ruined, the land is stripped bare. The grain is destroyed, the grapes have shriveled, and the olive oil is gone.Despair, all you farmers! Wail, all you vine growers! Weep, because the wheat and barley— all the crops of the field— are ruined.

“ You will plant much but harvest little, for locusts will eat your crops.

“ I brought hunger to every city and famine to every town. But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord.

After Jephthah died, Ibzan from Bethlehem judged Israel.

Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab,“ As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives— the God I serve— there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”Then the Lord said to Elijah,“ Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River.Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan.The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook.But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.Then the Lord said to Elijah,“ Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her,“ Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?”As she was going to get it, he called to her,“ Bring me a bite of bread, too.”But she said,“ I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”

Now in those days Israel had no king. There was a man from the tribe of Levi living in a remote area of the hill country of Ephraim. One day he brought home a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine.But she became angry with him and returned to her father’s home in Bethlehem. After about four months,

“ Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How terrible it will be when all four of these dreadful punishments fall upon Jerusalem— war, famine, wild animals, and disease— destroying all her people and animals.

He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands, because of the wickedness of those who live there.

I will break your proud spirit by making the skies as unyielding as iron and the earth as hard as bronze.

This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord, explaining why he was holding back the rain: