Mosesand Aaronwentto Pharaohand saidto him, "Thussaysthe LORD,the Godof the Hebrews,'Howlongwill you refuseto humbleyourself beforeMe? LetMy peoplego,that they may serveMe.
Elijahcamenearto allthe peopleand said,"Howlong[will] you hesitatebetweentwoopinions?Ifthe LORDis God,followHim; but ifBaal,followhim." But the peopledid not answerhim a word.
"Do you seehowAhabhas humbledhimself beforeMe? Becausehe has humbledhimself beforeMe, I will not bringthe evilin his days,[but] I will bringthe evilupon his housein his son'sdays."
becauseyour heartwas tenderand you humbledyourselfbeforethe LORDwhen you heardwhatI spokeagainstthisplaceand againstits inhabitantsthat they should becomea desolationand a curse,and you have tornyour clothesand weptbeforeMe, I trulyhave heardyou," declaresthe LORD.
When he was in distress,he entreatedthe LORDhis Godand humbledhimself greatlybeforethe Godof his fathers.
His prayeralso and [how God] was entreatedby him, and allhis sin,his unfaithfulness,and the siteson whichhe builthighplacesand erectedthe Asherimand the carvedimages,beforehe humbledhimself, behold,they are writtenin the recordsof the Hozai.
"Becauseyour heartwas tenderand you humbledyourselfbeforeGodwhen you heardHis wordsagainstthisplaceand againstits inhabitants,and [because] you humbledyourselfbeforeMe, toreyour clothesand weptbeforeMe, I trulyhave heardyou," declaresthe LORD.
and My peoplewhoare calledby My namehumblethemselves and prayand seekMy faceand turnfrom their wickedways,then I will hearfrom heaven,will forgivetheir sinand will healtheir land.
ThereforeI retract,And I repentin dustand ashes."
For ifyou refuseto letMy peoplego,behold,tomorrowI will bringlocustsinto your territory.
Then the LORDsaidto Moses,"Howlongdo you refuseto keepMy commandmentsand My instructions?
"So I saidto you, 'LetMy songothat he may serveMe'; but you have refusedto lethim go.Behold,I will killyour son,your firstborn."'"
And afterwardMosesand Aaroncameand saidto Pharaoh,"Thussaysthe LORD,the Godof Israel,LetMy peoplegothat they may celebratea feastto Me in the wilderness.'"
"Stillyou exaltyourself against My peopleby not lettingthem go.
"Howlong,O naiveones,will you lovebeing simple-minded?And scoffersdelightthemselves in scoffingAnd foolshateknowledge?
"BecauseI calledand you refused,I stretchedout my handand noonepaidattention;
Beforedestructionthe heartof manis haughty,But humility[goes] beforehonor.
Wherewill you be strickenagain,[As] you continuein [your] rebellion?The wholeheadis sickAnd the wholeheartis faint.
The proudlookof manwill be abasedAnd the loftinessof manwill be humbled,And the LORDalonewill be exaltedin that day.
Thiswickedpeople,whorefuseto listento My words,who walkin the stubbornnessof their heartsand have goneafterothergodsto servethem and to bowdownto them, let them be just like thiswaistbandwhichis totallyworthless.
Sayto the kingand the queenmother,"Takea lowlyseat,For your beautifulcrownHas comedownfrom your head."
"SummonmanyagainstBabylon,Allthose who bendthe bow:Encampagainsther on everyside,Let there be noescape. Repayher according to her work;According to allthat she has done,[so] doto her; For she has becomearrogantagainstthe LORD,Againstthe HolyOneof Israel.
But she has rebelledagainstMy ordinancesmorewickedlythanthe nationsand againstMy statutesmorethanthe landswhichsurroundher; for they have rejectedMy ordinancesand have not walkedin My statutes.'
"Yet you, his son,Belshazzar,have not humbledyour heart,eventhoughyou knewallthis,
"Howlong[shall I bear] with thisevilcongregationwhoare grumblingagainstMe? I have heardthe complaintsof the sonsof Israel,whichthey are makingagainstMe.
Ordo you think lightlyof the richesof His kindnessand toleranceand patience,not knowingthat the kindnessof Godleadsyou to repentance?
Seeto it that you do not refuseHim who is speaking.For ifthosedid not escapewhen they refusedhim who warned[them] on earth,muchless[will] we [escape] who turn awayfrom Him who [warns] from heaven.
Humbleyourselves in the presenceof the Lord,and He will exaltyou.
Thereforehumbleyourselves underthe mightyhandof God,that He may exaltyou at the proper time,
