Therefore,thussaysthe LORD,"Ifyou return,then I will restoreyou-- BeforeMe you will stand;And ifyou extractthe preciousfrom the worthless,You will becomeMy spokesman.They for their partmay turnto you, But as for you, you must not turnto them.
Now Elijahthe Tishbite,who was of the settlersof Gilead,saidto Ahab,"As the LORD,the Godof Israellives,beforewhomI stand,surelythere shall be neitherdewnor raintheseyears,exceptby my word."
"Nowthen go,and I, even I, will be with your mouth,and teachyou whatyou are to say."
Do you seea manskilledin his work?He will standbeforekings;He will not standbeforeobscuremen.
Then the LORDstretchedout His handand touchedmy mouth,and the LORDsaidto me, "Behold,I have putMy wordsin your mouth.
Then the LORDsaidto me, "Even thoughMosesand Samuelwere to standbeforeMe, My heartwould not be with thispeople;sendthem awayfrom My presenceand let them go!
But if I say,"I will not rememberHim Or speakanymorein His name,"Then in my heartit becomeslike a burningfireShutup in my bones;And I am wearyof holding[it] in, And I cannotendure[it].
thereforethussaysthe LORDof hosts,the Godof Israel,"Jonadabthe sonof Rechabshall not lacka manto standbeforeMe always."'"
"Ifyou will return,O Israel,"declaresthe LORD,"[Then] you should returnto Me. And ifyou will putawayyour detestedthingsfrom My presence,And will not waver,
The bellowsblowfiercely,The leadis consumedby the fire;In vainthe refininggoeson, But the wickedare not separated.
Allher peoplegroanseekingbread;They have giventheir preciousthingsfor foodTo restoretheir livesthemselves. "See,O LORD,and look,For I amdespised."
"But you shall speakMy wordsto them whetherthey listenornot, for they are rebellious.
"Her priestshave doneviolenceto My lawand have profanedMy holythings;they have madenodistinctionbetweenthe holyand the profane,and they have not taughtthe difference betweenthe uncleanand the clean;and they hidetheir eyesfrom My sabbaths,and I am profanedamongthem.
"Moreover, they shall teachMy people[the] [difference] betweenthe holyand the profane,and cause them to discernbetweenthe uncleanand the clean.
and so as to makea distinctionbetweenthe holyand the profane,and betweenthe uncleanand the clean,
to teachwhenthey are uncleanand whenthey are clean.Thisis the lawof leprosy.
"Arise,goto Ninevehthe greatcityand proclaimto it the proclamationwhichI am going to tellyou."
"Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,'Ifyou will walkin My waysand ifyou will performMy service,then you will alsogovernMy houseand alsohavechargeof My courts,and I will grantyou freeaccessamongthesewho are standing[here].
The angelansweredand saidto him, "I amGabriel,who standsin the presenceof God,and I have been sentto speakto you and to bringyou thisgood news.
"The one who listensto you listensto Me, and the one who rejectsyou rejectsMe; and he who rejectsMe rejectsthe One who sentMe."
for the HolySpiritwill teachyou in that veryhourwhatyou oughtto say."
for I will giveyou utteranceand wisdomwhichnoneof your opponentswill be ableto resistorrefute.
"But keep on the alertat alltimes,prayingthat you may have strengthto escapeallthese thingsthat are aboutto take place,and to standbeforethe Sonof Man."
"For I did not shrinkfrom declaringto you the wholepurposeof God.
Thereforefrom nowon we recognizeno oneaccordingto the flesh;eventhoughwe have knownChristaccordingto the flesh,yetnowwe know[Him] [in this way] no longer.
For am I nowseeking the favorof men,orof God?Oram I strivingto pleasemen?IfI were stilltrying to pleasemen,I would not be a bond-servantof Christ.
But we did not yieldin subjectionto them for evenan hour,sothat the truthof the gospelwould remainwith you.
But solidfoodis for the mature,who becauseof practicehavetheir sensestrainedto discerngoodand evil.
Nowto Him who is ableto keepyou from stumbling,and to make you standin the presenceof His gloryblamelesswith great joy,
