"For manydaysIsraelwas withoutthe true Godand withouta teachingpriestand withoutlaw.
Then in the thirdyearof his reignhe senthis officials,Ben-hail,Obadiah,Zechariah,Nethaneland Micaiah,to teachin the citiesof Judah;
Then Nehemiah,whowas the governor,and Ezrathe priest[and] scribe,and the Leviteswho taughtthe peoplesaidto allthe people,"Thisdayis holyto the LORDyour God;do not mournor weep."For allthe peoplewere weepingwhen they heardthe wordsof the law.
But the LORDis the true God;He is the livingGodand the everlastingKing.At His wraththe earthquakes,And the nationscannotendureHis indignation.
Her gateshave sunkinto the ground,He has destroyedand brokenher bars.Her kingand her princesare among the nations;The lawis nomore.Also,her prophetsfindNovisionfrom the LORD.
For the sonsof Israelwill remainfor manydayswithoutkingor prince,withoutsacrificeor [sacred] pillarand withoutephodor householdidols.
and so as to teachthe sonsof Israelallthe statuteswhichthe LORDhas spokento them throughMoses."
The LORDthen spoketo Aaron,saying,
"Behold,daysare coming,"declaresthe LordGOD,"When I will senda famineon the land,Not a faminefor breador a thirstfor water,But ratherfor hearingthe wordsof the LORD.
Her leaderspronouncejudgmentfor a bribe,Her priestsinstructfor a priceAnd her prophetsdivinefor money.Yet they leanon the LORDsaying,"Is not the LORDin our midst?Calamitywill not comeupon us."
"For the lipsof a priestshould preserveknowledge,and men should seekinstructionfrom his mouth;for he is the messengerof the LORDof hosts.
"Thisis eternallife,that they may knowYou, the onlytrue God,and JesusChristwhomYou have sent.
For allwhohave sinnedwithoutthe Lawwill alsoperishwithout the Law,and all whohave sinnedunderthe Lawwill be judgedby the Law;
to thosewho are withoutlaw,as withoutlaw,though not beingwithout the lawof Godbut under the lawof Christ,sothat I might winthosewho are without law.
"They shall teachYour ordinancesto Jacob,And Your lawto Israel.They shall putincensebeforeYou, And wholeburntofferingson Your altar.
For they themselvesreportaboutus what kindof a receptionwe hadwith you, and howyou turnedto Godfrom idolsto servea livingand true God,
An overseer,then,mustbe above reproach,the husbandof onewife,temperate,prudent,respectable,hospitable,able to teach,
And we knowthat the Sonof Godhas come,and has givenus understandingsothat we may knowHim whois true;and we are in Him who is true,in His SonJesusChrist.Thisis the true Godand eternallife.
