""I will go,' he announced, "and I will be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all of his prophets!' "So the LORD said, "You're just the one to deceive him. You will be successful. Go and do it.'

You claim you've defeated Edom, but you're really only puffed up with arrogant boasting. So stay home. Why stir up trouble so you die, and the rest of Judah with you?"

But the brothers gathered about him, and he got up and re-entered the town. The next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.

"but I didn't believe it at first! But then I came here and I've seen it for myself! It's amazing! I wasn't told half of what's really great about your wisdom. You're far better in person than what the reports have said about you!

"Now as far as we're concerned, the LORD is our God, and we haven't abandoned him. The descendants of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the descendants of Levi continue their work.

Every morning and evening, they're offering burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD, the showbread is set out on the pure table, and they take care of the golden lamp stand so its lamps can continue to burn every evening. We continue to be faithful over what the LORD our God entrusted to us, but you have abandoned him.

Asa cried out to the LORD his God, telling him, "LORD, there is no one except for you to help between the powerful and the weak. So help us, LORD God, because we're depending on you and have come against this vast group in your name. LORD, you are our God. Let no mere mortal man defeat you!"

They're like little children who sit in the marketplace and shout to each other, "A wedding song we played for you, the dance you all did scorn. A woeful dirge we chanted, too, but then you would not mourn.'

Soon after this the Festival of the Re-dedication was held at Jerusalem.

Just as Moses and Elijah were leaving, Peter told Jesus, "Master, it's good that we're here! Let's set up three shelters one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." (Peter didn't know what he was saying.)

"We're wiping off your town's dust that clings to our feet in protest against you! But realize this: the kingdom of God is near!'

"Son of Man, I'm sending you to that rebellious people, the Israelis, who have rebelled against me the same way their ancestors did. And they're still rebels to this very day!

They're stubborn and strong willed. I'm sending you to them to tell them what the LORD says.

I'm making you harder than flint like diamond! So you are not to fear them or be intimidated by how they look at you, since they're a rebellious group."

"So when I say to a wicked person, "You're about to die,' if you don't warn or instruct that wicked person that his behavior is wicked so he can live, that wicked person will die in his sin, but I'll hold you responsible for his death.

Now pay attention! They're going to bind you with ropes, tying you up right in their midst, so you won't be able to circulate freely among them.

Meanwhile, I'll make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you'll be mute and unable to reprove them, since they're a rebellious group.

But when I speak with you, I'll open your mouth so you can say to them, "This is what the Lord GOD says: "As for those who will listen, "Let them listen,' but as for those who refuse, "Let them refuse,' since they're a rebellious group."'"

"Now as for you, you are to sleep on your left side, symbolically bearing the punishment of the house of Israel while you're counting the days you'll be sleeping on your left side to bear symbolically the punishment for their sin.

Look! I'll tie you up so that you're unable to turn from one side to the other until you've completed your siege."

Tobiah the Ammonite stood to the side, commenting, "If a fox were to jump onto what they're building, it would collapse their stone wall!"

Others were saying, "We're having to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes so we can buy grain during this famine."

Now our bodies are no different than the bodies of our relatives, and our children are like their children. Nevertheless, we're about to force our sons and daughters into slavery, and some of our daughters are already in bondage. It's beyond our power to do anything about it, because our fields and vineyards belong to others."

I accused them, "To the best of our ability, we've been buying back our fellow Jews who had been sold to foreigners. Even now you're selling your fellow countrymen, only for them to be sold back to us!" They kept quiet and never spoke a word.

So I said, "What you're doing isn't right! Shouldn't you live in the fear of our God to avoid shame from our foreign enemies?

It is reported among the nations and Gashmu confirms this that you and the Jews are planning a revolt, and that you're rebuilding the wall in order to declare yourself king. According to these reports, you also have appointed prophets to proclaim about you in Jerusalem, "There is a king in Judah!" Since these words are being reported to the king, come and let's meet together.

I sent word back to him, "Nothing has happened as you've claimed. You're making up these charges in your imagination."

"My God, I am too ashamed and hurt to turn to you, because we're in our iniquities over our heads. Furthermore, my God, our sins have grown as high as the heavens. We have lived in great sin from the days of our ancestors even until today, and because of those iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been delivered over to foreign kings, for execution, for captivity, for plunder, and for humiliation, as is the case today.

So get up it's your responsibility! We're with you. Be strong, and get to work."

The king asked me, "Why do you look so troubled, since you're not ill? This cannot be anything else but troubles of the heart."

Surely you're not greater than our ancestor Jacob, are you? For he gave us this well and drank from it himself, along with his sons and his livestock."

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "Pay attention! We're going up to Jerusalem. Everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled,

so they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you're right in what you say and teach, and that you don't favor any individual, but teach the way of God truthfully.

"Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: "Because you're more disrespectful than the nations that surround you, you didn't follow my statutes or follow my ordinances. You didn't even follow the ordinances of the surrounding nations!'

Then he told me, "Go on through that entrance, so you may see the wicked, detestable things that they're committing here."

Then he asked me, "Do you see this, Son of Man? You're about to see even more detestable practices than these."

You're going to die violently, and I'll judge you as far as the borders of Israel. Then you'll learn that I am the LORD.

"Son of Man, you live in a rebellious house that has eyes to see, but they can't see, and ears to hear, but they can't hear, since they're a rebellious house.

"While they're watching, carry your luggage on your shoulder and go out in total darkness. Cover your face so that you won't see the land, because I'm using you as a sign to Israel's house."

Those who try to hide their plans from the Lord are as good as dead, who do their work in secret and boast, "Who sees us? Who knows what we're doing?"

If the king approves, let it be decreed that they're to be destroyed, and I'll measure out 10,000 silver talents and bring it to the king's treasury for those who will do the work."

Now please think: Who has ever perished when they're innocent? Where have the upright been destroyed?

I rebuked the officials of Judah, saying to them, "What's this evil thing that you're doing by profaning the Sabbath day?

Didn't your ancestors do the same? And didn't our God bring on us and on this city all of this trouble? Now you're adding to the wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!"

Jesus kept saying, "Father, forgive them, because they don't know what they're doing." Then they divided his clothes among them by throwing dice.

The crowd answered, "You're possessed by a demon! Who is trying to kill you?"

The Jewish leaders said, "This sanctuary has been under construction for 46 years, and you're going to rebuild it in three days?"

Jesus answered him, "You're the teacher of Israel, and you can't understand this?

Truly, I tell you emphatically, we know what we're talking about, and we testify about what we've seen. Yet you people do not accept our testimony.

Then the Judeans responded, "Now we know you're possessed by a demon! Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet you say, 'If anyone obeys my teaching, he will never experience death.'

So his brothers told him, "You should leave this place and go to Judea, so that your disciples can see the actions that you're doing,

since no one acts in secret if he wants to be known publicly. If you're going to do these things, you should reveal yourself to the world!"

So I asked them, "What is the high place to which you're going?' That's why the name of the place has been called Bamah to this day."'

Then I said, "O Lord GOD! They're saying about me, "Isn't he one to propound parables?'"

"And now, Son of Man, you are to start groaning until you're sick to your stomach. You are to groan bitterly right in front of them.

"Because you're the one who closed their hearts to compassion; therefore, you won't let them triumph.

if I call out to the Pit, "You're my father!' or say to the worm, "My mother!' or "My sister!'

You're tearing yourself to pieces in your anger. Will the land be abandoned because of you, or the rock be moved from its place?"

"How long do you intend to keep torturing me and trying to break me by what you're saying?

Ten times you've tried to humiliate me! You're not ashamed to wrong me!

"When you're thinking about asking yourselves, "How will we pursue him, since the root of the problem is with him?'

"And now you're all just like them, aren't you? You see my terror and are terrified.

""You have brought new witnesses against me, you're even more angry with me you've brought fresh troops to attack me!

You'll be secure, because there is hope; you'll see that you're at rest and safe.

But this mob that does not know the Law they're under a curse!"

The Pharisees told him, "You're testifying about yourself. Your testimony isn't valid."

You're judging by human standards, but I'm not judging anyone.

I declare what I've seen in my Father's presence, and you're doing what you've heard from your father."

Jesus told them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing what Abraham did. But now you're trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham would'nt have done that.

So the Jewish leaders surrounded him and quizzed him, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you're the Messiah, tell us so plainly."

how can you say to the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world, "You're blaspheming,' because I said, "I'm the Son of God'?

The one who doesn't love me doesn't keep my words. The words that you're hearing me say are not mine, but come from the Father who sent me.

When they see empty visions about you while they're divining lies for you, to lay you on the necks of the wicked, who are fatally wounded, whose days have come, their time for punishment.

"""You're guilty because of the blood that you've shed. You were defiled by the idols that you've made. You've caused your judgment day to draw near and have even come to the end of your life. Therefore, I've made you an object of derision among the nations and to other lands.

"Son of Man, tell her, "You're a land that hasn't been purified, one that hasn't been rained on in the day of indignation.

the Babylonians, all the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, Koa, and all of the Assyrians with them. They're all desirable young men, governors, commanders, chariot officers, and famous men, all of them mounted on horses.

Righteous men will judge them with punishments fit for adulterers and for those who shed blood, because they're adulterers with blood on their hands."

Then the people told me, "Are you going to explain what these things that you're doing should mean to us?"

Your wealth, your products, your merchandise your sailors, your pilots, your tailors, your salesmen, all your mercenaries with you your entire company with you will fall into the midst of the sea on the day when you're overthrown!

You changed toward me, and now you're cruel to me; with your mighty hand you are persecuting me;

I know that you're about to kill me, so I'm about to go to the house that's appointed for all the living."

"If I've put my confidence in gold, if I've told gold, "You're my security,'

Barachel's son Elihu from Buz responded and said: "I'm younger than you are. Because you're older, I was terrified to tell you what I know.

"If they're bound in chains, caught in ropes of affliction,

Their children grow up while they're alive, and they live to see their grandchildren.

"For when they're humbled, you may respond; "It's their pride!' but he delivers the humble.

They're exalted momentarily, but then they are gone; they are humbled, just like all the others. They are cut down like heads of corn.

Far be it from me to admit that you're right! I intend to maintain my integrity even if it kills me!

From then on, Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, "If you release this fellow, you're not a friend of Caesar! Anyone who claims to be a king is defying Caesar!"

The girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, "You're not one of this man's disciples too, are you?" He replied, "I am not."

"It was this very Jesus whom God raised and we're all witnesses of that.

"Son of Man, tell Tyre's Commander-in-Chief, "This is what the Lord GOD says: "Because your heart is arrogant, and because you keep saying, "I have taken my seat, I am a god, seated in God's seat right in the middle of the sea,' and because you're a man, and not a god, even though you pretend that you have a god-like heart"

Look! You're wiser than Daniel, aren't you? No secret is too mysterious for you!

For we [Christians] are the product of God's workmanship, [re-] created in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus for [the purpose of] doing good deeds. God had previously determined that this should be our practice.

"Son of Man, start singing this lamentation about Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Tell him, "You may have called yourself a lion among nations, but you're a monster at sea. You thrash about in your rivers, muddy the water with your feet, and relieve yourself in the rivers.'

And you should put on the new person who has been [re-] created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

If I should say to a certain wicked person, "You wicked man, you're certainly about to die,' but you don't warn him to turn from his wicked behavior, he'll die in his guilt, but I'll seek retribution for his bloodshed from you.

""Now, Son of Man, tell this to the house of Israel: "You keep saying, "Our crimes and sins burden us so much that we're rotting away, so how can we keep on living?"'

"And now, Son of Man, say this to your people: "The righteousness of the righteous won't save them when they keep on committing crimes against me, the wickedness of the wicked won't keep them from remaining away when they're turning from their wickedness, and no righteous person will keep on living by their righteousness when they sin.'

"Son of Man, those who are living among these ruins of the land of Israel keep saying, "Abraham was only one man, but he was able to possess the land! As for us, we're a multitude, and the land has been given to us as an inheritance.'