'Says' in the Bible

And now, says the Lord,who formed me from the womb to be His Servant,to bring Jacob back to Himso that Israel might be gathered to Him;for I am honored in the sight of the Lord,and my God is my strength—

He says,“It is not enough for you to be My Servantraising up the tribes of Jacoband restoring the protected ones of Israel.I will also make you a light for the nations,to be My salvation to the ends of the earth.”

This is what the Lord,the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, saysto one who is despised,to one abhorred by people,to a servant of rulers:“Kings will see and stand up,and princes will bow down,because of the Lord, who is faithful,the Holy One of Israel—and He has chosen you.”

This is what the Lord says:I will answer you in a time of favor,and I will help you in the day of salvation.I will keep you, and I will appoint youto be a covenant for the people,to restore the land,to make them possess the desolate inheritances,

Zion says, “The Lord has abandoned me;The Lord has forgotten me!”

Lift up your eyes and look around they have all gathered together and are coming to you. "As surely as I live," says the LORD, "you will clothe yourself with all of them like ornaments, and tie them on like a bride.

This is what the Lord God says:Look, I will lift up My hand to the nations,and raise My banner to the peoples.They will bring your sons in their arms,and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders.

For this is what the Lord says:“Even the captives of a mighty man will be taken,and the prey of a tyrant will be delivered;I will contend with the one who contends with you,and I will save your children.

This is what the Lord says:Where is your mother’s divorce certificatethat I used to send her away?Or who were My creditors that I sold you to?Look, you were sold for your iniquities,and your mother was put awaybecause of your transgressions.

The Lord God has given Me [His Servant] the tongue of disciples [as One who is taught],That I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.He awakens Me morning by morning,He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple [as One who is taught].

So the redeemed of the Lord will returnAnd come with joyful shouting to Zion;Everlasting joy will be on their heads.They will obtain gladness and joy,And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

This is what your Lord says—Yahweh, even your God,who defends His people—“Look, I have removedthe cup of staggering from your hand;that goblet, the cup of My fury.You will never drink it again.

For this is what the Lord says:“You were sold for nothing,and you will be redeemed without silver.”

For this is what the Lord God says:“At first My people went down to Egypt to live there,then Assyria oppressed them without cause.

"Now therefore, what am I doing here," asks the LORD, "seeing that my people are taken away without cause? Those who rule over them are deluded," says the LORD, "and continuously, all the day long, my name is blasphemed.

Therefore My people will know My name;therefore they will know on that daythat I am He who says:Here I am.”

How beautiful on the mountainsare the feet of the herald,who proclaims peace,who brings news of good things,who proclaims salvation,who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

As a result of the anguish of His soul,He shall see it and be satisfied;By His knowledge [of what He has accomplished] the Righteous One,My Servant, shall justify the many [making them righteous—upright before God, in right standing with Him],For He shall bear [the responsibility for] their sins.

“Rejoice, childless one, who did not give birth;burst into song and shout,you who have not been in labor!For the children of the forsaken one will be morethan the children of the married woman,”says the Lord.

For the Lord has called you,like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit,a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,”says your God.

In a surge of angerI hid My face from you for a moment,but I will have compassion on youwith everlasting love,”says the Lord your Redeemer.

Though the mountains moveand the hills shake,My love will not be removed from youand My covenant of peace will not be shaken,”says your compassionate Lord.

no weapon that is forged against you will be effective. This is the heritage of the LORD's servants, and their righteousness from me," says the LORD.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.

This is what the Lord says:Preserve justice and do what is right,for My salvation is coming soon,and My righteousness will be revealed.

For the Lord says this:“For the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths,and choose what pleases Me,and hold firmly to My covenant,

This is what the Lord GOD says, the one who gathers the outcasts of Israel: "I'll gather still others to them besides those already gathered.

Each one says, 'Come on, I'll get some wine! Let's guzzle some beer! Tomorrow will be just like today! We'll have everything we want!'

He says, "Build it! Build it! Clear a way! Remove all the obstacles out of the way of my people!"

For the High and Exalted Onewho lives forever, whose name is Holy says this:“I live in a high and holy place,and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit,to revive the spirit of the lowlyand revive the heart of the oppressed.

creating words of praise.”The Lord says,“Peace, peace to the one who is far or near,and I will heal him.

There is no peace for the wicked,”says my God.

"And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression," says the LORD.

“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit who is on you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouth of your children, or from the mouth of your children’s children, from now on and forever,” says the Lord.

but surely those who harvest it will eat it and praise the name of the LORD, and those who gather it will drink it in the courts of my sanctuary,' says your God."

“I let Myself be sought by those who did not ask for Me;I let Myself be found by those who did not seek Me.I said, ‘Here am I, here am I,’To the nation [Israel] which did not call on My Name.

See, it is recorded before me, says the Lord: I will not keep back my hand, till I have sent punishment,

for your iniquities and the iniquitiesof your fathers together,”says the Lord.“Because they burned incense on the mountainsand reproached Me on the hills,I will reward them fullyfor their former deeds.”

The Lord says this:As the new wine is found in a bunch of grapes,and one says, ‘Don’t destroy it,for there’s some good in it,’so I will act because of My servantsand not destroy them all.

I will destine you for the sword, [says the Lord],And all of you will bow down to the slaughter,Because when I called, you did not answer;When I spoke, you did not listen or obey.But you did [what was] evil in My sightAnd chose that in which I did not delight.”

Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:My servants will eat,but you will be hungry;My servants will drink,but you will be thirsty;My servants will rejoice,but you will be put to shame.

The wolf and the lamb will feed together,and the lion will eat straw like the ox,but the serpent’s food will be dust!They will not do what is evil or destroyon My entire holy mountain,”says the Lord.

This is what the Lord says:Heaven is My throne,and earth is My footstool.What house could you possibly build for Me?And what place could be My home?

My hand made them; that is how they came to be," says the Lord. I show special favor to the humble and contrite, who respect what I have to say.

“Will I bring a baby to the point of birthand not deliver it?”says the Lord;“or will I who deliver, close the womb?”says your God.

For this is what the Lord says:I will make peace flow to her like a river,and the wealth of nations like a flood;you will nurse and be carried on her hipand bounced on her lap.

"Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves, following the one at the center of those who eat the meat of pigs, disgusting things, and rats, are all alike," says the LORD.

They will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the Lord on horses and chariots, in litters, and on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord.

I will also take some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord.

"For as the new heavens and the new earth that I am about to make will endure before me," says the LORD, "so will your descendants and your name endure.

All mankind will come to worship Mefrom one New Moon to anotherand from one Sabbath to another,”says the Lord.

Do not be afraid of those to whom I send you, for I will be with you to protect you," says the Lord.

For I will soon summon all the peoples of the kingdoms of the north," says the Lord. "They will come and their kings will set up their thrones near the entrances of the gates of Jerusalem. They will attack all the walls surrounding it, and all the towns in Judah.

They will attack you but they will not be able to overcome you, for I will be with you to rescue you," says the Lord.

“Go and announce directly to Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says:I remember the loyalty of your youth,your love as a bride—how you followed Me in the wilderness,in a land not sown.

Israel was set apart to the Lord; they were like the first fruits of a harvest to him. All who tried to devour them were punished; disaster came upon them," says the Lord.'"

This is what the Lord says:What fault did your fathers find in Methat they went so far from Me,followed worthless idols,and became worthless themselves?

"So, once more I will state my case against you," says the Lord. "I will also state it against your children and grandchildren.

Be amazed at this, O heavens! Be shocked and utterly dumbfounded," says the Lord.

Your own wickedness will bring about your punishment. Your unfaithful acts will bring down discipline on you. Know, then, and realize how utterly harmful it was for you to reject me, the Lord your God, to show no respect for me," says the Lord God who rules over all.

You can try to wash away your guilt with a strong detergent. You can use as much soap as you want. But the stain of your guilt is still there for me to see," says the Lord God.

"Why do you try to refute me? All of you have rebelled against me," says the Lord.

You people of this generation, listen to what the Lord says. "Have I been like a wilderness to you, Israel? Have I been like a dark and dangerous land to you? Why then do you say, 'We are free to wander. We will not come to you any more?'

God says, “If a husband divorces his wifeAnd she goes from himAnd belongs to another man,Will he still return to her?Will not that land be completely polluted?But you are a harlot with many lovers;Yet you turn to Me,” declares the Lord.

In spite of all this, Israel's sister, unfaithful Judah, has not turned back to me with any sincerity; she has only pretended to do so," says the Lord.

"Go and shout this message to my people in the countries in the north. Tell them, 'Come back to me, wayward Israel,' says the Lord. 'I will not continue to look on you with displeasure. For I am merciful,' says the Lord. 'I will not be angry with you forever.

However, you must confess that you have done wrong, and that you have rebelled against the Lord your God. You must confess that you have given yourself to foreign gods under every green tree, and have not obeyed my commands,' says the Lord.

"Come back to me, my wayward sons," says the Lord, "for I am your true master. If you do, I will take one of you from each town and two of you from each family group, and I will bring you back to Zion.

In those days, your population will greatly increase in the land. At that time," says the Lord, "people will no longer talk about having the ark that contains the Lord's covenant with us. They will not call it to mind, remember it, or miss it. No, that will not be done any more!

But, you have been unfaithful to me, nation of Israel, like an unfaithful wife who has left her husband," says the Lord.

“Return, O faithless sons,” [says the Lord],“I will heal your unfaithfulness.”[They answer] “Behold, we come to You,For You are the Lord our God.

"If you, Israel, want to come back," says the Lord, "if you want to come back to me you must get those disgusting idols out of my sight and must no longer go astray.

For this is what the Lord says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem:Break up the unplowed ground;do not sow among the thorns.

"When this happens," says the Lord, "the king and his officials will lose their courage. The priests will be struck with horror, and the prophets will be speechless in astonishment."

They will surround Jerusalem like men guarding a field because they have rebelled against me," says the Lord.

“For My people are stupid and foolish,” [says the Lord to Jeremiah];“They do not know Me;They are foolish childrenAnd have no understanding.They are shrewd [enough] to do evil,But they do not know [how] to do good.”

For this is what the Lord says:The whole land will be a desolation,but I will not finish it off.

I will surely punish them for doing such things!" says the Lord. "I will surely bring retribution on such a nation as this!"

For the nations of Israel and Judah have been very unfaithful to me," says the Lord.

"These people have denied what the Lord says. They have said, 'That is not so! No harm will come to us. We will not experience war and famine.

Therefore, this is what the Lord God of Hosts says:Because you have spoken this word,I am going to make My wordsbecome fire in your mouth.These people are the wood,and the fire will consume them.

The Lord says, "Listen, nation of Israel! I am about to bring a nation from far away to attack you. It will be a nation that was founded long ago and has lasted for a long time. It will be a nation whose language you will not know. Its people will speak words that you will not be able to understand.

Yet even then I will not completely destroy you," says the Lord.

It will come about when your people say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ then you shall answer them, ‘As you have abandoned (rejected) Me,’ [says the Lord,] ‘and have served strange and foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’

"You should fear me!" says the Lord. "You should tremble in awe before me! I made the sand to be a boundary for the sea, a permanent barrier that it can never cross. Its waves may roll, but they can never prevail. They may roar, but they can never cross beyond that boundary."

I will certainly punish them for doing such things!" says the Lord. "I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this!

For this is what the Lord of Hosts says:Cut down the trees;raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem.This city must be punished.There is nothing but oppression within her.

This is what the Lord of Hosts says:Glean the remnant of Israelas thoroughly as a vine.Pass your hand once more like a grape gathererover the branches.

I answered, "Who would listen if I spoke to them and warned them? Their ears are so closed that they cannot hear! Indeed, what the Lord says is offensive to them. They do not like it at all.

Their houses will be turned over to others as will their fields and their wives. For I will unleash my power against those who live in this land," says the Lord.

Were they ashamed when they acted so abhorrently?They weren’t at all ashamed.They can no longer feel humiliation.Therefore, they will fall among the fallen.When I punish them, they will collapse,says the Lord.

This is what the Lord says:Stand by the roadways and look.Ask about the ancient paths:Which is the way to what is good?Then take itand find rest for yourselves.But they protested, “We won’t!”

Therefore, this is what the Lord says:I am going to place stumbling blocks before these people;fathers and sons together will stumble over them;friends and neighbors will also perish.

This is what the Lord says:Look, an army is coming from a northern land;a great nation will be awakenedfrom the remote regions of the earth.

O daughter of my people [says Jeremiah],Clothe yourself in sackcloth and wallow in ashes;Mourn [aloud] as for an only son,A most bitter cry [of sorrow and regret],For suddenly the destroyer will come upon us [on both prophet and people].

“I [the Lord] have set you as an assayer [O Jeremiah] and as a tester [of the ore] of My people,That you may know and analyze their acts.”

“This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Correct your ways and your deeds, and I will allow you to live in this place.

Stop putting your confidence in the false belief that says, "We are safe! The temple of the Lord is here! The temple of the Lord is here! The temple of the Lord is here!"

Do you think this temple I have claimed as my own is to be a hideout for robbers? You had better take note! I have seen for myself what you have done! says the Lord.

You also have done all these things, says the Lord, and I have spoken to you over and over again. But you have not listened! You have refused to respond when I called you to repent!