Zechariah 1:4 - Christian Standard Bible Anglicised Do not be like your ancestors; the earlier prophets proclaimed to them: This is what the Lord of Armies says: Turn from your evil ways and your evil deeds. But they did not listen or pay attention to me #– #this is the Lord’s declaration. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition Be not as your fathers to whom the former prophets cried, Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return now from your evil ways and your evil doings; but they would not hear or listen to Me, says the Lord. [II Kings 17:13; Isa. 45:22; Jer. 18:11; Ezek. 33:11.] American Standard Version (1901) Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets cried, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Return ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith Jehovah. Common English Bible Don’t be like your ancestors to whom the former prophets preached: The LORD of heavenly forces proclaims: Turn from your evil ways and your evil deeds. But they didn’t listen; they didn’t draw near to me. Catholic Public Domain Version Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, saying: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Turn from your evil ways and from your wicked thoughts. But they did not heed, and neither did they pay attention to me, says the Lord. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Be not as your fathers, to whom the former prophets have cried, saying: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Turn ye from your evil ways, and from your wicked thoughts: but they did not give ear, neither did they hearken to me, saith the Lord. |
So the couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the hand of the king and his officials, and according to the king’s command, saying, ‘Israelites, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel so that he may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped the grasp of the kings of Assyria.
Don’t be like your ancestors and your brothers who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors so that he made them an object of horror as you yourselves see.
‘Go and enquire of the Lord for me and for those remaining in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that was found. For great is the Lord’s wrath that is poured out on us because our ancestors have not kept the word of the Lord in order to do everything written in this book.’
Our guilt has been terrible from the days of our ancestors until the present. Because of our iniquities we have been handed over, along with our kings and priests, to the surrounding kings, and to the sword, captivity, plundering, and open shame, as it is today.
But our ancestors acted arrogantly; they became stiff-necked and did not listen to your commands.
But they were disobedient and rebelled against you. They flung your law behind their backs and killed your prophets who warned them in order to turn them back to you. They committed terrible blasphemies.
You were patient with them for many years, and your Spirit warned them through your prophets, but they would not listen. Therefore, you handed them over to the surrounding peoples.
So now, say to the men of Judah and to the residents of Jerusalem, “This is what the Lord says: Look, I am about to bring harm to you and make plans against you. Turn now, each from your evil way, and correct your ways and your deeds.”
If they had really stood in my council, they would have enabled my people to hear my words and would have turned them from their evil ways and their evil deeds.
‘Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies says: “Because you have not obeyed my words,
and by listening to the words of my servants the prophets #– #whom I have been sending to you time and time again, , though you did not listen #– #
Go, proclaim these words to the north, and say, “Return, unfaithful Israel. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will not look on you with anger, for I am unfailing in my love. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will not be angry for ever.
‘ “Return, you faithless children #– #this is the Lord’s declaration #– #for I am your master, , and I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
Time and time again I have sent you all my servants the prophets, proclaiming, ‘Turn, each one from his evil way, and correct your actions. Stop following other gods to serve them. Live in the land that I gave you and your ancestors.’ But you did not pay attention or obey me.
If you return, Israel – this is the Lord’s declaration – you will return to me, if you remove your abhorrent idols from my presence and do not waver,
‘As for the word you spoke to us in the name of the Lord, we are not going to listen to you!
‘Therefore, say to the house of Israel, “This is what the Lord God says: Repent and turn away from your idols; turn your faces away from all your detestable things.
‘ “Then I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Don’t follow the statutes of your fathers, defile yourselves with their idols, or keep their ordinances.
Tell them, “As I live #– #this is the declaration of the Lord God #– #I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel? ”
Then, if anyone hears the sound of the ram’s horn but ignores the warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his death will be his own fault.
We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, ancestors, and all the people of the land.
Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity.
But let justice flow like water, and righteousness like an unfailing stream.
‘Abandon your preaching,’ they preach. ‘They should not preach these things; shame will not overtake us.’ ,
So tell the people, “This is what the Lord of Armies says: Return to me #– #this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies #– #and I will return to you, says the Lord of Armies.
Aren’t these the words that the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and secure, along with its surrounding cities, and when the southern region and the Judean foothills were inhabited? ’
Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.
For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold,