'Says' in the Bible

“Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord,“I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth,The love of your betrothals,Your following after Me in the wilderness,Through a land not sown.

Thus says the Lord,“What injustice did your fathers find in Me,That they went far from MeAnd walked after emptiness and became empty?

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.

For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem,“Break up your fallow ground,And do not sow among thorns.

For thus says the Lord,“The whole land shall be a desolation,Yet I will not execute a complete destruction.

Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts,“Because you have spoken this word,Behold, I am making My words in your mouth fireAnd this people wood, and it will consume them.

For thus says the Lord of hosts,“Cut down her treesAnd cast up a siege against Jerusalem.This is the city to be punished,In whose midst there is only oppression.

Thus says the Lord of hosts,“They will thoroughly glean as the vine the remnant of Israel;Pass your hand again like a grape gathererOver the branches.”

“Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done?They were not even ashamed at all;They did not even know how to blush.Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;At the time that I punish them,They shall be cast down,” says the Lord.

Thus says the Lord,“Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,Where the good way is, and walk in it;And you will find rest for your souls.But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

Therefore, thus says the Lord,“Behold, I am laying stumbling blocks before this people.And they will stumble against them,Fathers and sons together;Neighbor and friend will perish.”

Thus says the Lord,“Behold, a people is coming from the north land,And a great nation will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place.

Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, My anger and My wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and on beast and on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground; and it will burn and not be quenched.”

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat flesh.

“You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord,“Do men fall and not get up again?Does one turn away and not repent?

Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts,“Behold, I will refine them and assay them;For what else can I do, because of the daughter of My people?

therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.

Thus says the Lord of hosts,“Consider and call for the mourning women, that they may come;And send for the wailing women, that they may come!

Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;

Thus says the Lord,“Do not learn the way of the nations,And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavensAlthough the nations are terrified by them;

For thus says the Lord,“Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the landAt this time,And will cause them distress,That they may be found.”

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

Therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold I am bringing disaster on them which they will not be able to escape; though they will cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them.

Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, saying, “Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, so that you will not die at our hand”;

therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, I am about to punish them! The young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters will die by famine;

Thus says the Lord concerning all My wicked neighbors who strike at the inheritance with which I have endowed My people Israel, “Behold I am about to uproot them from their land and will uproot the house of Judah from among them.

“Thus says the Lord, ‘Just so will I destroy the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.

“Therefore you are to speak this word to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “Every jug is to be filled with wine.”’ And when they say to you, ‘Do we not very well know that every jug is to be filled with wine?’

then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold I am about to fill all the inhabitants of this land—the kings that sit for David on his throne, the priests, the prophets and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—with drunkenness!

Thus says the Lord to this people, “Even so they have loved to wander; they have not kept their feet in check. Therefore the Lord does not accept them; now He will remember their iniquity and call their sins to account.”

Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who are prophesying in My name, although it was not I who sent them—yet they keep saying, ‘There will be no sword or famine in this land’—by sword and famine those prophets shall meet their end!

And it shall be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord:“Those destined for death, to death;And those destined for the sword, to the sword;And those destined for famine, to famine;And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’

Therefore, thus says the Lord,“If you return, then I will restore you—Before Me you will stand;And if you extract the precious from the worthless,You will become My spokesman.They for their part may turn to you,But as for you, you must not turn to them.

For thus says the Lord concerning the sons and daughters born in this place, and concerning their mothers who bear them, and their fathers who beget them in this land:

For thus says the Lord, “Do not enter a house of mourning, or go to lament or to console them; for I have withdrawn My peace from this people,” declares the Lord, “My lovingkindness and compassion.

For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I am going to eliminate from this place, before your eyes and in your time, the voice of rejoicing and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride.

Thus says the Lord,“Cursed is the man who trusts in mankindAnd makes flesh his strength,And whose heart turns away from the Lord.

Thus says the Lord, “Take heed for yourselves, and do not carry any load on the sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem.

So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds.”’

“Therefore thus says the Lord,‘Ask now among the nations,Who ever heard the like of this?The virgin of IsraelHas done a most appalling thing.

Thus says the Lord, “Go and buy a potter’s earthenware jar, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests.

and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Behold I am about to bring a calamity upon this place, at which the ears of everyone that hears of it will tingle.

and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Just so will I break this people and this city, even as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot again be repaired; and they will bury in Topheth because there is no other place for burial.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to bring on this city and all its towns the entire calamity that I have declared against it, because they have stiffened their necks so as not to heed My words.’”

For thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I am going to make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will give over all Judah to the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away as exiles to Babylon and will slay them with the sword.

‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel, “Behold, I am about to turn back the weapons of war which are in your hands, with which you are warring against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall; and I will gather them into the center of this city.

“You shall also say to this people, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

O house of David, thus says the Lord:“Administer justice every morning;And deliver the person who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor,That My wrath may not go forth like fireAnd burn with none to extinguish it,Because of the evil of their deeds.

Thus says the Lord, “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word

Thus says the Lord, “Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.

For thus says the Lord concerning the house of the king of Judah:“You are like Gilead to Me,Like the summit of Lebanon;Yet most assuredly I will make you like a wilderness,Like cities which are not inhabited.

For thus says the Lord in regard to Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in the place of Josiah his father, who went forth from this place, “He will never return there;

Who says, ‘I will build myself a roomy houseWith spacious upper rooms,And cut out its windows,Paneling it with cedar and painting it bright red.’

Therefore thus says the Lord in regard to Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah,“They will not lament for him:‘Alas, my brother!’ or, ‘Alas, sister!’They will not lament for him:‘Alas for the master!’ or, ‘Alas for his splendor!’

“Thus says the Lord,‘Write this man down childless,A man who will not prosper in his days;For no man of his descendants will prosperSitting on the throne of DavidOr ruling again in Judah.’”

Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” declares the Lord.

“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets,‘Behold, I am going to feed them wormwoodAnd make them drink poisonous water,For from the prophets of JerusalemPollution has gone forth into all the land.’”

Thus says the Lord of hosts,“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you.They are leading you into futility;They speak a vision of their own imagination,Not from the mouth of the Lord.

For if you say, ‘The oracle of the Lord!’ surely thus says the Lord, ‘Because you said this word, “The oracle of the Lord!” I have also sent to you, saying, “You shall not say, ‘The oracle of the Lord!’”’

“Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans.

‘But like the bad figs which cannot be eaten due to rottenness—indeed, thus says the Lord—so I will abandon Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land and the ones who dwell in the land of Egypt.

“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Because you have not obeyed My words,

For thus the Lord, the God of Israel, says to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it.

“You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Drink, be drunk, vomit, fall and rise no more because of the sword which I will send among you.”’

And it will be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you will say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “You shall surely drink!

Thus says the Lord of hosts,“Behold, evil is going forthFrom nation to nation,And a great storm is being stirred upFrom the remotest parts of the earth.

“Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah who have come to worship in the Lord’s house all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them. Do not omit a word!

And you will say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, “If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you,

thus says the Lord to me—“Make for yourself bonds and yokes and put them on your neck,

Command them to go to their masters, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, thus you shall say to your masters,

Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of the Lord’s house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon’; for they are prophesying a lie to you.

For thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, concerning the sea, concerning the stands and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city,

Yes, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the Lord and in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem,

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Even so will I break within two full years the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations.’” Then the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

“Go and speak to Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made instead of them yokes of iron.”

For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they will serve him. And I have also given him the beasts of the field.”’”

Therefore thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This year you are going to die, because you have counseled rebellion against the Lord.’”

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon,

For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream.

“For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.

for thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who did not go with you into exile—

thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, I am sending upon them the sword, famine and pestilence, and I will make them like split-open figs that cannot be eaten due to rottenness.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you falsely in My name, ‘Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will slay them before your eyes.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

“Send to all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite, “Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, although I did not send him, and he has made you trust in a lie,”

therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants; he will not have anyone living among this people, and he will not see the good that I am about to do to My people,” declares the Lord, “because he has preached rebellion against the Lord.”’”

“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book.

For behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ The Lord says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it.’”

“For thus says the Lord,‘I have heard a sound of terror,Of dread, and there is no peace.

“For thus says the Lord,‘Your wound is incurableAnd your injury is serious.

“Thus says the Lord,‘Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of JacobAnd have compassion on his dwelling places;And the city will be rebuilt on its ruin,And the palace will stand on its rightful place.

Thus says the Lord,“The people who survived the swordFound grace in the wilderness—Israel, when it went to find its rest.”

For thus says the Lord,“Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,And shout among the chief of the nations;Proclaim, give praise and say,‘O Lord, save Your people,The remnant of Israel.’

Thus says the Lord,“A voice is heard in Ramah,Lamentation and bitter weeping.Rachel is weeping for her children;She refuses to be comforted for her children,Because they are no more.”

Thus says the Lord,“Restrain your voice from weepingAnd your eyes from tears;For your work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord,“And they will return from the land of the enemy.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Once again they will speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities when I restore their fortunes,‘The Lord bless you, O abode of righteousness,O holy hill!’

Thus says the Lord,Who gives the sun for light by dayAnd the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar;The Lord of hosts is His name:

Thus says the Lord,“If the heavens above can be measuredAnd the foundations of the earth searched out below,Then I will also cast off all the offspring of IsraelFor all that they have done,” declares the Lord.