"Seekthe LORDthat you may live,OrHe will breakforthlike a fire,O houseof Joseph,And it will consumewith noneto quench[it] for Bethel,
Seekthe LORDwhile He may be found;Callupon Him while He is near.
Seekgoodand not evil,that you may live;And thusmay the LORDGodof hostsbe with you, Justas you have said!
For thussaysthe LORDto the houseof Israel,"SeekMe that you may live.
"Sayto them, 'As I live!'declaresthe LordGOD,'I takenopleasurein the deathof the wicked,but ratherthat the wickedturnfrom his wayand live.Turnback,turnbackfrom your evilways!Whythen will you die,O houseof Israel?'
"I will strengthenthe houseof Judah,And I will savethe houseof Joseph,And I will bringthem back,BecauseI havehadcompassionon them; And they will be as thoughI had not rejectedthem, For I am the LORDtheir Godand I will answerthem.
Who drinkwinefrom sacrificialbowlsWhile they anointthemselves with the finestof oils,Yet they have not grievedoverthe ruinof Joseph.
sayto them, 'Thussaysthe LordGOD,"Behold,I will takethe stickof Joseph,whichis in the handof Ephraim,and the tribesof Israel,his companions;and I will putthem with it, with the stickof Judah,and makethem onestick,and they will be onein My hand."'
Thereforethussaysthe LordGOD,"Behold,My angerand My wrathwill be pouredout on thisplace,on manand on beastand on the treesof the fieldand on the fruitof the ground;and it will burnand not be quenched."
"Circumciseyourselves to the LORDAnd removethe foreskinsof your heart,Menof Judahand inhabitantsof Jerusalem,OrelseMy wrathwill goforthlike fireAnd burnwith noneto quenchit, Becauseof the evilof your deeds."
The strongmanwill becometinder,His workalso a spark.Thus they shall bothburntogetherAnd therewill be noneto quench[them].
Now the manJeroboamwas a valiantwarrior,and when Solomonsawthat the youngmanwas industrious,he appointedhim over allthe forcedlaborof the houseof Joseph.
"For your servantknowsthat I have sinned;therefore behold,I have cometoday,the firstof allthe houseof Josephto godownto meetmy lordthe king."
"They shall divideit into sevenportions;Judahshall stayin its territoryon the south,and the houseof Josephshall stayin their territoryon the north.
"For the LORDyour Godis a consumingfire,a jealousGod.
"Ifa firebreaksout and spreadsto thornbushes,so that stackedgrain orthe standinggrainorthe field[itself] is consumed,he who startedthe fireshall surelymakerestitution.
[When You said], "SeekMy face,"my heartsaidto You, "Your face,O LORD,I shall seek."
"Inclineyour earand cometo Me. Listen,that you may live;And I will makean everlastingcovenantwith you, [According to] the faithfulmerciesshown to David.
"For on the daythat I punishIsrael'stransgressions,I will also punishthe altarsof Bethel;The hornsof the altarwill be cutoffAnd they will fallto the ground.
Seekthe LORD,Allyou humbleof the earthWhohave carriedout His ordinances;Seekrighteousness,seekhumility.Perhapsyou will be hiddenIn the dayof the LORD'Sanger.
For a fireis kindledin My anger,And burnsto the lowestpartof Sheol,And consumesthe earthwith its yield,And setson firethe foundationsof the mountains.
"Becausethey have forsakenMe and have burnedincenseto othergods,that they might provokeMe to angerwith allthe worksof their hands;therefore My wrathwill be pouredout on thisplaceand it shall not be quenched."'
For the LORDhearsthe needyAnd does not despiseHis [who are] prisoners.
But Jeremiahsaid,"They will not giveyou over. Pleaseobeythe LORDin whatI am sayingto you, that it may gowellwith you and you may live.
and sayto the landof Israel,'Thussaysthe LORD,"Behold,I am againstyou; and I will drawMy swordout of its sheathand cutofffrom you the righteousand the wicked.
