But people of Jacob, I must say these things. The Lord is losing his patience because of the bad things you did. If you lived right, I could say nice words to you.
The Lord God is our protector and glorious king. He blesses us with kindness and honor. The Lord freely gives every good thing to those who do what is right.
He said, “This is the message from the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Your help will not come from your own strength and power. No, your help will come from my Spirit.’ This is what the Lord All-Powerful says.
A wise person understands these things, and a smart person should learn them. The Lord’s ways are right. Good people will live by them. Sinners will die by them.
I came home and found no one there. I called and called, but no one answered. Do you think I cannot get you back? Do you think I cannot save you? Look, if I gave the command, the ocean would dry up! I can turn rivers into a desert. The fish would die without water, and their bodies would rot.
Does this mean that something that is good brought death to me? No, it was sin that used the good command to bring me death. This shows how terrible sin really is. It can use a good command to produce a result that shows sin at its very worst.