Who can count Jacob’s people?
They are as many as the grains of dust.
No one can count even a fourth of
the people of Israel.
Let me die like a good man.
Let my life end as happy as theirs!
In the desert, the Lord fed you manna [53] —something your ancestors [54] had never seen. The Lord tested you. Why? Because the Lord made you humble so that things would go well for you in the end.
If a person refuses to learn, then he is only hurting himself. But the person who listens when someone tells him he is wrong, will understand more and more.
Listen to this warning, Jerusalem.\par If you don’t listen\par then I will turn my back on you.\par I will make your land an empty desert.\par No person will be able to live there.”\par
I tell you these things so you will learn a lesson. I want you to fear and respect me. If you do this, then your home won’t be destroyed. If you do this, then I won’t have to punish you the way I planned.” But those bad people only wanted to do more of the same bad things they had already done!