Didn’t I tell you the same thing through the earlier prophets? That was when Jerusalem and the towns around it were at rest and enjoyed success. People lived in the Negev Desert and the western hills at that time.’ ”

当耶路撒冷和四围的城邑有居民，正兴盛，南地高原有人居住的时候，耶和华藉从前的先知所宣告的话，你们不当听吗？’”

当耶路撒冷和四围的城镇有人居住，享繁荣，尼革夫和谢非拉也有人居住的时候，耶和华藉从前的先知所宣告的，你们不当听吗？’”

当耶路撒冷和四围的城镇有人居住，享繁荣，尼革夫和谢非拉也有人居住的时候，耶和华藉从前的先知所宣告的，你们不当听吗？’”

这些不是耶和华借从前的先知所宣告的吗？当时耶路撒冷和周围的城邑人口兴盛、繁荣，南地和丘陵都有人居住。’”

这些话耶和华不是曾藉着从前的先知宣告了吗？那时，耶路撒冷和四围的城镇都有人居住，很是兴旺，南地和高地都有人居住。’”

當耶路撒冷和四圍的城邑有居民，正興盛，南地高原有人居住的時候，耶和華藉從前的先知所宣告的話，你們不當聽嗎？』」

當耶路撒冷和四圍的城鎮有人居住，享繁榮，尼革夫和謝非拉也有人居住的時候，耶和華藉從前的先知所宣告的，你們不當聽嗎？』」

當耶路撒冷和四圍的城鎮有人居住，享繁榮，尼革夫和謝非拉也有人居住的時候，耶和華藉從前的先知所宣告的，你們不當聽嗎？』」

這些不是耶和華藉從前的先知所宣告的嗎？當時耶路撒冷和周圍的城邑人口興盛、繁榮，南地和丘陵都有人居住。』」

這些話耶和華不是曾藉著從前的先知宣告了嗎？那時，耶路撒冷和四圍的城鎮都有人居住，很是興旺，南地和高地都有人居住。’”

當耶路撒冷和它四圍的城市都有人居住、而且優遊興盛，南地和低原也都有人居住時，永恆主的話、由從前的神言人經手宣告的、你們不應當聽麼？』

這些話語難道不是耶和華藉著先前的眾先知所宣告的嗎？那時，耶路撒冷和四圍的各城都有人居住，並且很安穩，南地和高地也有人居住。』」

耶和華藉古先知所宣之言、爾不宜聽之乎、其時耶路撒冷及四周之邑、有居民、且興盛、南土平原、亦有居民焉、○

昔耶路撒冷及四周之邑、南方平原、隨在有民居處、無不安綏、我耶和華使古先知、不既言之詳乎、

昔耶路撒冷及四圍之邑、尚有居民享平康、南方與平原平原或作窪地尚有人居、此言主豈未曾藉古先知宣告於眾乎、

Are these not the words the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled?’”

Were not these the words that the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?’”

Isn’t this the same message the Lord proclaimed through the prophets in years past when Jerusalem and the towns of Judah were bustling with people, and the Negev and the foothills of Judah were well populated?’”

Aren’t these the words that the LORD proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and secure, along with its surrounding cities, and when the southern region and the Judean foothills were inhabited?”

Are these not the words which the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and carefree along with its cities around it, and the Negev and the foothills were inhabited?’ ”

Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?’”

Should ye not hear the words which Jehovah cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?

Aren’t these the words that the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and secure, along with its surrounding cities, and when the southern region and the Judean foothills were inhabited?”

[ Should ye] not[ hear] the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when[ men] inhabited the south and the plain?

Should you not have obeyed the words that the LORD cried out through the former prophets when Jerusalem was peacefully inhabited and her surrounding cities, the Negev, and the Shephelah were also populated?

Aren’t these the words which Yahweh proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and its cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?’”

Some will come from the towns of Judah. And some will come in from the villages around Jerusalem. Others will come from the territory of Benjamin. And others will come in from the western hills. Still others will come from the central hill country and the Negev Desert. All of them will bring burnt offerings and sacrifices. They will come bringing grain offerings, incense and thank offerings. They will take all these offerings to my house.

So wash and make yourselves clean. Get your evil actions out of my sight! Stop doing what is wrong!Learn to do what is right! Treat people fairly. Help those who are treated badly. Stand up in court for children whose fathers have died. And do the same thing for widows.“ Come. Let us settle this matter,” says the Lord.“ Even though your sins are bright red, they will be as white as snow. Even though they are deep red, they will be white like wool.But you have to be willing to change and obey me. If you are, you will eat the good things that grow on the land.But if you are not willing to obey me, you will be killed by swords.” The Lord has spoken.

Fields will be bought with silver. Deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed. That will be done in the territory of Benjamin. It will be done in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah. It will also be done in the towns of the central hill country. And it will be done in the towns of the western hills and the Negev Desert. I will bless their people with great success again,” announces the Lord.

I also gave them another command. I said,‘ Obey me. Then I will be your God. And you will be my people. Live the way I command you to live. Then things will go well with you.’

You must really change the way you live and act. Treat one another fairly.

Moses saw the Negev Desert. He saw the whole area from the Valley of Jericho all the way to Zoar. Jericho was also known as The City of Palm Trees.

Turn to the Lord before it’s too late. Call out to him while he’s still ready to help you.Let those who are evil stop doing evil things. And let them quit thinking evil thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord. The Lord will show them his tender love. Let them turn to our God. He is always ready to forgive.

Gather together, you shameful nation of Judah! Gather yourselves together!Come together before the Lord’ s judgment arrives. The day of the Lord’ s judgment will sweep in like straw blown by the wind. Soon the Lord’ s great anger will come against you. The day of his wrath will come against you.So look to him, all you people in the land who worship him faithfully. You always do what he commands you to do. Continue to do what is right. Don’t be proud. Then perhaps the Lord will keep you safe on the day he pours out his anger on the world.

We haven’t listened to your servants the prophets. They spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our people of long ago. They also brought your message to all our people in the land.“ Lord, you always do what is right. But we are covered with shame today. We are the people of Judah and Jerusalem. All of us are Israelites, no matter where we live. We are now living in many countries. You scattered us among the nations because we weren’t faithful to you.Lord, we are covered with shame. So are our kings and princes, and our people of long ago. We have sinned against you.You are the Lord our God. You show us your tender love. You forgive us. But we have turned against you.You are the Lord our God. But we haven’t obeyed you. We haven’t kept the laws you gave us through your servants the prophets.All the people of Israel have broken your law and turned away from it. They have refused to obey you.“ Curses and warnings are written down in the Law of Moses. He was your servant. Those curses have been poured out on us. That’s because we have sinned against you.The warnings you gave us and our rulers have come true. You have brought great trouble on us. Nothing like what has been done to Jerusalem has ever happened anywhere else on earth.The curses that are written in the Law of Moses have fallen on us. We have received nothing but trouble. You are the Lord our God. But we haven’t asked for your favor. We haven’t turned away from our sins. We’ve refused to pay attention to the laws you gave us.Lord, you didn’t hold back from bringing this trouble on us. You always do what is right. But we haven’t obeyed you.

“ So I will judge you Israelites. I will judge each of you in keeping with what you have done,” announces the Lord and King.“ Turn away from your sins! Turn away from all the evil things you have done. Then sin will not bring you down.Get rid of all the evil things you have done. Let me give you a new heart and a new spirit. Then you will be faithful to me. Why should you die, people of Israel?When anyone dies, it does not give me any joy,” announces the Lord and King.“ So turn away from your sins. Then you will live!

Israel, return to the Lord your God. Your sins have destroyed you!Tell the Lord you are turning away from your sins. Return to him. Say to him,“ Forgive us for all our sins. Please be kind to us. Welcome us back to you. Then our lips will offer you our praise.Assyria can’t save us. We won’t trust in our war horses. Our own hands have made statues of gods. But we will never call them our gods again. We are like children whose fathers have died. But you show us your tender love.”

Listen and come to me. Pay attention to me. Then you will live. I will make a covenant with you that will last forever. I will give you my faithful love. I promised it to David.

The people of Israel say,“ What should we bring with us when we go to worship the Lord? What should we offer the God of heaven when we bow down to him? Should we take burnt offerings to him? Should we sacrifice calves that are a year old?Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams? Will he take delight in 10,000 rivers of olive oil? Should we offer our oldest sons for the wrong things we’ve done? Should we sacrifice our own children to pay for our sins?”The Lord has shown you what is good. He has told you what he requires of you. You must act with justice. You must love to show mercy. And you must be humble as you live in the sight of your God.

Look to what is good, not to what is evil. Then you will live. And the Lord God who rules over all will be with you, just as you say he is.Hate evil and love good. Do what is fair in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God who rules over all will have mercy on you. After all, you are the only ones left in the family line of Joseph.

Flocks will again pass under the hands of shepherds as they count their sheep,” says the Lord.“ That will be done in the towns of the central hill country. It will be done in the western hills and the Negev Desert. It will be done in the territory of Benjamin. And it will be done in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah.

“ Get a scroll. Write on it all the words I have spoken to you. Write down what I have said about Israel, Judah and all the other nations. Write what I have said to you from the time of King Josiah until now.The people of Judah will hear about all the trouble I plan to bring on them. Maybe then each of them will turn from their evil ways. If they do, I will forgive their sins and the evil things they have done.”

When you felt secure, I warned you. But you said,‘ I won’t listen!’ You have acted like that ever since you were young. You have not obeyed me.

And now he says to us,“ Return to me. Then I will return to you,” announces the Lord.“ Do not be like your people of long ago. The earlier prophets gave them my message. I said,‘ Stop doing what is evil. Turn away from your sinful practices.’ But they would not listen to me. They would not pay any attention,” announces the Lord.“ Where are those people now? And what about my prophets? Do they live forever?I commanded my servants the prophets what to say. I told them what I planned to do. But your people refused to obey me. So I had to punish them.“ Then they had a change of heart. They said,‘ The Lord who rules over all has punished us because of how we have lived. He was fair and right to do that. He has done to us just what he decided to do.’ ”