Thussaysthe LORD,"Standby the waysand seeand askfor the ancientpaths,Wherethe goodwayis, and walkin it; And you will findrestfor your souls.But they said,'We will not walk[in it].'
then hearin heavenand forgivethe sinof Your servantsand of Your peopleIsrael,indeed,teachthem the goodwayin whichthey should walk.And sendrainon Your land,whichYou have givenYour peoplefor an inheritance.
"Behold,Amariahthe chiefpriestwill be overyou in allthat pertainsto the LORD,and Zebadiahthe sonof Ishmael,the rulerof the houseof Judah,in allthat pertainsto the king.Also the Levitesshall be officersbeforeyou. Actresolutely,and the LORDbe with the upright."
Returnto your rest,O my soul,For the LORDhas dealtbountifullywith you.
Come,houseof Jacob,and let us walkin the lightof the LORD.
He whosaidto them, "Hereis rest,giverestto the weary,"And, "Hereis repose,"but they wouldnot listen.
Your earswill heara wordbehindyou, "Thisis the way,walkin it," wheneveryou turnto the rightor to the left.
"Rememberthe formerthingslongpast,For I am God,and thereis noother;[I am] God,and there is noonelikeMe,
He entersinto peace;They restin their beds,[Each one] who walkedin his uprightway.
To the lawand to the testimony!Ifthey do not speakaccording to thisword,it is becausethey havenodawn.
"Then ifthey will reallylearnthe waysof My people,to swearby My name,'As the LORDlives,'evenas they taughtMy peopleto swearby Baal,they will be builtup in the midstof My people.
"But they will say,'It's hopeless!For we are goingto followour own plans,and eachof us will actaccording to the stubbornnessof his evilheart.'
For My peoplehave forgottenMe, They burnincenseto worthlessgods And they have stumbledfrom their ways,From the ancientpaths,To walkin bypaths,Not on a highway,
"Keepyour feetfrom being unshodAnd your throatfrom thirst;But you said,It is hopeless!No!For I have lovedstrangers,And afterthem I will walk.'
"I spoketo you in your prosperity;But you said,'I will not listen!'Thishas been your practicefrom your youth,That you have not obeyedMy voice.
"Setup for yourself roadmarks,Placefor yourself guideposts;Directyour mindto the highway,The wayby which you went.Return,O virginof Israel,Returnto theseyour cities.
that the LORDyour Godmay tellus the wayin whichwe should walkand the thingthat we should do."
"As for the messagethat you have spokento us in the nameof the LORD,we are not going to listento you!
"They will askfor the wayto Zion,[turning] their facesin its direction;they will comethat they may jointhemselves to the LORD[in] an everlastingcovenantthat will not be forgotten.
"But thisis whatI commandedthem, saying,ObeyMy voice,and I will be your God,and you will be My people;and you will walkin allthe waywhichI commandyou, that it may be wellwith you.'
"Yet they did not obeyor inclinetheir ear,but walkedin [their own] counsels[and] in the stubbornnessof their evilheart,and wentbackwardand not forward.
Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,the Godof Israel,"Amendyour waysand your deeds,and I will let you dwellin thisplace.
"Rememberthe lawof MosesMy servant,[even the] statutesand ordinanceswhichI commandedhim in Horebfor allIsrael.
"But Abrahamsaid,'They haveMosesand the Prophets;let them hearthem.'
SoJesussaidto them, "For a littlewhilelongerthe Lightis amongyou. Walkwhileyou havethe Light,sothat darknesswill not overtakeyou; he who walksin the darknessdoes not knowwherehe goes.
"Ifyou knowthese things,you are blessedifyou dothem.
"You searchthe Scripturesbecauseyou thinkthat in them you haveeternallife;it is thesethat testifyaboutMe;
Nowthesewere more noble-mindedthan thosein Thessalonica,for they receivedthe wordwith greateagerness,examiningthe Scripturesdaily[to see] whetherthese thingswere so.
and the fatherof circumcisionto thosewho not onlyare of the circumcision,but who alsofollowin the stepsof the faithof our fatherAbrahamwhich he had while uncircumcised.
"Rememberthe daysof old,Considerthe yearsof allgenerations.Askyour father,and he will informyou, Your elders,and they will tellyou.
Thereforeas you have receivedChristJesusthe Lord,[so] walkin Him,
For by it the men of oldgained approval.
sothat you will not be sluggish,but imitatorsof thosewho throughfaithand patienceinheritthe promises.
Yetthey did not listento their judges,for they playedthe harlotafterothergodsand bowedthemselves downto them. They turnedasidequicklyfrom the wayin whichtheir fathershad walkedin obeyingthe commandmentsof the LORD;they didnot doas [their fathers].
