Elijahcamenearto allthe peopleand said,"Howlong[will] you hesitatebetweentwoopinions?Ifthe LORDis God,followHim; but ifBaal,followhim." But the peopledid not answerhim a word.
Then Labanand Bethuelreplied,"The mattercomesfrom the LORD;[so] we cannotspeakto you badorgood.
So Judahsaid,"Whatcan we sayto my lord?Whatcan we speak?And howcan we justifyourselves? Godhas foundout the iniquityof your servants;behold,we are my lord'sslaves,bothwe and the one in whosepossessionthe cuphas been found."
So Ahabsent[a message] among allthe sonsof Israeland broughtthe prophetstogetherat MountCarmel.
When allthe peoplesawit, they fellon their faces;and they said,"The LORD,He is God;the LORD,He is God."
So while thesenationsfearedthe LORD,they also servedtheir idols;their childrenlikewiseand their grandchildren,as their fathersdid,so they doto thisday.
"Now,O LORD,You are God,and have promisedthisgoodthingto Your servant.
When he prayedto Him, He was movedby his entreatyand heardhis supplication,and broughthim againto Jerusalemto his kingdom.Then Manassehknewthat the LORD[was] God.
Knowthat the LORDHimselfis God;It is He who has madeus, and not we ourselves;[We are] His peopleand the sheepof His pasture.
I hatethose whoare double-minded,But I loveYour law.
Their heartis faithless;Nowthey must beartheir guilt.The LORD will breakdowntheir altars[And] destroytheir [sacred] pillars.
"And those who bowdownon the housetopsto the hostof heaven,And those who bowdown[and] swearto the LORDand [yet] swearby Milcom,
and he saidto him, 'Friend,howdid you comein herewithoutweddingclothes?'And the man was speechless.
But when the Phariseesheardthat Jesus had silencedthe Sadducees,they gatheredthemselves together.
"Teacher,whichis the greatcommandmentin the Law?"
"No onecanservetwomasters;for eitherhe will hatethe oneand lovethe other,orhe will be devotedto oneand despisethe other.You cannotserveGodand wealth.
And whendaycame,He calledHis disciplesto Him and chosetwelveof them, whomHe alsonamedas apostles:
Nowwe knowthat whateverthe Lawsays,it speaksto thosewho are underthe Law,sothat everymouthmay be closedand allthe worldmay becomeaccountableto God;
"To you it was shownthat you might knowthat the LORD,He is God;thereis nootherbesidesHim.
"Ifit is disagreeablein your sightto servethe LORD,choosefor yourselves todaywhomyou will serve:whetherthe godswhichyour fathersservedwhichwere beyondthe River,or the godsof the Amoritesin whoselandyou are living;but as for me and my house,we will servethe LORD."
Then Samuelspoketo allthe houseof Israel,saying,"Ifyou returnto the LORDwith allyour heart,removethe foreigngodsand the Ashtarothfrom amongyou and directyour heartsto the LORDand serveHim alone;and He will deliveryou from the handof the Philistines."
