66 Bible Verses about Jerusalem, Significance Of

but he shall have one tribe for My servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel,

If Your people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever You shall send them, and shall pray to Jehovah toward the city which You have chosen, and the house that I have built for Your name, then hear in Heaven their prayer and their cry, and maintain their cause. If they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin), and if You are angry with them, and have delivered them up before the enemy, and they have been led away captive to the land of the enemy, far or near,read more.
yet if they shall think within themselves in the land where they are carried captives, and repent, and pray to You in the land of their captors saying, We have sinned and have done perversely, we have done wickedly, and so return to You with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and if they pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, to the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name, then hear their prayer and their cry in Heaven Your dwelling-place, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, even all their sins which they have done against You, and give them pity before their captors, so that they may have pity on them. For they are Your people, and Your inheritance, which You brought out of Egypt, from the middle of the furnace of iron,

If Your people go out to war against their enemies by the way that You shall send them, and if they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name, then hear from Heaven their prayer and their cry and maintain their cause. If they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin), and if You are angry with them and deliver them up before their enemies, and they carry them away captives to a land far off or near,read more.
yet if they think within themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn and pray to You in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done wrong and have dealt wickedly; if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity where they have carried them captives, and if they pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers and toward the city which You have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Your name; then hear from Heaven, from Your dwelling-place, their prayer and their cries, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.

And to his son I will give one tribe, so that David My servant may have a light always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Me, to put My name there.

And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Jehovah chose out of all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. And his mother's name was Naamah, an Ammonitess.

And King Rehoboam strengthened himself at Jerusalem, and reigned. For Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Jehovah had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. And his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess.

And Jehovah said, I will also remove Judah out of My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.

I pray You, remember the Word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, If you sin, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you turn to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though you were cast out to the outermost part of the heavens, yet I will gather you from there and will bring you to the place that I have chosen to set My name there.

And David made houses for himself in the City of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched a tent for it. Then David said, No one ought to carry the ark of God except the Levites, for God has chosen them to carry the ark of God, and to minister to Him forever. And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Jehovah to its place which he had prepared for it.

Again David gathered every chosen one in Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people with him from beyond Baale of Judah, to bring up the ark of God from there, which is called by the Name, the Name of Jehovah of Hosts who dwells above the cherubs. And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab in Gibeah. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.read more.
And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab at Gibeah, going with the ark of God. And Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel were dancing before Jehovah on all instruments of fir wood, with lyres and with harps, and with tambourines, and with sistra, and with cymbals. And when they came to Nachon's threshing-floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen upset it. And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Uzzah. And God struck him there for the error. And he died there by the ark of God. And David was displeased because Jehovah had broken forth upon Uzzah. And he called the name of the place The Break of Uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of Jehovah that day, and said, How shall the ark of Jehovah come to me? And David was not willing to bring the ark of Jehovah to him into the city of David. But David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite, the Levite. And the ark of Jehovah stayed in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months. And Jehovah blessed Obed-edom and all his household. And they told King David, saying, Jehovah has blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God. And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness. And it happened that when those who bore the ark of Jehovah had gone six steps, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings. And David danced before Jehovah with all his might. And David was girded with a linen ephod. And David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of Jehovah with shouting, and with the sound of the ram's horn. And it happened as the ark of Jehovah came to the city of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Jehovah. And she despised him in her heart. And they brought in the ark of Jehovah and set it in its place in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Jehovah. And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Jehovah of Hosts. And he gave out among all the people, among all the multitude of Israel, to the women as well as men, to each one a cake of bread and one raisin-cake. And all the people departed, each one to his house.

And Solomon began to build the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem in Mount Moriah, where He appeared to David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

And these are the men whom David set over the service of song in the house of Jehovah, after the ark had rest. And they ministered before the dwelling-place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of Jehovah in Jerusalem. And they waited on their office according to their order.

And they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy. For Jehovah had made them to rejoice over their enemies. And they came into Jerusalem with harps and with lyres, and with trumpets to the house of Jehovah.

And he set a carved image, the idol which 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 before all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever.

Also all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of Jehovah which He had made holy in Jerusalem.

And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, so that the Word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also in writing, saying, So says Cyrus king of Persia, Jehovah, the God of Heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? Let his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah, the God of Israel (He is God) which is in Jerusalem.

Your God has commanded your strength; O God, be strong in that which You have worked out for us. Because of Your temple in Jerusalem, kings shall bring a present to You.

And Jesus entered into Jerusalem and into the temple. And when He had looked around on all things, the hour already being late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

And His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the Feast. And fulfilling the days, as they returned, the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know.read more.
But they, supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day's journey. And they looked for Him among the kinsfolk and acquaintances. And when they did not find Him, they turned back to Jerusalem, seeking Him. And it happened that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them and questioning them. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. And seeing Him, they were amazed. And His mother said to Him, Child, why have you done so to us? Behold, your father and I have looked for you, greatly distressed. And He said to them, Why did you look for Me? Do you not know that I must be about My Father's business? And they did not understand the word which He spoke to them. And He went with them and came to Nazareth, and He was subject to them. But His mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

And he brought Him to Jerusalem and sat Him on a pinnacle of the temple and said to Him, If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here.

coming to me and standing by, said to me, Brother Saul, look up! And the same hour I looked up on him. And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you to know His will and to see the Just One, and to hear a voice out of His mouth. For you shall be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.read more.
And now what do you intend? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. And it happened to me, I returning to Jerusalem and praying in the temple, I became in an ecstasy. And I saw Him say to me, Hurry and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.

These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to do in the land which Jehovah, the God of your fathers gives you to possess it, all the days that you live upon the earth. You shall completely destroy all the places in which the nations which you shall possess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. And you shall overthrow their altars and break their pillars, and burn their pillars with fire. And you shall cut down the carved images of their gods, and destroy their names out of that place.read more.
You shall not do so to Jehovah your God. But you shall seek to the place which Jehovah your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put His name there, even to His dwelling place you shall seek, and there you shall come. And there you shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offering of your hand, and your vows, and your free-will offerings, and the first-born of your herds and of your flocks. And there you shall eat before Jehovah your God, and you shall rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households in which Jehovah your God has blessed you.

When Jehovah your God shall make your border larger, as He has promised you, and you shall say, I will eat flesh, because your soul longs to eat flesh; you may eat flesh, whatever your soul desires. If the place which Jehovah your God has chosen to put His name there is too far from you, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock which Jehovah has given you, as I have commanded you, and you shall eat in your gates whatever your soul desires. Even as the gazelle and the hart is eaten, so you shall eat them. The unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike.read more.
Only be sure that you do not eat the blood. For the blood is the life. And you may not eat the life with the flesh. You shall not eat it. You shall pour it on the earth like water. You shall not eat it, so that it may go well with you and with your sons after you, when you shall do what is right in the sight of Jehovah. Only your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take and go to the place which Jehovah shall choose. And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of Jehovah your God. And the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of Jehovah your God, and you shall eat the flesh. Be careful to hear all these words which I command you, so that it may go well with you and with your sons after you forever, when you do the good and right in the sight of Jehovah your God.

And Judah did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. For they also built high places for themselves, and images, and Asherahs, on every high hill and under every green tree. And also the sodomite was in the land. They did according to all the hateful things of the nations which Jehovah cast out before the sons of Israel.

Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign. And he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing right in the eyes of Jehovah. But the high places were not taken away, for the people offered and burned incense yet in the high places.

And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah, thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and did not depart from it, doing the right in the sight of Jehovah. But, the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts to the God of their fathers.

And in the seventh year of Jehu, Joash began to reign. And he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. And his mother's name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba. And Joash did the right in the sight of Jehovah all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. But the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense in 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. And he did not do right in the sight of Jehovah his God, like David his father. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. Yes, and he made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Jehovah cast out from before the sons of Israel.read more.
And he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. But he did not do the right in the sight of Jehovah, like David his father. For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and also made molded images for Baals. And he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his sons in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Jehovah had cast out before the sons of Israel.read more.
And He sacrificed and burned incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

And the king sent. And they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. And the king went up into the house of Jehovah. And all the men of Judah and all the people of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets, and all the people, from the small even to the great. And he read all the Words of the Book of the covenant which was found in the house of Jehovah in their ears. And the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the Words of this covenant which was written in this Book. And all the people stood to the covenant.read more.
And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers, to bring forth out of the temple of Jehovah all the vessels which were made for Baal, and for the Asherah, and for all the host of heaven. And he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them to Bethel. And he put down the idol-worshiping priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places around Jerusalem. He also put down those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of the heavens. And he brought out the Asherah from the house of Jehovah outside Jerusalem, to the torrent Kidron, and burned it at the torrent Kidron, and stamped it to powder, and threw the powder of it on the graves of the sons of the people. And he broke down the houses of the sodomites, which were by the house of Jehovah, where the women wove coverings for the Asherah. And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beer-sheba. And he broke down the high places of the gates which were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man's left hand at the gate of the city. But the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of Jehovah in Jerusalem, but they ate of the unleavened bread among their brothers. And he defiled Topheth, in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, so that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech. And he took away the horses which the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of Jehovah, by the room of Nathan-melech the eunuch, which was in the suburbs. And he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. And the altars which were on the top of the upper room of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made, and the two courts of the house of Jehovah, the king beat them down, and broke them down from there. And he threw the dust of them into the torrent Kidron. And the high places which were before Jerusalem on the right hand of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon, the king defiled. And he broke the images in pieces, and cut down the Asherahs, and filled their places with the bones of men. And also the altar which was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he broke down, and burned the high place; he stamped it to powder, and burned the Asherah. And as Josiah turned, he spied the tombs which were there in the mountain. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs, and burned them on the altar and defiled it, according to the Word of Jehovah which the man of God had proclaimed, who spoke these words. And he said, What monument is that which I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the grave of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel. And he said, Let him alone; let no one move his bones. And they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria. And also all the houses of the high places in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke Jehovah to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts which he had done in Bethel. And he killed all the priests of the high places which were there on the altars, and burned men's bones on them, and returned to Jerusalem.

And the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up into the house of Jehovah, and all the men of Judah, and the people of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people from the great to the small. And he read in their ears all the words of the Book of the Covenant that was found in the house of Jehovah. And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah and to keep His commandments and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.read more.
And he caused all who were found in Jerusalem and in Benjamin, and the people of Jerusalem, to stand to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to Jehovah, the God of Israel. And the king and his leaders, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, took counsel to keep the Passover in the second month. For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not made themselves pure enough, nor had the people gathered to Jerusalem.read more.
And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation. And they established a decree to send a notice throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to Jehovah, the God of Israel at Jerusalem. For not many of them had done as it was written. And the runners went with the letters from the king and his rulers to Israel and Judah, and according to the command of the king, saying, O sons of Israel, turn again to Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped out of the hands of the king of Assyria. And do not be like your fathers and like your brothers who sinned against Jehovah, the God of their fathers, and He made them for a horror, as you see. And do not be stiffnecked like your fathers. Yield yourselves to Jehovah and enter into His temple which He has sanctified forever. And serve Jehovah your God, so that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. For if you turn again to Jehovah, your brothers and your sons will have mercies before those who lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land. For Jehovah your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him. And the runners passed from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun. But they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them. However, men from Asher and Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the command of the king and of the rulers, by the Word of Jehovah. And many people gathered at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great congregation. And they arose and took away the altars in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense they took away, and threw them into the torrent Kidron. And they killed the Passover on the fourteenth of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed and made themselves pure, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of Jehovah. And they stood in their place in their manner, according to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood from the hand of the Levites. For many in the congregation were not sanctified. And the Levites were over the killing of the passovers for every one who was not clean, to sanctify them to Jehovah. For many of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not been cleansed, but ate the Passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, May the good LORD pardon everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, Jehovah, the God of his fathers, though not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. And Jehovah listened to Hezekiah and healed the people. And the sons of Israel found at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness. And the Levites and the priests praised Jehovah day by day with loud instruments to Jehovah. And Hezekiah spoke comfortably to all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of Jehovah. And they ate the appointed things seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession to Jehovah, the God of their fathers. And the whole gathering agreed to keep another seven days. And they kept another seven days with gladness. For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the congregation a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep. And the rulers gave to the congregation a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep. And a great number of priests sanctified themselves. And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and who lived in Judah, rejoiced. And there was great joy in Jerusalem. For from the days of Solomon the son of David the king of Israel there was nothing like this in Jerusalem. And the priests, the Levites, arose and blessed the people. And their voice was heard, and their prayer came to His holy dwelling-place, to Heaven. And when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the images in pieces, and cut down the Asherahs, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, also in Ephraim and Manasseh, even to the end. And all the sons of Israel returned, each to his possession, into their own cities. And Hezekiah set the courses of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the tents of Jehovah. And the king's portion from his goods was for burnt offerings, and for burnt offerings of the morning and the evening, and the burnt offerings of the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the Law of Jehovah. And he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites so that they might be strong in the Law of Jehovah.

And they will bring all your brothers for an offering to Jehovah out of all nations on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem, says Jehovah, as the sons of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of Jehovah.

Also the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. The thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us.

Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus said to her, Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you shall neither worship the Father in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem.

Blessed is Jehovah out of Zion, who dwells at Jerusalem. Praise Jehovah!

Then the moon shall blush, and the sun shall be ashamed, when Jehovah of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, and gloriously before His elders.

And he shall pass over to his stronghold for fear, and his rulers shall be afraid of the banner, says Jehovah, whose fire is in Zion, and His furnace in Jerusalem.

At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah; and all nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of Jehovah, to Jerusalem. Nor shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.

Awake! Awake! Put on your strength, Zion; put on your beautiful robes, O Jerusalem, the holy city. For never again shall come to you uncircumcised and unclean ones. Shake yourself from the dust; rise up! Sit, Jerusalem! Free yourself from your neckbands, O captive daughter of Zion.

Praise Jehovah, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion.

For Jerusalem is ruined and Judah has fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah, to provoke the eyes of His glory.

Speak lovingly to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is done, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins.

I first shall say to Zion, Behold! Behold them! And I will give to Jerusalem one who bears good news.

Break out, sing together, waste places of Jerusalem; for Jehovah has comforted His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem.

I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem, who will not always be silent all the day nor all the night; you who remember Jehovah, do not be silent. And give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

And the Word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, So says Jehovah, I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothals, when you went after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.

O Jerusalem, cleanse your heart from evil so that you may be saved. How long shall your vain thoughts lodge within you?

O Jerusalem, you must be instructed, lest My soul depart from you; lest I make you desolate, a land without people.

So says Jehovah, In this way I will spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.

For who shall have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who shall weep over you? Or who shall turn aside to ask your welfare?

Zion spreads forth her hands; none is comforting to me; Jehovah has commanded concerning Jacob that his enemies should be all around him; Jerusalem has become as an impure thing among them.

What can I testify for you? What thing shall I compare to you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I equal to you, so that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your break is great like the sea! Who can heal you? Your prophets have seen false and foolish things for you, and they have not uncovered your iniquity, to turn away your captivity; but they have seen false oracles and seductions for you. All who pass by clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city which they called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?

therefore so says the Lord Jehovah; Behold, I, even I, am against you, and will carry out judgments in your midst before the nations.

Again the Word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations. And say, So says the Lord Jehovah to Jerusalem, Your origin and your birth is of the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite.read more.
And as for your birth, in the day you were born your navel was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you. And you were not salted, nor swaddled at all. No eye pitied you, to do any of these to you, to have compassion on you. But you were thrown out into the open field, because your life was despised in the day that you were born. And when I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you in your blood, Live! Yes, I said to you in your blood, Live! I have caused you to multiply like the bud of the field, and you are grown, and you are great; and you come in the finest ornaments. Your breasts are formed, and hair is grown, yet you were naked and bare. And I passed by you and looked on you, and, behold, your time was the time of love. And I spread my skirt over you and covered your nakedness. And I swore to you and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord Jehovah. And you became Mine. And I washed you with water; I washed away your blood from you, and I anointed you with oil. I also clothed you with embroidered work, and I shod you with dugong sandals. And I wrapped you in fine linen, and I covered you with silk. And I adorned you with ornaments, and I put bracelets on your hands and a chain on your neck. And I put a ring on your nose, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. And you were adorned with gold and silver; and your clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered work. You ate fine flour and honey and oil; and you were exceedingly beautiful. And you advanced to regal estate. And your name went out among the nations, because of your beauty; for it was perfect in My beauty, which I had put on you, says the Lord Jehovah. But you trusted in your beauty, and played the harlot because of your name, and poured out your fornications on all who passed by; it was his. And you took from your clothes and adorned your high places with different colors, and fornicated on them, such as had not come, nor shall be. And you have taken beautiful things of My gold and of My silver, which I had given you, and made images of males, and fornicated with them. And you took your embroidered dresses and covered them, and you have given to their face My oil and My incense. Also My food which I gave you, fine flour and oil and honey with which I fed you, you have given it to their face for a soothing aroma. And it happened, says the Lord Jehovah. And you have taken your sons and your daughters, whom you have borne to Me, and you gave these to them for food. Are your fornications small? You have slaughtered My sons and gave them to cause these to pass through the fire for them. And in all your hateful deeds and your fornications you have not remembered the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, and squirming in your blood. Woe, woe to you says the Lord Jehovah! For it happened after all your evil, that you have also built yourself a mound, and you have made yourself a high place in every street. You have built your high place at the head of every way, and have made your beauty to be despised, and have opened your feet to everyone who passed by, and have multiplied your fornications. You have also whored with the Egyptians, your neighbors great of flesh, and have multiplied your fornications to provoke Me to anger. And, behold, therefore I have stretched out My hand over you, and drew back your portion. And I gave you to the will of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your wicked way. You have whored with the Assyrians, without your being satisfied; yea, you whored and yet you were not satisfied. And your whoredom is idolatry in the land of Canaan, to the Chaldean, and yet you were not satisfied with this. How weak is your heart, says the Lord Jehovah, since you do all these, the work of a woman, an overbearing harlot; in that you build your mound at the head of every way, and make your high place in every street. Yet you have not been as a harlot, scorning wages. Like the adulterous wife, instead of her husband, she takes strangers. They give a gift to all harlots, but you give your gifts to all your lovers, and bribe them to come to you from all around, for your fornication. And in you was the opposite from those women in your fornications, since no one whores after you, and in your giving wages, and hire is not given to you. In this you are opposite. Therefore, O harlot, hear the Word of Jehovah. So says the Lord Jehovah: Because your lewdness was poured out and your nakedness was bared in your fornications with your lovers, and with all the idols of your abominations, and by the blood of your sons whom you gave to them; behold, therefore I will gather all your lovers, with whom you have been pleased, even all whom you loved, with all whom you have hated; I will even gather them against you from all around, and will uncover your nakedness to them, and they will see all your nakedness. And I will judge you with judgments of adulteresses, and with shedders of blood. And I will give you blood and fury and jealousy. And I will also give you into their hand, and they will tear down your mound, and will demolish your high places. They shall also strip you of your clothes, and shall take your beautiful things, and leave you naked and bare. They shall also raise a company against you, and they shall stone you with stones, and cut you with their swords. And they shall burn your houses with fire, and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women. And I will make you stop whoring; and also, you shall not give hire again. And I will make My fury to rest against you, and My jealousy shall depart from you, and I will be quiet and will be angry no more. Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have troubled Me in all these things; so, behold, I will also repay your way on your head, says the Lord Jehovah. And you shall not commit this wickedness above all your abominations. Behold, all who use proverbs shall use this proverb against you, saying, As the mother, so is her daughter. You are your mother's daughter, who despises her husband and her sons. And you are the sister of your sisters, who despise their husbands and their sons. Your mother was a Hittite, and your father an Amorite. And your older sister is Samaria, she and her daughters who dwell at your left hand. And your younger sister, who dwells at your right hand, is Sodom and her daughters. Yet you have not walked according to their ways, nor done according to their hateful deeds; but, as if it were a very little thing, you were corrupted more than they were in all your ways. As I live, says the Lord Jehovah, Sodom your sister, she nor her daughters, has not done as you have done, you and your daughters. Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom; pride. Fullness of bread and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters. Nor did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and did abominable things before Me, so I turned away as I saw fit. Nor has Samaria sinned as much as half your sins; but you have multiplied your abominations more than they, and have justified your sisters in all your abominations which you have done. You also, who have judged your sisters, bear your own shame for your sins which you have committed more abominable than they. They are more righteous than you! Yes, blush and bear your shame, since you have justified your sisters. When I shall return their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then also the captivity of your captivity in their midst; that you may bear your shame, and blush in all that you have done, since you are a comfort to them. When your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former state, then you and your daughters shall return to your former state. For your sister Sodom was not mentioned by your mouth in the day of your pride, before your wickedness was uncovered, as at the time of your reproach of the daughters of Syria, and of all her neighbors, the daughters of the Philistines who hated you from all around. You are bearing your wickedness and your abominations, says Jehovah. For so says the Lord Jehovah: I will even deal with you as you have done, who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant. But I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish to you an everlasting covenant. And you shall remember your ways and be ashamed, when you shall receive your sisters, your older and your younger. And I will give them to you for daughters, but not by your covenant. And I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall know that I am Jehovah; so that you may remember and be ashamed; and it will not be possible to open your mouth any more because of your shame; in that I am propitiated for all that you have done, says the Lord Jehovah.

The Word of Jehovah came again to me, Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. And they fornicated in Egypt; they whored in their youth, their breasts were handled, and there their virgin nipples were worked.read more.
And their names were Oholah, the oldest, and Oholibah, her sister. And they were Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And their names: Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah. And Oholah whored under Me. And she lusted after her lovers, to her Assyrian neighbors, clothed with purple, governors and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding horses. So she bestowed her harlotries on them, the choice sons of Assyria; with all of them, and with all whom she lusted after; she defiled herself with all their idols. Nor did she leave her fornications from Egypt. For in her youth they lay with her, and they worked her virgin nipples, and poured their fornications on her. Therefore I have given her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians on whom she lusted. They uncovered her nakedness. They took her sons and her daughters and killed her with the sword. And she became notorious among women, and they executed judgment on her. And her sister Oholibah saw, she was more corrupt in her lustfulness than she, and her fornications were greater than her sister's whoredom. She lusted to the sons of Assyria, governors and rulers nearby, clothed most perfectly; horsemen riding horses, all of them desirable young men. And I saw that she was defiled, one way was to both of them. And she added to her fornications. And she saw men carved on the wall; images of the Chaldeans engraved with vermilion, girded with girdles on their loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like rulers, like the sons of Babylon in Chaldea, the land of their birth; and she lusted after them, to the sight of her eyes, and sent messengers to them into Chaldea. And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with fornications. And she was defiled with them, and her mind was alienated from them. So she uncovered her fornications and uncovered her nakedness. And My soul was alienated from her just as My soul was alienated from her sister. Yet she multiplied her fornications to recall the days of her youth, in which she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. And she lusted on her lovers, whose flesh is like the flesh of asses and whose issue is like the issue of horses. So you longed for the wickedness of your youth, when the Egyptians worked your nipples, for the sake of the breasts of your youth. So, O Oholibah, the Lord Jehovah says this: Behold, I will raise up against you your lovers, from whom your soul is alienated; and I will bring them against you from all around; the Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them; all of them desirable young men, governors and rulers, all of them, third heads and called ones; all of them riding on horses. And they shall come against you with weapons, chariots, and wheels, and with an assembly of peoples; buckler and shield and helmet shall set against you all around. And I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge you by their judgments. And I will set My jealousy against you, and they shall deal with you in fury. They shall take away your nose and your ears, and the rest of you shall fall by the sword. They shall take away your sons and your daughters, and the rest of you shall be devoured by the fire. They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels. So I will make your wickedness to cease from you, and your fornication from the land of Egypt. And you shall not lift up your eyes to them, nor shall you remember Egypt any more. For so says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will give you into the hand of those whom you hate, into the hand of whom your soul was alienated from them. And they shall deal with you in hatred, and shall take away all your labor, and shall leave you naked and bare. And the nakedness of your fornications shall be uncovered, both your wickedness and your fornications. These things will be done to you because you have whored after the nations, and because you are defiled with their idols. You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand. So says the Lord Jehovah: You shall drink of your sister's cup deep and large; you shall be laughed to scorn and mocked; for it holds much. with drunkenness and sorrow you are filled, the cup of horror and ruin, the cup of your sister Samaria. You shall even drink it and empty it. And you shall break its pieces, and tear off your own breasts. For I have spoken, says the Lord Jehovah. So the Lord Jehovah says this: Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, therefore bear also your wickedness and your adulteries. And Jehovah said to me: Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah, and declare to them their abominations, that they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands? And they have committed adultery with their idols and have also caused their sons whom they bore to Me to pass through the fire to them, to devour them. And yet they have done this to Me: They have defiled My sanctuary in that day, and have profaned My sabbaths. And when they had slain their sons to their idols, then they came into My sanctuary in that day to profane it. And lo, this they have done in the midst of My house. And they have even sent for men to come from far, to whom a messenger was sent. And lo, they came. You washed yourself for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments, and sat on a stately bed with a table prepared before it, on which you set My incense and My oil. And the sound of a crowd was at ease with her; and drunkards from the wilderness were brought with the men of the host of mankind; and they put bracelets on their hands, and crowns of beauty on their heads. And I said about the one worn in adulteries, Will they now whore with her, and she with them? And they went in to her, as they go in to a woman of harlotry; so they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, the wicked women. And as righteous men, they shall judge them with the judgment of adulteresses, and the judgment of women who shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands. For so says the Lord Jehovah: I will bring up a company on them, and will give them to be removed and stripped. And the company shall stone them with stones, and cut them down with their swords. They shall kill their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire. So I will cause wickedness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught, even not to go after your wickedness. And they shall put your wickedness on you, and you shall bear the sins of your idols. And you shall know that I am the Lord Jehovah.

Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. Jehovah has turned off your judgments; He has cast out your enemy. The king of Israel, Jehovah, is in your midst; you shall not fear evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear not! Do not let not your hands droop, Zion.read more.
Jehovah your God is mighty in your midst; He will save, He will rejoice over you with joy; He is silent in His love; He rejoices over you with joyful shout.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, your King comes to you. He is righteous and victorious, meek and riding on an ass, even on a colt, the son of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem. And the battle bow shall be cut off, and He shall speak peace to the nations; and His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to her, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not! Behold, your house is left to you desolate. For I say to you, You shall not see Me from now on until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."

Jerusalem! Jerusalem! the one killing the prophets, and stoning those having been sent to her; how often I desired to gather your children in the way a hen gathers her brood under the wings, and you did not desire it. Behold, your house is left to you desolate. And truly I say to you, You will not see Me until it come when you say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

And saying these things, He went in front, going up to Jerusalem. And it happened as He drew near Bethphage and Bethany, toward the mount called Mount of Olives, He sent two of the disciples, saying, Go into the village across from you, and having entered, you will find a colt tied up, on which no one of men has yet sat. Untie it and bring it.read more.
And if anyone asks you, Why are you untying it? You will say this to him, Because the Lord has need of it. And going, those who were sent found as He had said to them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, Why are you untying the colt? And they said, The Lord has need of him. And they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their garments on the colt. And they set Jesus on it. And as He went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when He had come near, even now at the descent of the Mount of Olives, all the multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen, saying, Blessed is the King coming in the name of the Lord! Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest!

And as they led Him away, they laid hold on one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country. And they laid the cross on him, that he might carry it after Jesus. And a great multitude of people were following Him, and of women who also were bewailing 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, the days are coming in which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts which did not suckle. And they shall begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us! And to the hills, Cover us! For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? And two others, two criminals, were led with Him to be put to death. And when they came to the place which is called Calvary, they crucified Him and the criminals there, one on the right, and one on the left. And Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. And parting His clothing, they cast lots. And the people stood watching. And also the rulers with them, scoffing, saying, He saved others, let Him save Himself, if He is the Christ, the chosen of God. And coming near, the soldiers also mocked Him, and offering Him sour wine, and saying, If You are the king of the Jews, save Yourself. And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. And one of the hanged criminals blasphemed Him, saying, If you are Christ, save Yourself and us. But answering, the other rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, since you are in the same condemnation. And we indeed justly so, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this Man has done nothing amiss. And he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom. And Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you, Today you shall be with Me in Paradise. And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in the middle. And crying with a loud voice, Jesus said, Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit. And when He had said this, He breathed out the spirit. And when the centurion saw what had been done, he glorified God, saying, Truly this Man was righteous. And all the crowd arriving together at this sight, beholding the things happening, struck their breasts and returned. And all those known to Him stood at a distance; and the women, those accompanying Him from Galilee, were seeing these things.

And on the first of the sabbaths, while still very early, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. And going in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.read more.
And as they were much perplexed about it, it happened that, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. And as they were afraid, and bowed their faces down to the earth, they said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and the third day rise again? And they remembered His words and returned from the tomb and told all these things to the Eleven and to the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and the rest with them, who told these things to the apostles. And their words seemed to them like foolishness, and they did not believe them. And Peter arose and ran to the tomb, and stooping down he saw the linens lying alone. And he went away wondering to himself at what had happened.

And having met with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to await the promise of the Father which you heard from Me. For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Then, indeed, these coming together, they asked Him, saying, Lord, do You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?read more.
And He said to them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth. And saying these things, as they watched, He was taken up. And a cloud received Him out of their sight.

And in the fulfilling of the day of Pentecost, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly a sound came out of the heaven as borne along by the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And tongues as of fire appeared to them, being distributed; and it sat upon each of them.read more.
And they were all filled of the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And dwelling at Jerusalem there were Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven. But this sound occurring, the multitude came together and were confounded, because they each heard them speaking in his own dialect. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, Behold, are not these who speak all Galileans? And how do we each hear in our own dialect in which we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya around Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking the great things of God in our own languages. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying to one another, What does this mean? But others mocking said, These men are full of sweet wine. But Peter, standing up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and said to them, Men, Jews, and all who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words. For these are not drunk as you suppose, for it is the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel: "And it shall be in the last days, says God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And in those days I will pour out My Spirit upon My slaves and My slave women, and they shall prophesy. And I will give wonders in the heaven above, and miracles on the earth below, blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious Day of the Lord. And it shall be that everyone who shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

And Saul was consenting to his death. And in that day there was a great persecution on the church at Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.