David felt ashamed after he had counted the people and said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I did! Lord, I beg you, forgive me for my sin. I have been very foolish.”
I tell you that her many sins are forgiven. This is clear, because she showed great love. People who are forgiven only a little will love only a little.”
So why did you ignore my command? Why did you do what I say is wrong? You let the Ammonites kill Uriah the Hittite, and you took his wife. It is as if you yourself killed Uriah in war.
Then Joshua said to Achan, “Son, you must honor the Lord, the God of Israel. Praise him and confess your sins to him. Tell me what you did, and don’t try to hide anything from me.”
But you must recognize your sin. You turned against the Lord your God. That is your sin. You worshiped the idols of other nations. You worshiped them under every green tree. You did not obey me.’” This message is from the Lord.
“Judah, how can you say to me, ‘I am not guilty because I have not worshiped the Baal idols’? Think about what you did in the valley. Think about what you have done. You are like a fast she-camel that runs from place to place.
“People should not steal things from God, but you stole things from me. “You say, ‘What did we steal from you?’ “You should have given me one-tenth of your things. You should have given me special gifts.
Jesus said to them, “You make yourselves look good in front of people. But God knows what is really in your hearts. What people think is important is worth nothing to God.
The Lord says, “You know that Ephraim is my dear son. I love that child. Yes, I often criticized Ephraim, but I still think about him. I love him very much, and I really do want to comfort him.
When he saw the angel who killed the people, David spoke to the Lord. David said, “I sinned! I did wrong! And these people only did what I told them—they only followed me like sheep. They did nothing wrong. Please let your punishment be against me and my father’s family.”
Now you must confess your sins to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. You must obey his command. Separate yourselves from the people living around you and from your foreign wives.”