It happened that day. The sheep that had been treated badly were watching me. They knew it was the Lord’ s message.

当日就废弃了。这样，那些仰望我的困苦羊就知道所说的是耶和华的话。

当日约就废了。因此，那些羊群中最困苦的，看着我，就知道这真是耶和华的话。

当日约就废了。因此，那些羊群中最困苦的，看着我，就知道这真是耶和华的话。

约就在当天废除了，那些注视着我的困苦羊便知道这是上帝的话。

那约就在当日废除了。这样，那些仰望我的困苦羊群，就知道这是耶和华的话。

當日就廢棄了。這樣，那些仰望我的困苦羊就知道所說的是耶和華的話。

當日約就廢了。因此，那些羊羣中最困苦的，看着我，就知道這真是耶和華的話。

當日約就廢了。因此，那些羊羣中最困苦的，看着我，就知道這真是耶和華的話。

約就在當天廢除了，那些注視著我的困苦羊便知道這是上帝的話。

那約就在當日廢除了。這樣，那些仰望我的困苦羊群，就知道這是耶和華的話。

就在那一天那約就廢棄了；這樣、那些販賣羣羊的人、就是那些觀看我的、就知道所說的是永恆主的話了。

這約當天就被廢除了。這樣，那仰望我的困苦羊群，就知道這是耶和華的話語。

是日即廢之、困苦之羊聽從我者、咸知此為耶和華之言、

當斯時也、斯杖已折、從我之羊、已遭困苦、則知所言確然、耶和華之命不虛、

當日則廢矣、困苦之羊、仰望我者、咸知此乃主之言、

It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord.

So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord.

That was the end of my covenant with them. The suffering flock was watching me, and they knew that the Lord was speaking through my actions.

It was annulled on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew that it was the word of the LORD.

So it was broken on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the Lord.

So it was broken on that day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord.

And it was broken in that day; and thus the poor of the flock that gave heed unto me knew that it was the word of Jehovah.

It was annulled on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me knew that it was the word of the Lord.

And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it[ was] the word of the LORD.

So it was annulled that very day, and then the most afflicted of the flock who kept faith with me knew that that was the word of the LORD.

It was broken in that day; and thus the poor of the flock that listened to me knew that it was Yahweh’s word.

But inside your city I will leave those who are not proud at all. Those who are still left alive will trust in the Lord.

While you are still scattered among the nations, you will die. The lands of your enemies will destroy you.You who are left in those lands will become weaker and weaker. You will die because of your sins and the sins of your people who lived before you.“‘ But suppose you admit that both you and your people who lived before you have sinned. You admit the evil and dishonest things you have done against me. And you admit you have become my enemy.What you did made me become your enemy. I let your enemies take you into their land. But suppose you stop being stubborn. You stop being proud. And you pay for your sin.Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob. I will remember my covenant with Isaac. I will remember my covenant with Abraham. I will remember what I said to them about the land.You will leave the land. It will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies deserted because you are not there. You will pay for your sins because you said no to my laws. You turned away from my rules.But even after all that, I will not say no to you or turn away from you. I will not destroy you completely in the land of your enemies. I will not break my covenant with you. I am the Lord your God.Because of you, I will remember the covenant I made with the people of Israel who lived before you. I brought them out of Egypt to be their God. The nations saw me do it. I am the Lord.’ ”These are the orders, the laws and the rules of the covenant the Lord made on Mount Sinai. He made it between himself and the Israelites through Moses.

But those who trust in the Lord will receive new strength. They will fly as high as eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not grow weak.

Many horrible troubles and hard times will come on them. Then the song I am giving you will be a witness against them. That is because the song will not be forgotten by their children and their children’s children. I know what they are likely to do. I know it even before I bring them into the land I promised them.”

I know that after I’m dead you will certainly become very sinful. You will turn away from the path I’ve commanded you to take. In days to come, trouble will fall on you. That’s because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. You will make him very angry because of the statues of gods your hands have made.”

What answer should be given to the messengers from that nation? Tell them,‘ The Lord has made Zion secure. His suffering people will find safety there.’ ”

But they couldn’t find any way to do it. All the people were paying close attention to his words.

They made me jealous by serving what is not even a god. They made me angry by worshiping worthless statues of gods. I will use people who are not a nation to make them jealous. A nation that has no understanding will make them angry.My anger will start a fire. It will burn all the way down to the kingdom of the dead. It will eat up the earth and its crops. It will set the base of the mountains on fire.“ I will pile troubles on my people. I will shoot all my arrows at them.I will send them hunger. It will make them weak. I will send terrible sickness. I will send deadly plagues. I will send wild animals that will tear them apart. Snakes that glide through the dust will bite them.In the streets their children will be killed by swords. Their homes will be filled with terror. The young men and women will die. The babies and old people will die.I said I would scatter them. I said I would erase their name from human memory.But I was afraid their enemies would make fun of that. I was afraid their attackers would not understand. I was sure they would say,‘ We’re the ones who’ve beaten them! The Lord isn’t the one who did it.’ ”Israel is a nation that doesn’t have any sense. They can’t understand anything.I wish they were wise. Then they would understand what’s coming. They’d realize what would happen to them in the end.How could one person chase a thousand? How could two make ten thousand run away? It couldn’t happen unless their Rock had deserted them. It couldn’t take place unless the Lord had given them up.Their rock is not like our Rock. Even our enemies know that.Their vine comes from the vines of Sodom. It comes from the vineyards of Gomorrah. Their grapes are filled with poison. Their bunches of grapes taste bitter.Their wine is like the poison of snakes. It’s like the deadly poison of cobras.The Lord says,“ I have kept all those terrible things stored away. I have kept them sealed up in my strongbox.I punish people. I will pay them back. The time will come when their feet will slip. Their day of trouble is near. Very soon they will be destroyed.”The Lord will come to the aid of his people. He’ll show tender love to those who serve him. He will know when their strength is gone. He’ll see that no one at all is left.He’ll say,“ Where are their gods now? Where is the rock they went to for safety?Where are the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices? Where are the gods who drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let those gods rise up to help you! Let them keep you safe!“ Look! I am the One! There is no other God except me. I put some people to death. I bring others to life. I have wounded, and I will heal. No one can save you from my power.I raise my hand to heaven. Here is the promise I make. You can be sure that I live forever.And you can be just as sure that I will sharpen my flashing sword. My hand will hold it when I judge. I will get even with my enemies. I will pay back those who hate me.I will make my arrows drip with blood. My sword will destroy people. It will kill some. It will even kill prisoners. It will cut off the heads of enemy leaders.”

I am going to send you what my Father has promised. But for now, stay in the city. Stay there until you have received power from heaven.”Jesus led his disciples out to the area near Bethany. Then he lifted up his hands and blessed them.While he was blessing them, he left them. He was taken up into heaven.Then they worshiped him. With great joy, they returned to Jerusalem.Every day they went to the temple, praising God.

You rich people, listen to me. Cry and weep, because you will soon be suffering.Your riches have rotted. Moths have eaten your clothes.Your gold and silver have lost their brightness. Their dullness will be a witness against you. Your wanting more and more will eat your body like fire. You have stored up riches in these last days.You have even failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields. Their pay is crying out against you. The cries of those who gathered the harvest have reached the ears of the Lord. He rules over all.You have lived an easy life on earth. You have given yourselves everything you wanted. You have made yourselves fat like cattle that will soon be butchered.You have judged and murdered people who aren’t guilty. And they weren’t even opposing you.

I will wait for the Lord. He is turning his face away from Jacob’s people. I will put my trust in him.

The Lord is good to those who put their hope in him. He is good to those who look to him.It is good when people wait quietly for the Lord to save them.

So we need to choose someone to take his place. It will have to be a man who was with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us.That time began when John was baptizing. It ended when Jesus was taken up from us. The one we choose must join us in telling people that Jesus rose from the dead.”

Anna came up to Jesus’ family at that moment. She gave thanks to God. And she spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the time when Jerusalem would be set free.

The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away. It will come from the ends of the earth. It will dive down on you like an eagle. You won’t understand that nation’s language.Its people will look mean. They won’t have any respect for old people. They won’t show any kindness to young people.They will eat up the young animals among your livestock. They’ll eat up the crops on your land. They’ll destroy you. They won’t leave you any grain, olive oil or fresh wine. They won’t leave you any calves or lambs. They’ll destroy you.They’ll surround all the cities throughout your whole land. They’ll attack those cities until the high, strong walls you trust in fall down. That’s what will happen to the cities in the land the Lord your God is giving you.Your enemies will surround you and attack you. They will make you suffer greatly. So you will eat your own children. You will eat the dead bodies of the sons and daughters the Lord your God has given you.There may be a gentle and caring man among you. But he will treat his own brother badly. He’ll be just as mean to the wife he loves and to any of his children who are still alive.He won’t give to a single one of them any part of the dead bodies of his children that he’s eating. It will be all he has left to eat. That’s how much your enemies will make you suffer when they surround all your cities and attack them.There may be a gentle and caring woman among you. She wouldn’t even touch the ground with her feet without first putting her sandals on. But she will not share anything with the husband she loves. She won’t share with her own children either.She will eat what comes out of her body after she has a baby. Then she’ll even eat her baby. She won’t share it with anyone in her family. In her great hunger she’ll plan to eat it in secret. There won’t be anything else for her to eat because the city she lives in will be surrounded. That’s an example of how much your enemies will make you suffer when they are attacking your cities.Be careful to follow all the words of this law. They are written in this scroll. Have respect for the glorious and wonderful name of the Lord your God. If you don’t,he will send terrible plagues on you and your children after you. He’ll send horrible and lasting troubles. He’ll make you very sick for a long time.He’ll bring on you all the sicknesses you were afraid of getting when you were in Egypt. You won’t be able to get rid of them.The Lord will also bring on you all other kinds of sickness and trouble. I haven’t even written those down in this Book of the Law. You will be destroyed.At one time you were as many as the stars in the sky. But there will only be a few of you left. That’s because you didn’t obey the Lord your God.It pleased the Lord to give you success and to cause there to be many of you. But it will please him just as much to wipe you out and destroy you. You will be removed from the land you are entering to take as your own.Then the Lord will scatter you among all the nations. He’ll spread you around from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship statues of gods made out of wood and stone. You and your people of long ago hadn’t known anything about those gods.Among those nations you won’t find any peace. There won’t be any place where you can make your home and rest your feet. The Lord will give you minds filled with worry. He’ll give you eyes worn out from looking for help. You won’t have any hope in your hearts.Your lives will always be in danger. You will be filled with fear night and day. You will never be sure you are safe.In the morning you will say,“ We wish it were evening!” In the evening you will say,“ We wish it were morning!” Your hearts will be filled with fear. The things you see will terrify you.The Lord will send you back to Egypt in ships. He’ll send you on a journey I said you should never have to make again. You will offer to sell yourselves to your enemies as slaves in Egypt. But no one will buy you.

The Lord hears those who are in need. He doesn’t forget his people in prison.

Lord, we are living the way your laws command us to live. We are waiting for you to act. We want your honor and fame to be known.My heart longs for you at night. My spirit longs for you in the morning. You will come and judge the earth. Then the people of the world will learn to do what is right.

So Jesus replied to the messengers,“ Go back to John. Tell him what you have seen and heard. Blind people receive sight. Disabled people walk. Those who have skin diseases are made‘ clean.’ Deaf people hear. Those who are dead are raised to life. And the good news is announced to those who are poor.

The king will save needy people who cry out to him. He will save those who are hurting and have no one else to help.He will take pity on those who are weak and in need. He will save them from death.He will save them from people who treat others badly. He will save them from people who do mean things to them. Their lives are very special to him.

Joseph had not agreed with what the leaders had decided and done. He was from Arimathea, a town in Judea. He himself was waiting for God’s kingdom.

I will no longer have pity on the people in the land,” announces the Lord.“ I will hand all of them over to their neighbors and their king. They will destroy the land. And I will not save anyone from their power.”So I took care of the sheep set apart to be sacrificed. I took special care of those that had been treated badly. Then I got two shepherd’s staffs. I called one of them Favor. I called the other one Union. And I took care of the flock.

My dear brothers and sisters, listen to me. Hasn’t God chosen those who are poor in the world’s eyes to be rich in faith? Hasn’t he chosen them to receive the kingdom? Hasn’t he promised it to those who love him?But you have disrespected poor people. Aren’t rich people taking advantage of you? Aren’t they dragging you into court?

In Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was a good and godly man. He was waiting for God’s promise to Israel to come true. The Holy Spirit was with him.

But I will look to the Lord. I’ll put my trust in God my Savior. He will hear me.

What should we say then? The people of Israel did not receive what they wanted so badly. Those Israelites who were chosen did receive it. But the rest of the people were made stubborn.It is written,“ God made it hard for them to understand. He gave them eyes that could not see. He gave them ears that could not hear. And they are still like that today.”( Deuteronomy 29:4; Isaiah 29:10)David says,“ Let their feast be a trap and a snare. Let them trip and fall. Let them get what’s coming to them.Let their eyes grow dark so they can’t see. Let their backs be bent forever.”( Psalm 69:22, 23)Again, here is what I ask. The Israelites didn’t trip and fall once and for all time, did they? Not at all! Because Israel sinned, the Gentiles can be saved. That will make Israel jealous of them.Israel’s sin brought riches to the world. Their loss brings riches to the Gentiles. So then what greater riches will come when all Israel turns to God!