Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you try to have things both ways? If the LORD is God, worship him! But if Baal is God, worship him!” The people did not say a word.
But Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the family leaders answered, “You cannot take part in building a temple for the LORD our God! We will build it ourselves, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us.”
People who don't take care of their relatives, and especially their own families, have given up their faith. They are worse than someone who doesn't have faith in the Lord.
And when he did come, it was to lead you to have faith in God, who raised him from death and honoured him in a glorious way. That's why you have put your faith and hope in God.
They were having a good time, when some worthless men of that town surrounded the house and started banging on the door and shouting, “A man came to your house tonight. Send him out, so we can have sex with him!”
We can't allow such a terrible crime to go unpunished in Israel! Hand the men over to us, and we will put them to death.” But the people of Benjamin refused to listen to the other Israelites.
Eli's sons were priests, but they were dishonest and refused to obey the LORD. So, while people were boiling the meat from their sacrifices, these priests would send over a servant with a large, three-pronged fork.