'Heed' in the Bible

Then to Adam the Lord God said, “Because you have listened [attentively] to the voice of your wife, and have eaten [fruit] from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’;The ground is [now] under a curse because of you;In sorrow and toil you shall eat [the fruit] of itAll the days of your life.

“If they will not believe you or pay attention to the evidence of the first sign, they may believe the evidence of the second sign.

But if they will not believe these two signs or pay attention to what you say, you are to take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take out of the river will turn into blood on the dry ground.”

But Moses said to the Lord, “Look, [my own people] the Israelites have not listened to me; so how then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am unskilled and inept in speech?”

But when Pharaoh saw that there was [temporary] relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen or pay attention to them, just as the Lord had said.

But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen or pay attention to them, just as the Lord had told Moses.

You shall set barriers for the people all around [the mountain], saying, ‘Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch its border; whoever touches the mountain must be put to death.

Now concerning everything which I have said to you, be on your guard; do not mention the name of other gods [either in a blessing or in a curse]; do not let such speech be heard [coming] from your mouth.

Be on your guard before Him, listen to and obey His voice; do not be rebellious toward Him or provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgression, since My Name (authority) is in Him.

Watch yourself so that you do not make a covenant (solemn agreement, treaty) with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a [dangerous] trap among you.

‘If then, you act with hostility toward Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will increase the plague on you seven times in accordance with your sins.

‘Yet if in spite of this you will not [attentively] listen to Me but act with hostility against me,

And you returned and wept before the Lord; but the Lord would not listen to your voice nor pay attention to you.

“Now, O Israel, listen and pay attention to the statutes and the judgments (God’s legal decisions) which I am teaching you to do, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

“Only pay attention and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your grandchildren [impressing these things on their mind and penetrating their heart with these truths]—

“So pay attention and watch yourselves carefully—for you did not see any form [of God] on the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire—

So be on your guard and watch yourselves, so that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He has made with you, and make for yourselves a carved or sculpted image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you.

Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them:“Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments (legal decisions) which I am speaking today in your hearing, so that you may learn them and observe them carefully.

You shall remember [with thoughtful concern] that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

“It shall come about, if you listen obediently and pay attention to My commandments which I command you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul [your choices, your thoughts, your whole being]—

Beware that your hearts are not deceived, and that you do not turn away [from the Lord] and serve other gods and worship them,

Be careful that you do not neglect the Levite [who serves God] as long as you live in your land.

“Be careful during an outbreak of leprosy, that you diligently observe and do according to all that the Levitical priests teach you; just as I have commanded them, so you shall be careful to do.

All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you pay attention to the voice of the Lord your God.

The Lord will make you the head (leader) and not the tail (follower); and you will be above only, and you will not be beneath, if you listen and pay attention to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today, to observe them carefully.

Only be very careful and diligently observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord has commanded you to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul [your very life].”

Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people Israel. Now listen and pay close attention to the words of the Lord.

So he told David, “Saul my father is seeking to kill you. Now then, please be on guard in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself.

so that the Lord may fulfill His promise concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons are careful regarding their way [of life], to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and mind and with all their soul, you shall not fail to have a man (descendant) on the throne of Israel.’

Now therefore, O Lord, the God of Israel, keep for Your servant my father David that which You promised him when You said, ‘You shall not be without a man (descendant) to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way [of life] to walk before Me [according to my laws] as you have done.’

So when all [the ten northern tribes of] Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people replied to the king, saying,“What portion do we have in David?We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse;To your tents, O Israel!Look now after your own house, David!” Then Israel went back to their tents.

All the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent [to this additional demand].”

“As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father [have personal knowledge of Him, be acquainted with, and understand Him; appreciate, heed, and cherish Him] and serve Him with a blameless heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and minds, and understands every intent and inclination of the thoughts. If you seek Him [inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him as your first and vital necessity] He will let you find Him; but if you abandon (turn away from) Him, He will reject you forever.

Consider this carefully, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be courageous and strong and do it.”

that Your eyes may be open toward this house day and night, toward the place in which You have said that You would put Your Name (Presence), to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place.

So listen to the requests of Your servant and Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; and when You hear, forgive.

So the king did not listen to the people, for the turn of events was from God that the Lord might fulfill His word, which He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

When all Israel saw that the king did not listen and pay attention to them, the people answered him,“What portion do we have in David?We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.Every man to your tents, O Israel;Now, [Rehoboam, descendant of] David, see to your own house.” So all Israel went to their tents.

So now let the fear (reverent awe) of the Lord be on you [to keep you from making unjust decisions]; be careful in what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality, or acceptance of a bribe.”

and I will not again remove Israel from the land which I appointed for your fathers, if they will only be careful to do everything that I have commanded them in regard to all the law, the statutes, and the ordinances given through Moses.”

Yet Josiah would not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight against him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight against him on the plain of Megiddo.

“But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly;They stiffened their necks and would not heed Your commandments.

And You admonished them and warned them to turn them back to Your law.Yet they acted presumptuously and arrogantly and did not heed Your commandments, but sinned against Your ordinances,Which by keeping, a man will live.But they turned a stubborn shoulder, stiffened their neck, and would not listen.

“Behold this; we have investigated it, and it is true.Hear and heed it, and know for yourself [for your own good].”

“Would He contend against me with His great power?No, surely He would give attention to me.

“However, Job, please listen to my words,And pay attention to everything I say.

“Pay attention, Job, listen to me;Keep silent, and I will speak.

“Take heed and be careful, do not turn to wickedness,For you have chosen this [the vice of complaining against God] rather than [learning from] affliction.

Listen to my words, O Lord,Consider my groaning and sighing.

Wait for and expect the Lord and keep His way,And He will exalt you to inherit the land;[In the end] when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

I said, “I will guard my waysThat I may not sin with my tongue;I will muzzle my mouthWhile the wicked are in my presence.”

O [God] my strength, I will watch for You;For God is my stronghold [my refuge, my protector, my high tower].

But certainly God has heard [me];He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.

I will behave wisely and follow the way of integrity.When will You come to me?I will walk in my house in integrity and with a blameless heart.

Who is wise? Let him observe and heed these things;And [thoughtfully] consider the lovingkindness of the Lord.

Beth.How can a young man keep his way pure?By keeping watch [on himself] according to Your word [conforming his life to Your precepts].

I am a companion of all who [reverently] fear You,And of those who keep and honor Your precepts.

He has not dealt this way with any [other] nation;They have not known [understood, appreciated, heeded, or cherished] His ordinances.Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

“If you will turn and pay attention to my rebuke,Behold, I [Wisdom] will pour out my spirit on you;I will make my words known to you.

An evildoer listens closely to wicked lips;And a liar pays attention to a destructive and malicious tongue.

Also, do not take seriously everything that is said, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you,

and say to him, ‘Take care and be calm, do not fear and be weak-hearted because of these two stumps of smoldering logs, on account of the fierce anger of [King] Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah (Pekah, usurper of the throne of Israel).

And so the Lord will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know [heed, honor, and cherish] the Lord in that day. They will even worship with sacrifices [of animals] and offerings [of produce]; they will make a vow to the Lord and fulfill it.

“Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing,Now it will spring forth;Will you not be aware of it?I will even put a road in the wilderness,Rivers in the desert.

Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “Cursed is the man who does not heed the words of this covenant

Thus says the Lord, “Pay attention for your own good, [and for the sake of your future] do not carry any load on the Sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem.

Pay attention to me, O Lord [and intercede];Listen to what my adversaries are saying [and are plotting against me]—

Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city become a ruin?

Then you will call on Me and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear [your voice] and I will listen to you.

You have profaned Me among My people [in payment] for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die and giving [a guarantee of] life to those who should not live, because of your lies to My people who pay attention to lies.”’”

I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My ordinances and do them.

“My servant David will be king over them, and they all will have one shepherd. They will also walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them.

Now therefore, our God, listen to (heed) the prayer of Your servant (Daniel) and his supplications, and for Your own sake let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary.

O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

“I will betroth you to Me in stability and in faithfulness.Then you will know (recognize, appreciate) the Lord [and respond with loving faithfulness].

Their [immoral] practices will not permit themTo return to their God,For the spirit of prostitution is within themAnd they do not know the Lord [they do not recognize, appreciate, heed or cherish Him].

“So let us know and become personally acquainted with Him; let us press on to know and understand fully the [greatness of the] Lord [to honor, heed, and deeply cherish Him].His appearing is prepared and is as certain as the dawn,And He will come to us [in salvation] like the [heavy] rain,Like the spring rain watering the earth.”

The voice of the Lord shall call to the city [of Jerusalem]—And it is sound wisdom to heed [solemnly] and fear Your name [with awe-filled reverence];“Hear, O tribe [the rod of punishment]. Who has appointed its time?

She did not listen and heed the voice [of God];She accepted no correction.She did not trust in the Lord [but trusted her own power];She did not draw near to her God [but to the pagan gods of Baal or Molech].

But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth.