KJV ORIGINAL
If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
If I stop the rain from falling, or if I send swarms of locusts to destroy the crops, or if I send disease among my people,
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
God is explaining that He has control over natural disasters and can use them to get His people's attention when they turn away from Him.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of God's response to Solomon after he dedicated the magnificent temple in Jerusalem. God was establishing the conditions under which He might discipline His people if they turned away from Him. This was a covenant promise that included both blessings for obedience and consequences for disobedience.
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