'Says' in the Bible

This is what the Lord God says:Remove the turban, and take off the crown.Things will not remain as they are;exalt the lowly and bring down the exalted.

“Now prophesy, son of man, and say: This is what the Lord God says concerning the Ammonites and their contempt. You are to proclaim:A sword! A swordis drawn for slaughter,polished to consume, to flash like lightning.

You are to say: This is what the Lord God says: A city that sheds blood within her walls so that her time of judgment has come and who makes idols for herself so that she is defiled!

In you they have accepted bribes to shed blood; you have taken [forbidden] interest and [a percentage of] profits, and you have injured your neighbors for gain by oppression and extortion, and you have forgotten Me,” says the Lord God.

Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: Because all of you have become dross, I am about to gather you into Jerusalem.

Her prophets plaster with whitewash for them by seeing false visions and lying divinations, and they say, ‘This is what the Lord God says,’ when the Lord has not spoken.

Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; I have repaid their way [by bringing it] upon their own heads,” says the Lord God.

“Therefore Oholibah, this is what the Lord God says: I am going to incite your lovers against you, those you turned away from in disgust. I will bring them against you from every side:

“For this is what the Lord God says: I am going to hand you over to those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust.

This is what the Lord God says:You will drink your sister’s cup,which is deep and wide.You will be an object of ridicule and scorn,for it holds so much.

‘You will drink it and drain it,Then you will gnaw its fragmentsAnd tear your breasts;for I have spoken,’ says the Lord God.

Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: “Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your indecency and promiscuity.”

“This is what the Lord God says: Summon an assembly against them and consign them to terror and plunder.

Now speak a parable to the rebellious house. Tell them: This is what the Lord God says:Put the pot on the fire—put it on,and then pour water into it!

Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:Woe to the city of bloodshed,the pot that has rust inside it,and whose rust will not come off!Empty it piece by piece;lots should not be cast for its contents.

Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:Woe to the city of bloodshed!I Myself will make the pile of kindling large.

I the Lord have spoken; it is coming and I will act. I will not relent, and I will not have compassion and I will not be sorry; in accordance with your ways and in accordance with your deeds I will judge and punish you,” says the Lord God.’”

‘Say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the desire of your heart. Also, the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.

Say to the Ammonites: Hear the word of the Lord God: This is what the Lord God says: Because you said, ‘Good!’ about My sanctuary when it was desecrated, about the land of Israel when it was laid waste, and about the house of Judah when they went into exile,

For this is what the Lord God says: “Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced over the land of Israel with wholehearted contempt,

This is what the Lord God says: “Because Moab and Seir said, ‘Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations,’

This is what the Lord God says: “Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah and incurred grievous guilt by taking revenge on them,

therefore this is what the Lord God says: I will stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off both man and animal from it. I will make it a wasteland; they will fall by the sword from Teman to Dedan.

I will take My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel. Therefore, they will act in Edom in accordance with My anger and My wrath, and they will know and experience My vengeance,” says the Lord God.

This is what the Lord God says: “Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with deep contempt, destroying because of their ancient hatred,

therefore this is what the Lord God says: I am about to stretch out My hand against the Philistines, cutting off the Cherethites and wiping out what remains of the coastal peoples.

therefore this is what the Lord God says: See, I am against you, Tyre! I will raise up many nations against you, just as the sea raises its waves.

Her island in the midst of the sea will become a dry place to spread nets, for I have spoken,’ says the Lord God, ‘and she will become a prey and a spoil for the nations.

For this is what the Lord God says: “See, I am about to bring King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, king of kings, against Tyre from the north with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a vast company of troops.

I will make you [Tyre] a bare rock; you will be a dry place on which to spread nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken,” says the Lord God.

This is what the Lord God says to Tyre: “Won’t the coasts and islands quake at the sound of your downfall, when the wounded groan and slaughter occurs within you?

For this is what the Lord God says: “When I make you a ruined city like other deserted cities, when I raise up the deep against you so that the mighty waters cover you,

I will bring terrors on you and you will be no more. Though you will be sought, yet you will never be found again,” says the Lord God.

Say to Tyre, who is located at the entrance of the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coasts and islands: This is what the Lord God says:Tyre, you declared,‘I am perfect in beauty.’

“Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre: This is what the Lord God says:Your heart is proud,and you have said, ‘I am a god;I sit in the seat of godsin the heart of the sea.’Yet you are a man and not a god,though you have regarded your heartas that of a god.

Therefore this is what the Lord God says:Because you regard your heart as that of a god,

‘You will die the death of the uncircumcised [barbarian]By the hand of strangers,For I have spoken!’ says the Lord God.”’”

“Son of man, lament for the king of Tyre and say to him: This is what the Lord God says:You were the seal of perfection,full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

You are to say: This is what the Lord God says:Look! I am against you, Sidon,and I will display My glory within you.They will know that I am Yahwehwhen I execute judgments against herand demonstrate My holiness through her.

“This is what the Lord God says: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples where they are scattered and demonstrate My holiness through them in the sight of the nations, then they will live in their own land, which I gave to My servant Jacob.

Speak to him and say: This is what the Lord God says:Look, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,the great monster lying in the middle of his Nile,who says, ‘My Nile is my own;I made it for myself.’

“Therefore this is what the Lord God says: I am going to bring a sword against you and wipe out man and animal from you.

“For this is what the Lord God says: At the end of 40 years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were dispersed.

Therefore this is what the Lord God says: I am going to give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will carry off its wealth, seizing its spoil and taking its plunder. This will be his army’s compensation.

I have given him the land of Egypt for the hard work which he did [against Tyre], because they did it for Me,” says the Lord God.

“Son of man, prophesy and say: This is what the Lord God says:Wail: Woe for the day!

"This is what the LORD says: "Those who are supporting Egypt will fall; her majestic strength that she brought from the Aswan fortress will collapse by the sword that invades her,' declares the Lord GOD.

This is what the Lord God says:I will put an end to the hordes of Egyptby the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

This is what the Lord God says:I will destroy the idols and put an endto the false gods in Memphis.There will no longer bea prince from the land of Egypt.So I will instill fear in that land.

Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Look! I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong one and the one already broken, and will make the sword fall from his hand.

“Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Since it became great in height and set its top among the clouds, and it grew proud on account of its height,

“This is what the Lord God says: I caused grieving on the day the cedar went down to Sheol. I closed off the underground deep because of it: I held back the rivers of the deep, and its abundant waters were restrained. I made Lebanon mourn on account of it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it.

“Which among the trees of Eden do you equal in glory and in greatness [O Egypt]? Yet you [also] will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth beneath (nether world). You will lie among the uncircumcised (the barbaric, the boorish, the crude) with those who were slain by the sword. This is how it shall be with Pharaoh and all his hordes!”’ says the Lord God.”

This is what the Lord God says:I will spread My net over youwith an assembly of many peoples,and they will haul you up in My net.

“All the bright lights in the heavensI will darken over youAnd I will place darkness on your land,”Says the Lord God.

For this is what the Lord God says:The sword of Babylon’s kingwill come against you!

“Then I will make their waters quiet and clear;I will make their rivers run [slowly and smoothly] like oil,”Says the Lord God.

This is the dirge (funeral poem to be sung) and they shall sing it [for her]. The daughters of the nations shall sing it; for Egypt and for all her hordes they shall sing it,” says the Lord God.

"When Pharaoh sees them, he will take comfort in his hordes. Pharaoh and all his army will die violently," says the Lord GOD,

“Though I instilled a terror of him in the land of the living, yet he will be made to lie down among the uncircumcised along with those slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his hordes,” says the Lord God.

Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back (change your way of thinking), turn back [in repentance] from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

Therefore say to them: This is what the Lord God says: You eat meat with blood in it, raise your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. Should you then receive possession of the land?

“Tell them this: This is what the Lord God says: As surely as I live, those who are in the ruins will fall by the sword, those in the open field I have given to wild animals to be devoured, and those in the strongholds and caves will die by plague.

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and say to them: This is what the Lord God says to the shepherds: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who have been feeding themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed their flock?

"Therefore listen to what the LORD says, you shepherds:

“As I live,” says the Lord God, “certainly because My flock has become prey, My flock has even become food for every predator of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock;

"Therefore, you shepherds, listen to what the LORD says:

“This is what the Lord God says: Look, I am against the shepherds. I will demand My flock from them and prevent them from shepherding the flock. The shepherds will no longer feed themselves, for I will rescue My flock from their mouths so that they will not be food for them.

“For this is what the Lord God says: See, I Myself will search for My flock and look for them.

I will feed My flock and I will let them lie down [to rest],” says the Lord God.

“The Lord God says to you, My flock: I am going to judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and male goats.

“Therefore, this is what the Lord God says to them: See, I Myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.

Then they will know [with assurance] that I the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord God.

“As for you, My flock, the flock of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord God.

Say to it: This is what the Lord God says:Look! I am against you, Mount Seir.I will stretch out My hand against youand make you a desolate waste.

therefore, as I live,” says the Lord God, “I will hand you over to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you since you have not hated bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you.

therefore, as I live,” says the Lord God, “I will deal with you in accordance with the anger and envy you showed because of your hatred for them; and I will make Myself known among them [as Judge] when I judge and punish you.

“This is what the Lord God says: While the whole world rejoices, I will make you a desolation.

This is what the Lord God says: Because the enemy has said about you, ‘Good! The ancient heights have become our possession,’

therefore, prophesy and say: This is what the Lord God says: Because they have made you desolate and have trampled you from every side, so that you became a possession for the rest of the nations and an object of people’s gossip and slander,

therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. This is what the Lord God says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and abandoned cities, which have become plunder and a mockery to the rest of the nations all around.

“This is what the Lord God says: Certainly in My burning zeal I speak against the rest of the nations and all of Edom, who took My land as their own possession with wholehearted rejoicing and utter contempt so that its pastureland became plunder.

Therefore, prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: This is what the Lord God says: Look, I speak in My burning zeal because you have endured the insults of the nations.

Therefore this is what the Lord God says: I swear that the nations all around you will endure their own insults.

“This is what the Lord God says: Because people are saying to you, ‘You devour men and deprive your nation of children,’

therefore you will no longer devour people, and no longer bereave your nation of children,’ says the Lord God.

I will not let you hear insults from the nations anymore, nor will you bear disgrace from the peoples any longer, nor will you cause your nation to stumble [through idolatry] any longer,” says the Lord God.’”

“Therefore, say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: It is not for your sake that I will act, house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went.

I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am Yahweh, says the Lord Yahweh, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

I am not doing this for your sake,” says the Lord God. “Let that be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated for your [wicked] ways, O house of Israel!”

“This is what the Lord God says: On the day I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the ruins will be rebuilt.

“This is what the Lord God says: I will respond to the house of Israel and do this for them: I will multiply them in number like a flock.

This is what the Lord God says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live.

He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man. Say to it: This is what the Lord God says: Breath, come from the four winds and breathe into these slain so that they may live!”

Therefore, prophesy and say to them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them, My people, and lead you into the land of Israel.

I will put My Spirit in you and you will come to life, and I will place you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and fulfilled it,” says the Lord.’”

tell them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and put them together with the stick of Judah. I will make them into a single stick so that they become one in My hand.

tell them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them into their own land.

and say: This is what the Lord God says: Look, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.

“This is what the Lord God says: On that day, thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will devise an evil plan.