66 Bible Verses about Jerusalem, Significance Of

but one tribe shall be for him, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel;

If your people go out to battle against his enemy in the way that you shall send them and they pray to Yahweh, toward the city which you have chosen and the house which I have built for your name, then you shall hear in heaven their prayer and their plea, and you shall {vindicate} them. "If they sin against you (for there is not a person who does not sin) and you are angry with them and you give them to an enemy and they take them captive to the land of the enemy far or near,read more.
and then they return their heart in the land where they have been taken captive and they return and plead to you in the land of their captivity, saying, 'We have sinned and we did wrong. We acted wickedly,' if they return to you with all of their heart and with all of their soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive and they pray to you toward their land which you gave to their ancestors, the city that you have chosen and the house that you built for your name, then you shall hear in heaven, the place of your dwelling, their prayer and their plea, and you shall {vindicate them}. You shall forgive your people who sinned against you, [even] for all their transgressions which they committed against you. You shall give them compassion before their captors so that they may have compassion on them, for they [are] your people and your inheritance whom you brought from Egypt from the middle of the smelter of iron.

"When your people go out to battle against their enemy according to the way that you have sent them, and they pray to you toward this city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, then may you hear their prayer and their pleas from the heavens and uphold their case. When they sin against you--for there is no person who does not sin--and you become angry with them and place them before their enemy that they carry them away as captives to a land far or near,read more.
but {if they repent} in the land where they were taken captive and {repent} and beg you for mercy in the land of their captivity, saying, 'We have sinned and acted perversely and done wickedly, and we return to you,' with their whole heart and with all their inmost being in the land of their captivity where they took them captive, and [if] they pray toward their land that you have given to their ancestors and the city that you have chosen and to the house that I have built for your name, then may you hear their prayer and their pleas from the heavens, from your dwelling place, and uphold their case and forgive your people who sinned against you.

To his son I will give one tribe in order to be a lamp for my servant David, always before my face, in Jerusalem the city in which I have chosen to place my name.

Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which, from all of the tribes of Israel, Yahweh chose to place his name. And the name of his mother [was] Naamah the Ammonitess.

So King Rehoboam was strengthened in Jerusalem, and he reigned [there]. Now, Rehoboam [was] forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city where Yahweh had chosen to put his name out of all the tribes of Israel. And the name of his mother [was] Naamah the Ammonite.

Yahweh had said, "Even Judah I will remove from my face, as I have removed Israel; I will reject this city that I have chosen, even Jerusalem and the house [of] which I said, 'My name shall be there'!"

Please, remember the word that you have commanded to your servant Moses, saying, 'If you act unfaithfully I will scatter you all among the nations. But if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, even though all of your outcasts are at the furthest parts of heaven, I will gather them and bring them to the place which I have chosen to make my name dwell.'

And David built houses for himself in the city of David, and he established a place for the ark of God. And he pitched a tent for it. Then David ordered [that] none except the Levites should carry the ark of God, for Yahweh had chosen them to carry the ark of Yahweh and to serve him forever. And David gathered all Israel to Jerusalem to bring up the ark of Yahweh to its place that he had established for it.

David again gathered all the chosen men in Israel, thirty thousand. David got up and went and all the people who [were] with him, from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God which [is] called the name, the name of Yahweh of hosts, {upon which the cherubim sit}. They loaded the ark of God on a new utility cart, and they carried it from the house of Abinadab, which [was] on the hill. Now Uzza and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, [were] driving the new utility cart along.read more.
So they brought it out from the house of Abinadab, which [was] on the hill with the ark of God, and Ahio [was] going before the ark. Now David and all the house of Israel [were] dancing before Yahweh, with all kinds of [musical instruments made from] ash trees, and with zithers, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals. When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzza reached out to the ark of God and took hold of [it], because the oxen had stumbled. {Then the anger of Yahweh was kindled} against Uzza, and God struck him down there because of the indiscretion, and he died there beside the ark of God. {David was angry} because Yahweh had burst out against Uzza, and he called that place Perez-Uzza until this day. But David feared Yahweh on that day and said, "How can the ark of Yahweh come to me?" However, David [was] not willing to bring the ark of Yahweh to himself, to the city of David, so David caused it to turn [to] the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. So the ark of Yahweh remained [in] the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite [for] three months, and Yahweh blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. It [was] told to King David, "Yahweh has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and all that [is] his because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the city of David with jubilation. It happened [that] when the carriers of the ark of Yahweh had marched six steps that he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. Now David [was] dancing with all [his] might before Yahweh, and David [was] wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel [were] bringing up the ark of Yahweh with shouts of joyful acclaim and with the sound of the trumpet. It happened that when the ark of Yahweh came [into] the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked down through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Yahweh, and she despised him in her heart. They brought the ark of Yahweh and set it in its place in the middle of the tent which David had pitched for it. Then David offered up burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in the presence of Yahweh. When David had finished from the sacrificing of the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of hosts. Then he distributed to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, from man to woman, to each: one ring-shaped piece of bread, one cake of dates, and one cake of raisins; and all the people went each to his house.

Then Solomon began to build the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem, on Mount Moriah, where Yahweh had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had established, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Now these [are the men] whom David appointed for {control of singing} in the house of Yahweh where the ark rested. They were ministering with song before the tabernacle of the tent of assembly until Solomon built the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem. And they stood according to their order with respect to their duty.

And all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned, and Jehoshaphat [was] at their head in returning to Jerusalem with joy, for Yahweh caused them to rejoice over their enemies. And they came to Jerusalem with harps, stringed instruments, and trumpets to the house of Yahweh.

And he placed the carved image of the idol that he had made in the house of God, [of] which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever.

All the leaders of the priests and the people likewise increased in unfaithfulness according to all the detestable things of the nations. And they polluted the house of Yahweh that he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to accomplish the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah, Yahweh stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia and he sent a message to all of his kingdom and also [put the message] in writing: "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: Yahweh, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. And he himself has appointed me to build a house for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever among you [who is] from all of his people, may his God be with him and may he go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and may he build the house of Yahweh, the God of Israel. He is the God who [is] in Jerusalem.

Your God has commanded your strength. Show yourself strong, O God, [by] what you perform for us. Because your temple [is] above Jerusalem, kings will bring tribute to you.

And he went into Jerusalem to the temple, and [after] looking around at everything, [because] the hour was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

And his parents went every year to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years [old], they went up according to the custom of the feast. And [after] the days were completed, while they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. And his parents did not know [it],read more.
but believing him to be in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. And they began searching for him among [their] relatives and [their] acquaintances, and [when they] did not find [him], they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. And it happened that after three days they found him in the temple [courts], sitting in the midst of the teachers and listening to them and asking them [questions]. And all who heard him were amazed at his insight and [his] answers. And [when they] saw him, they were astounded and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you done this to us? Look, your father and I have been searching for you anxiously!" And he said to them, "{Why} were you searching for me? Did you not know that it was necessary [for] me to be in the [house] of my Father?" And they did not understand the statement that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was submitting to them. And his mother treasured all these things in her heart.

And he brought him to Jerusalem, and had him stand on the highest point of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,

came to me and stood by [me] [and] said to me, 'Brother Saul, regain [your] sight!' And [at that] same time I looked up at him [and saw him]. And he said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth, because you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard.read more.
And now why are you delaying? Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name!' "And it happened that [when] I returned to Jerusalem and I was praying in the temple courts, I was in a trance, and saw him saying to me, 'Hurry and depart {quickly} from Jerusalem, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'

"These [are] the rules and the regulations {that you must diligently observe} in the land that Yahweh, [the] God of your ancestors, has given to you to take possession of it, [during] all the days that you [are] living on the land. You must completely demolish all [of] the places there where [they] served their gods, [that is], the nations whom you [are] about to dispossess, on the high mountains, and on the hills and under each leafy green tree. And you shall break down their altars, and you shall smash their stone pillars, and their Asherah poles you must burn with fire, and the images of their gods you shall hew down, and you shall blot out their names from that place.read more.
You shall not worship Yahweh your God like this. {But only} to the place that Yahweh your God will choose from all [of] your tribes to place his name there as his dwelling shall you seek, and there you shall go. And you shall bring there your burnt offerings and your sacrifices and your tithes and {your donations} and your votive gifts and your freewill offerings and the firstling of your herd and your flock. And you shall eat there {before} Yahweh your God, and you shall rejoice {in all your endeavors}, you and your family [in] which Yahweh your God has blessed you.

"When Yahweh your God enlarges your territory [just] as he has {promised} to you, and you say 'I want to eat [some] meat,' {because you want it}, {whenever you desire} you may eat meat. If the place that Yahweh your God will choose to put his name there is [too] far from you, and you slaughter any of your herd and any of your flock that Yahweh has given to you [just] as I have commanded you, then you may eat whenever you desire in your {towns}. Surely [just] as the gazelle and the deer is eaten, so [both] the unclean and the clean together may eat it.read more.
Only, be sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the meat. You shall not eat it, [but] on the ground you shall pour it out like water. You shall not eat it, so that {it will go well} for you [and] your children after you, because [then] you will [be] doing what is right in the eyes of Yahweh. Only your holy objects {that are yours} and your votive gifts you must carry and you must bring to the place that Yahweh will choose. And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood on the altar of Yahweh your God, and the blood of your sacrifices you shall pour out on the altar of Yahweh your God, but the meat you may eat. {Be careful to obey} all these things that I [am] commanding you, so that {it will go well} for you and for your children after you {forever}, because then you will [be] doing what is good and right in the eyes of Yahweh your God.

But Judah did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and they annoyed him more than their fathers did with their sins that they had committed. They also built for themselves high places and stone pillars and sacred poles on every high hill and under every green tree. There were also male shrine prostitutes in the land, and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which Yahweh had driven out from before the {Israelites}.

Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. He walked in all of the way of Asa his father, and he did not turn aside from it, doing right in the eyes of Yahweh. Only he did not remove the high places; the people [were] still sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.

So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. [He was] thirty-five years old when he began to reign. And he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother [was] Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn aside from it, to do what was right in the eyes of Yahweh. Only the high places were not removed. The people still had not yet set their heart on the God of their ancestors.

In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash became king. He reigned in Jerusalem forty years, and the name of his mother [was] Zibiah from Beersheba. Jehoash did right in the eyes of Yahweh all of his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. Only the high places were not removed; the people [were] still making sacrifices and offering incense on the high places.

In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do right in the eyes of Yahweh his God as David his ancestor. He walked in the way of the kings of Israel; he even let his son pass through the fire according to the detestable things of the nations which Yahweh drove out from before the {Israelites}.read more.
He sacrificed and offered incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

Ahaz [was] twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what is right in the eyes of Yahweh like David his ancestor. But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and also made molten idols for the Baals. And he himself burned incense in the valley of Ben-Hinnom and burned his sons in the fire, according to the detestable [practices] of the nations whom Yahweh drove out before the Israelites.read more.
And he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops, and under every flourishing tree.

So the king sent [word], and all of the elders of Judah and Jerusalem gathered to him. Then the king went up [to] the temple of Yahweh, and all of the men of Judah and all of the inhabitants of Jerusalem [were] with him, [including] the priests, the prophets, and all of the people from smallest to greatest; and in their {hearing} he read all of the words of the scroll of the covenant that had been found in the temple of Yahweh. Then the king stood by the pillar, and he {made} a covenant before Yahweh, to go after Yahweh and to keep his commands and his warnings and his statutes, with all of [his] heart and with his all of his soul, to keep the words of this covenant written on this scroll. Then all of the people {joined} in the covenant.read more.
Then the {king} commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the second priests, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring out of the temple of Yahweh all of the objects made for Baal and for the Asherah and for all the host of heaven, and he burned them outside of Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and then he carried their ashes to Bethel He removed the priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained [to] burn incense on the high places at the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem and who offered incense to, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven. He brought out the Asherah image from the temple of Yahweh outside of Jerusalem to the Wadi of the Kidron and burnt it {there}; then he pulverized [it] to dust and threw its dust upon the tombs of the children of the people. He tore down the shrines of the male shrine prostitutes which were in the temple of Yahweh, where the women were weaving shrines for the Asherah. Then he brought all of the priests from the cities of Judah and defiled the high places where the priests from Geba up to Beersheba burned incense. He tore down the high places of the gates which were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the governor of the city, which were on the left of each gate of the city. However, the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of Yahweh in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread in the midst of their relatives. He defiled the Topheth which [is] in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom, {to prevent} anyone causing his sons or his daughters to pass through the fire for Molech. He kept the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun from coming to the temple of Yawheh at the side room of Nathan-Melech the eunuch, which [was] in the court; and the chariots of the sun he burned with fire. The altars which [were] on the roof of the upper room of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courtyards of the temple of Yahweh, the king tore down and ran from there and threw their ashes into the Wadi Kidron. The high places which [were] east of Jerusalem, which [were] on the south of the Mountain of Destruction which Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Molech the detestable thing of the {Ammonites}, the king defiled. He also broke into pieces the stone pillars and cut down the Asherah poles and covered their sites [with] human bones. Moreover, the altar which [was] in Bethel, the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin, had built, even that altar and the high place, [Josiah] tore down. Then he burned down the high place and crushed [the] pole of Asherah worship to dust and burned it with fire. When Josiah turned and saw the tombs which [were] there on the hill, he sent and took the bones from the tombs and burned [them] on the altar. [Thus] he defiled them according to the word of Yahweh that the man of God had proclaimed who had proclaimed these things. Then he said, "What [is] this gravestone that I [am] seeing?" The men of the city said to him, "[This is the] tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel." So Josiah said, "Let him rest and let no man move his bones." So they left his bones undisturbed with the bones of the prophet who had come from Samaria. Moreover, all of the shrines of the high places which [were] in the towns of Samaria which the kings of Israel had made to provoke [Yahweh], Josiah removed, and he did to them like all of the deeds he had done in Bethel Then he slaughtered all of the priests of the high places who [were] there, on the altars, and he burned the bones of the humans on them. Then he returned [to] Jerusalem.

Then they sent [word] to the king, and he gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up to the house of Yahweh with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with the priests and the Levites--all the people from great to small--and they read in their ears all the words of the scroll of the covenant that was found in the house of Yahweh. And the king stood at his position. And he made the covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh and to keep his commands and statutes and regulations with all his heart and with all his soul, to do the words of the covenant that [were] written on this scroll.read more.
Then he obligated all who were found in Jerusalem and in Benjamin, that the inhabitants of Jerusalem would do according to the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.

Then Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, to come to the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem to make a Passover feast to Yahweh the God of Israel. Now the king and his princes, and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to make the Passover feast in the second month-- but they were not able to make it at that time, for the priests had not consecrated themselves {in sufficient numbers}, and the people had not been assembled in Jerusalem--read more.
and the plan seemed right in the eyes of the king and in the eyes of all the assembly. So they let the decree stand, {to make a proclamation} throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, to come to make a Passover feast to Yahweh the God of Israel. And the runners went with the letter from the hand of the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah according to the command of the king, saying, "O sons of Israel, return to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you who escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. Do not be like your fathers and like your brothers, who acted unfaithfully before Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them as a desolation, as you see. Now, do not stiffen your neck as your fathers, but give a hand to Yahweh and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve Yahweh your God that his fierce anger may turn away from you. For when you return to Yahweh, your brothers and your children [will find] compassion before their captors and return to this land, for Yahweh your God [is] gracious and compassionate, and he will not turn away his face from you if you return to him." And it happened [that] the runners were passing from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and up to Zebulun, but they were laughing at them and mocking them. Only men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. The hand of God was also upon Judah, to give them one heart to obey the command of the king and the princes concerning the word of Yahweh. So many people gathered in Jerusalem to hold the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month; [it was] a very great assembly. And they rose up and removed the altars that [were] in Jerusalem. And they removed all the incense altars and threw [them] away in the Wadi Kidron. And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were disgraced, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of Yahweh. Then they stood at their positions according to custom, according to the law of Moses the man of God. The priests were sprinkling the blood from the hand of the Levites. For [there were] many in the assembly who did not consecrate themselves, so the Levites [were] over the killing of the Passover sacrifices for all who [were] not clean, to consecrate [them] to Yahweh. For a majority of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves. But they ate the Passover sacrifice {otherwise than prescribed}, but Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, "May the good Yahweh make atonement unto everyone whose heart is set to seek God, Yahweh the God of his ancestors, though not according to the cleansing for the sanctuary." And Yahweh listened to Hezekiah, and he healed the people. And the {Israelites} who were found in Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great joy. And the Levites and the priests were offering praise to Yahweh day by day, with powerful instruments to Yahweh. And Hezekiah spoke to the heart of all the Levites {who were skilled at service} to Yahweh. So they ate the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and giving thanks to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors. Then the whole assembly decided to make seven more days [of feasting], so they made seven [more] days with joy, for Hezekiah the king of Judah had {provided} one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the assembly, and the princes {provided} one thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep for the assembly. And many priests consecrated themselves. And the whole assembly of Judah, the priests and the Levites, all the assembly who had come from the land of Israel, and those living in Judah rejoiced. And there was great joy in Jerusalem, for from the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there was nothing such as this in Jerusalem. Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy dwelling place in the heavens. And when all this was finished, all Israel who were found in the cities of Judah went out and shattered the stone pillars, cut down the Asherahs, and destroyed the high places and the altars from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh {to the very last one}. Then all the Israelites returned, each to his own property [and] to their cities. And Hezekiah appointed working groups of the priests and the Levites, each according to their divisions, {according to the service for priests and Levites}, for burnt offerings, for peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camps of Yahweh. And the gift of the king [was] out of his own possessions for the burnt offerings--the burnt offerings for the morning and the evening and for Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and appointed feasts, as is written in the law of Yahweh. Then he said to the people, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to give a gift for the priests and the Levites, so that they might be strong in the law of Yahweh.

and bring all your countrymen from all the nations [as] an offering to Yahweh on horses and chariots and in litters and on mules and camels, to {my holy mountain}, Jerusalem," says Yahweh, "just as the sons of Israel bring [an] offering in a clean vessel [to] the house of Yahweh.

The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. Thorn and thistle will grow on their altars. They will say to the mountains, "Cover us," and to the hills, "Fall on us."

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you [people] say that in Jerusalem is the place where it is necessary to worship." Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, that an hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.

Blessed [be] Yahweh from Zion, who dwells [in] Jerusalem. Praise Yah!

And the full moon will be ashamed and the sun will be ashamed, for Yahweh of hosts will rule on {Mount Zion} and in Jerusalem, and before his elders [in] glory.

And his rock will pass over because of terror, and his officers will be terrified because of [the] flag," {declares} Yahweh, who has a fire in Zion and has a furnace in Jerusalem.

At that time they will call Jerusalem 'The Throne of Yahweh,' and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the name of Yahweh, to Jerusalem, and they will no longer go after the stubbornness of their evil heart.

Awake! Awake; put on your strength, Zion! Put on the garments of your beauty, Jerusalem, {holy city}! For [the] uncircumcised and [the] unclean shall not {continue to} enter you any longer. Shake yourself free from [the] dust! Rise up; sit, Jerusalem! Free yourselves [from] the bonds of your neck, captive daughter of Zion!

Laud Yahweh, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion,

For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen because their speech and their deeds [are] against Yahweh, defying the eyes of his glory.

"Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her, that her compulsory labor is fulfilled, that her sin is paid for, that she has {received} from the hand of Yahweh double for all her sins."

First to Zion, look! Look at them! And I give a herald of good tidings to Jerusalem.

Break forth, sing for joy together, ruins of Jerusalem, for Yahweh has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem.

I have appointed watchmen upon your walls, Jerusalem; all day and all night they shall never be silent. You who profess Yahweh have no rest. And you must not give him rest until he establishes, and until he {makes} Jerusalem {an object of praise} in the earth.

And the word of Yahweh came to me, {saying}, "Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, {saying}, 'Thus says Yahweh, "I remember [concerning] you the loyal love of your childhood, the love of your betrothal-time, your going after me in the desert, in [the] land not sown.

Cleanse your heart from wickedness, Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. {How long} will your thoughts of mischief dwell in your inner part?

Be warned, Jerusalem, lest I turn away from you in disgust, lest I make you a desolation, a land that is not inhabited."

"Thus says Yahweh: 'So I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.

"For who will have compassion on you, Jerusalem, or who will show sympathy to you, or who will turn aside {to ask about your welfare}?

Zion stretches out her hands; there is no one to comfort her. Yahweh has commanded against Jacob, [that] those surrounding him [should be] his enemies; Jerusalem has become a defilement among them.

What can I say for you? What can I compare to you, O daughter of Jerusalem? To what can I liken you so that I can comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your destruction [is] as vast as the sea; who can heal you? Your prophets had a vision for you, false and worthless; they have not exposed your sin, to restore your fortune; they have seen oracles for you, false and misleading. They clap hands over you, all who pass along the way; they hiss and they shake their head, at the daughter of Jerusalem. Is this the city of which it is said, "A perfection of beauty, a joy for all the earth?"

Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Look! I, {even I}, am against you, and I will execute judgment in the midst of you before the eyes of the nations,

And the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying}, "Son of man, make known to Jerusalem its detestable things, and you must say, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth [were] from the land of the Canaanites, your father [was] an Amorite, and your mother [was] a Hittite.read more.
And [as for] your birth, {on the day you were born} your umbilical cord was not cut, and {you were not thoroughly washed clean with water}, and {you were not thoroughly rubbed with salt}, and {you were not carefully wrapped in strips of cloth}. {No eye took pity on you} to do to you one of these [things] to show compassion for you, and you were thrown {into the open field} in [their] despising of you {on the day you were born}. " 'And I passed by you, and I saw you kicking about in your blood, and I said to you in your blood, "Live! Grow up; I will make you like a plant of the field." And you grew up, and you became tall and {reached full womanhood}. [Your] breasts were formed, and your hair had grown, but you [were] naked and bare. " 'And I passed by you, and I saw you, and look, {your time of lovemaking had come}, and [so] I spread out my hem over you, and I covered your nakedness, and I swore to you, and I entered into a covenant with you,' {declares} the Lord Yahweh, 'and {you became mine}. And I washed you with water, and I rinsed off your blood from on you, and I anointed you with oil. And I clothed you [with] beautiful finished cloth, and I put sandals [on] you [of] fine leather, and I bound you in fine linen, and I covered you [with] costly fabric. And I adorned you [with] ornaments, and I put a bracelet on your arms and a necklace on your neck. And I put an ornamental ring on your nose and earrings on your ears and a {beautiful crown} on your head. And you adorned yourself with gold and silver, and your clothing [was] fine linen and costly fabric and beautiful finished cloth; you ate finely milled flour and honey and olive oil, and you became exceedingly beautiful; {you were fit to be a queen}. And a name went out for you among the nations because of your beauty, for it [was] perfect because of my majesty that I bestowed on you,' {declares} the Lord Yahweh. 'And you trusted in your beauty, and you prostituted on account of your name, and you poured out your fornication on every [one] passing by, [saying], "Let it be his." And you took from your clothes and you made for yourself colorful shrines, and you prostituted on them; {this had not happened before}, and it {will not continue to happen}. And you took {your beautiful jewelry} [made] from my gold and from my silver that I had given to you, and you made for yourself {male images}, and you prostituted with them. And you took the clothes of your beautiful finished cloth, and you covered them and my oil and my incense you set {before them}. And my bread that I gave to you, finely milled flour and oil and honey [with which] I fed you, then you set it {before them} as a {pleasing odor}, and so it was,' {declares} the Lord Yahweh. 'And you took your sons and your daughters whom you had borne for me, and you sacrificed them to them to be eaten, {as if your whorings were not enough}. And you slaughtered my children, and you gave them {to be sacrificed to them}. And [in] all of your detestable things and your fornication you did not remember the days of your childhood {when you were naked and bare}, [when] you were kicking about in your blood. " 'And then after all of your evil! Woe, woe, to you!' {declares} the Lord Yahweh. 'And [then] you built for yourself a mound, and you made for yourself a high place in every public square. At [the] head of every street you built your high place and you disgraced your beauty and you spread your feet for every passerby, and you increased your whoring. And you prostituted with the {Egyptians}, your neighbors {who were sexually aroused}, and you increased your fornication to provoke me. And look! I stretched out my hand against you, and I reduced your portion, and I gave you into the desire of your haters, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed because of your lewd {conduct}. And you prostituted with the {Assyrians} on account of {your insatiable lust}, and you prostituted [with] them, and still you were not satisfied. And you increased your fornication to [the] land of traders, [to] Chaldea, and even with this you were not satisfied. How hot with fever [was] your heart!' {declares} the Lord Yahweh. '{When you did} all of these actions {of a headstrong female prostitute}, {when you built} your mound at [the] head of every street and your high place you made on every street, yet you were not like a prostitute, [as you were] scorning [your] harlot's wages. O, adulterous woman! In the place of her husband she received strangers. To all prostitutes they give a fee, but you, you gave your gifts to all of your lovers, and you bribed them to come to you from all around in your whorings! And it was the opposite with you from the [other] women in your whorings; {no one solicited you as a prostitute}. {You gave} a harlot's wages, and harlot's wages [were] not given to you, and [so] it was [just] the opposite. " 'Therefore, prostitute, hear the word of Yahweh. Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because of the pouring out of your shame and [because] your nakedness was revealed in your whoring with your lovers, and on account of all of the idols of your detestable things, and according to the blood of your children whom you gave to them, therefore, look! I [am] gathering all of your lovers {whom you were pleased about}, and all of whom you loved in addition to all of whom you hated, and I will gather them against you from {everywhere}, and I [will] uncover your nakedness to them, and they will see all of your nakedness. And I will judge you [with the] judgment of [women] committing adultery and shedding blood, and I will give you [the] blood of rage and jealousy. And I will give you into their hand, and they will demolish your mound, and they will break down your high places, and they will strip you of your clothes, and they will take {your beautiful jewelry}, and they will leave you naked and bare. And they will bring up against you a crowd, and they will stone you with stones, and they will cut you to pieces with their swords. And they will burn your houses with fire, and they will execute against you judgments {before} many women, and I will stop you from prostitution, and also a harlot's wages you will not give again. And I will satisfy my rage on you, and my jealousy will turn away from you, and I will be calm, and I will not be angry [any] longer. {Because} you did not remember the days of your childhood and you made me angry with all of these. And in turn I, look, I will return your way upon [your] head,' {declares} the Lord Yahweh, 'and did you not [do] wickedness in addition to all of your detestable things? Look! Everyone quoting a proverb against you, he will quote, {saying}, 'Like her mother [is] her daughter!' You [are] a daughter of your mother [who] abhorred her husband and her children, and you [are] a sister of your sisters who abhorred their husbands and their children. Your mother [was] a Hittite, and your father [was] an Amorite. And your elder sister, she [is] Samaria, and her daughters, [who are] dwelling on your north, and your younger sister [is] the one dwelling on your south; [she] [is] Sodom and her daughters. And you have not [only] gone in their ways, but you [also] did according to their detestable things. {In such a short time} you behaved [more] corruptly than they in all of your ways. {As surely as I live},' {declares} the Lord Yahweh, 'surely your sister Sodom and her daughters did not [do] as you and your daughters did. Look! This was the iniquity of Sodom, your sister: Pride, abundance of food, and {prosperous ease} was to her and to her daughters, and {she did not sustain the needy and the poor}. And they were proud, and they did a detestable thing {before me}, and I removed them {because} I saw [it]. And Samaria did not sin {according to even half of your sins}, and you caused your detestable things to increase more than they, and you made your sister righteous [in comparison] with all of your detestable things that you did. Also, you bear your disgrace, [by] which you furnished justification to your sisters through your sins [by] which you acted more abominably than they; they were more righteous than you, and also, you be ashamed and bear your disgrace through your making your sister righteous. And I will restore their fortune, the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters, and [even] the fortunes of your captivity in the midst of them, in order that you may bear your disgrace and you may be put to shame because of all that you did at your consoling them. And [as for] your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, they will return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters, they will return to their former state, and you and your daughters will return to your former state. And was not Sodom, your sister, a byword in your mouth in the day of your pride {before} your evil was uncovered? [It was] like the time of the scorn of the daughters of Aram and all [those] around her, and of the daughters of the Philistines, those all around who [are] despising you. Your wickedness and your detestable things, you, you must bear them,' {declares} Yahweh. 'For thus says the Lord Yahweh: And I will do it to you {according to what you have done}, who despised [the] oath to break covenant. And I, I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish with you {an everlasting covenant}. And you will remember your ways, and you will be ashamed when you take your sisters, {both the older and the younger}, and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account of your covenant. And I, I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I [am] Yahweh, in order that you will remember, and you will be ashamed, and {you will not open your mouth again} {because of} your disgrace when I forgive you for all that you have done!'" {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

And the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying}, "Son of man, there were two women, [the] daughters of one mother, and they prostituted [themselves] in Egypt in their childhood; they were prostituting [themselves] there, [and] their breasts were fondled, and there they caressed the bosoms of their virginity.read more.
Now [as for] their names, the older [was] Oholah, and Oholibah [was] her sister. And {they became mine}, and they bore sons and daughters, and their names [are] Samaria [for] Oholah, and Jerusalem [for] Oholibah And Oholah prostituted [herself] {while she was still mine}, and she lusted for her lovers, for Assyria [who was] nearby, clothed in blue cloth, governors and prefects, {handsome young men} [and] all of them horsemen, {experts on horseback}. And she bestowed her fornication on them, [on] the choice [ones] of the {Assyrians}, all of them, and with every one [after] which she lusted; with all of their idols she defiled herself. And her whorings from [the time of] Egypt she [did] not abandon, for they slept with her in her childhood, and they caressed the bosoms of her virginity, and they poured out their fornication on her. Therefore I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the {Assyrians} {after whom she lusted}. They uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters, and they killed her with the sword. And she became a name for the women, and they executed judgments against her. "And though Oholibah her sister saw, yet in her lust {she behaved more corruptly than her}, and her whoring [was] more than the prostitution of her sister. She lusted after the {Assyrians}, governors and prefects, warriors clothed in perfection, {expert horsemen}, all of them {handsome young men}. And I saw that she was defiled; {they had both taken the same path}! And she increased her whorings, and she saw men carved on the wall, images of Chaldeans carved in red belted with a belt at their waist with turbans on their heads, all of them [giving] [the] appearance of adjutants, the image of the {Babylonians}; Chaldea [was] the land of their birth. And she lusted for them {when her eyes saw them}, and she sent messengers to them [at] Chaldea. And so the {Babylonians} came to her [for the] bed of lovemaking; and they defiled her with their fornication, and she was defiled by them, and she turned from them. And she revealed her whorings, and she revealed her nakedness, and so I turned from her {just as} I turned from her sister. Yet she increased her whorings, {recalling} the days of her childhood when she was prostituted in the land of Egypt And she lusted after her male lovers whose genitalia [were the] genitalia of male donkeys and [their] seminal emission [was the] seminal emission of horses. And you longed [after] the obscene conduct of your youth when your bosom was caressed by Egypt, fondling your young breasts. "Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord Yahweh: 'Look! I [am] stirring up your lovers against you [concerning] whom you turned away, and I will bring them against you from all around: the {Babylonians} and all of the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, all of the {Assyrians} [along] with them, {handsome young men}, governors and prefects, all of them adjutants {and excellent horsemen}. And they will come against you [with] an army chariot and wagon and with a crowd of peoples; they will set [themselves] against you [from] all around [with] large shield and small shield and helmet. And I will give {before them} judgment, and they will judge you with their judgments. And I will direct my zeal against you, and they will deal with you in anger; your nose and your ears they will remove, and {those who are left}, they will fall by the sword, and they will take your sons and your daughters, and {your remnant} will be consumed by fire. And they will strip you [of] your clothes, and they will take {your splendid jewelry}. And I will put an end to your obscene conduct [coming] from you and your fornication from the land of Egypt, and you will not lift your eyes to them; and you will not remember Egypt again.' For thus says the Lord Yahweh: 'Look! I [am] giving you into the hand of those you hated, into the hand of those from whom you turned away. And they will deal with you in hatred, and they will take all of your acquisitions, and they will leave you naked and [in] bareness; and the nakedness of your fornication and your obscene conduct and your whorings will be exposed. These [things] [are] accomplished against you since you prostituted yourself after the nations, [and] on account of that, you defiled yourself by their idols. You went in the [same] way of your sister, and I will give her cup into your hand." ' Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "You will drink the deep and wide cup of your sister; you will be as laughter and as scorn; {the cup holds so much}! You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, for a cup of horror and desolation [is] the cup of your sister, Samaria. And you will drink it, and you will drain [it], and its potsherds you will gnaw, and you will tear out your breasts, for {I myself} spoke," {declares} the Lord Yahweh. Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Because you have forgotten me, and you threw me behind your back, now in turn you bear your obscene conduct and your whorings." And Yahweh said to me, "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah and declare their abominable deeds to them For they committed adultery, and blood [is] on their hands, and they committed adultery with their idols, and even their children that they had borne for me--they sacrificed them as food! Also they did this to me: they defiled my sanctuary on that day, and they profaned my Sabbaths and when they slaughtered their children for their idols, they came to my sanctuary on that day to profane it. And look, {this is what they did in my house}! {What is worse}, they sent for men {who come} from a distant place, [to] whom a messenger [was] sent to them, and look! They came! [Men] for whom you bathed and painted your eyes, and you adorned yourself [with] an ornament. And you sat on a magnificent couch and a table prepared {before her}, and my incense and my olive oil you put on her. And a sound of a carefree crowd [was] with it, and in addition to [these] men, {a crowd of drunken men was brought in} from [the] desert, and they put bracelets on their arms and a crown of splendor on their heads. And I said to the one worn out [with] adulteries, 'Now they will prostitute [her] [concerning] her fornication, even her.' And [so] they went to her like going to a female prostitute; and thus they went to Oholah and to Oholibah, the women of obscene conduct. But righteous men, they will judge them [with] [the] judgment of committing adultery, and [with] [the] judgment of shedding blood; for they were committing adultery, and blood [was] on their hands." For thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Bring up against them an assembly, and make them as a thing of horror and as plunder. And an assembly must stone them [with] stones, and they must cut them down. With their swords they shall kill their sons and their daughters, and with fire they shall burn their houses. And {I will cause obscene conduct to cease from the land}, and all of the women will be warned, and they will not do according to your wickedness. And they will repay your obscene conduct upon you, and the guilt of your idols you will bear, and you will know that I [am] the Lord Yahweh.

Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Cry aloud, O Israel! Rejoice and be jubilant with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! Yahweh has annulled your judgments; he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, Yahweh, [is] in your midst; you shall no longer fear misfortune. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, "Fear not, O Zion; your hands shall not hang limp.read more.
Yahweh your God [is] in your midst; a mighty warrior who saves. He shall rejoice over you with joy; he renews you in his love; he will exult over you with singing.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king comes to you; he [is] righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, and on a male donkey, {the foal of} a female donkey! And I will cut off [the] chariot from Ephraim, and [the] horse from Jerusalem; the battle bow will be cut down, and he will announce peace to the nations. His dominion [will be] from sea to sea, and from [the] River to [the] ends of [the] earth.

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How many times I wanted to gather your children together {the way} a hen gathers her young together under [her] wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house has been left to you desolate For I tell you, you will never see me from now [on] until you say, 'Blessed [is] the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How many times I wanted to gather your children together {the way} a hen [gathers] her own brood under [her] wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house has been left to you! And I tell you, you will never see me until [the time] will come when you say, 'Blessed [is] the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

And [after he] had said these [things], he traveled on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. And it happened that when he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, to the hill called [the Mount] of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, 'Go into the village in front of [you], in which [as you] enter you will find a colt tied, on which {no person has ever} sat, and untie it [and] bring [it].read more.
And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying [it]?' you will say this: 'The Lord has need of it.'" So those who were sent went [and] found [it] just as he had told them. And [as] they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, 'Why are you untying the colt?' So they said, 'The Lord has need of it.' And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they put Jesus [on it]. And [as] he was going along, they were spreading out their cloaks on the road. Now [as] he was drawing near by this time to the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began rejoicing to praise God with a loud voice for all the miracles that they had seen, saying, "Blessed [is] the king, the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

And as they led him away, they seized Simon, a certain [man] of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, [and] placed the cross on him, to carry [it] behind Jesus. And a great crowd of the people were following him, and of women who were mourning and lamenting him. But turning to them, Jesus said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children!read more.
For behold, days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed [are] the barren, and the wombs that did not give birth, and [the] breasts that did not nurse!' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!' For if they do these [things] {when the wood is green}, what will happen {when it is dry}?" And two other criminals were also led away to be executed with him. And when they came to the place that is called "The Skull," there they crucified him, and the criminals, the one on [his] right and the other on [his] left. [[But Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."]] And they cast lots to divide his clothes. And the people stood there watching, but the rulers also ridiculed [him], saying, "He saved others; let him save himself, if this [man] is the Christ of God, the Chosen One!" And the soldiers also mocked him, coming up [and] offering him sour win and saying, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!" And there was also an inscription over him, "This [is] the king of the Jews." And one of the criminals who were hanged there reviled him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself--and us!" But the other answered [and] rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, because you are undergoing the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving {what we deserve} [for] what we have done. But this man has done nothing wrong!" And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!" And he said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise." And by this time it was about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour [because] [the light] of the sun failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn apart [down] the middle. And Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit!" And [after he] said this, he expired. Now [when] the centurion saw what had happened, he began to praise God, saying, "Certainly this man was righteous!" And all the crowds that had come together for this spectacle, [when they] saw the things that had happened, returned [home] beating [their] breasts. And all his acquaintances, and the women who had followed him from Galilee who saw these [things], stood at a distance.

Now on the first [day] of the week, at very early dawn, they came back to the tomb bringing the fragrant spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, but [when they] went in, they did not find the body.read more.
And it happened that while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men in gleaming clothing stood near them. And [as] they were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, they said to them, "Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has been raised! Remember how he spoke to you [while he] was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of men [who are] sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise?" And they remembered his words, and [when they] returned from the tomb, they reported all these [things] to the eleven and to all the rest. Now Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the [mother] of James and the others with them were telling these [things] to the apostles. And these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they refused to believe them. But Peter got up [and] ran to the tomb, and bending over to look, he saw only the [strips of] linen cloth, and he went away to his home wondering what had happened.

And [while he] was with [them], he commanded them, "Do not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for what was promised by the Father, which you heard about from me. For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit {not many days from now}." So [when] they had come together, they began asking him, saying, "Lord, [is it] at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"read more.
But he said to them, "It is not for you to know [the] times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power [when] the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest part of the earth." And [after he] had said these [things], [while] they were watching, he was taken up, and a cloud received him from their sight.

And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in the same [place]. And suddenly a sound like a violent rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. And divided tongues like fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.read more.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them [ability] to speak out. Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And [when] this sound occurred, the crowd gathered and was in confusion, because each one was hearing them speaking in his own language. And they were astounded and astonished, saying, "Behold, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how do we hear, each one [of us], in {our own native language}? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and those residing [in] Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya toward Cyrene, and the Romans who were in town, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs--we hear them speaking in our [own] languages the great deeds of God!" And all were amazed and greatly perplexed, saying {to one another}, "{What can this mean?}" But others jeered [and] said, "They are full of sweet new wine!" But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them, "Judean men, and all those who live [in] Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words! For these [men] are not drunk, as you assume, because it is the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 'And it will be in the last days,' God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. And even on my male slaves and on my female slaves I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. And I will cause wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun will be changed to darkness and the moon to blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. And it will be [that] everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.'

And Saul was agreeing with his murder. Now there happened on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.