So the messengers took the king’s letters all through Israel and Judah. This is what those letters said:
Zechariah 1:4 - Easy To Read Version The Lord said, “Don’t be like your ancestors. In the past, the prophets spoke to them. They said, ‘The Lord All-Powerful wants you to change your bad way of living. Stop doing bad things!’ But your ancestors did not listen to me.” The Lord said those things. 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 messengers took the king’s letters all through Israel and Judah. This is what those letters said:
Don’t be like your fathers or your brothers. The Lord was their God, but they turned against him. So the Lord made people hate them and speak evil about them. You can see with your own eyes that this is true.
The king said, “Go, ask the Lord for me, and for the people that are left in Israel and in Judah. Ask about the words in the book that was found. The Lord is very angry with us because our ancestors {\cf2\super [430]} did not obey the Lord’s word. They did not do all the things this book says to do!”
We have been guilty of many, many sins from the days of our ancestors until now. We sinned so our kings and priests were punished. Foreign kings attacked us and took our people away. Those kings took away our wealth and made us ashamed. It is the same even today.
But those people, our ancestors, {\cf2\super [52]} \par became proud.\par They became stubborn.\par They refused to obey your commands.\par
And then they turned against you!\par They threw away your teachings!\par They killed your prophets.\par Those prophets warned the people.\par They tried to bring them back to you.\par But our ancestors {\cf2\super [55]} did terrible things\par against you!\par
You were very patient with our ancestors.\par You let them mistreat you for many years.\par You warned them with your Spirit.\par You sent the prophets to warn them.\par But our ancestors {\cf2\super [58]} didn’t listen.\par So you gave them to people in other countries.\par
If the people teach their God’s commands\par to their children,\par then the children will not be like\par their ancestors. {\cf2\super [444]} \par Their ancestors turned against God.\par They refused to obey him.\par Those people were stubborn.\par They were not loyal to God’s Spirit.\par
You children of Israel turned against God. You should come back to God.
“So, Jeremiah, say to the people of Judah and the people that live in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am preparing troubles for you right now. I am making plans against you. So stop doing the evil things that you are doing. Each person must change and start doing good things!’
If they had stood in my heavenly council,\par then they would have told my messages\par to the people of Judah.\par They would have stopped the people\par from doing bad things.\par They would have stopped them\par from doing evil.”\par
So, this is what the Lord All-Powerful says, “You have not listened to my messages.
You must listen to the things my servants say to you. (The prophets are my servants.) I have sent prophets to you again and again, but you did not listen to them.
“You people are unfaithful. But Come back to me!” This message was from the Lord.
I sent my servants the prophets to you people of Israel and Judah. I sent them to you again and again. Those prophets said to you, ‘Each of you people of Israel and Judah must stop doing evil things. You must be good. Don’t follow other gods. Don’t worship or serve them. If you obey me, then you will live in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.’ But you people have not paid attention to my message.
This message is from the Lord.\par “Israel, if you want to come back,\par then come back to me.\par Throw away your idols.\par Don’t wander away from me.\par
“We will not listen to the message from the Lord that you spoke to us.
“So tell the family of Israel these things. Tell them, ‘The Lord my Master says: Come back \{to me\} and leave your filthy idols. Turn away from those terrible false gods.
I spoke to their children. I told them, “Don’t be like your parents. Don’t make yourself filthy with their filthy idols. Don’t follow their laws. Don’t obey their commands.
“You must say to them, ‘The Lord my Master says: On my life, I promise, I don’t enjoy seeing people die—not even evil people! I don’t want them to die. I want those evil people to come back to me. I want them to change their lives so they can really live! So come back to me! Stop doing bad things! Why must you die, family of Israel?’
If people hear the warning but ignore it, then the enemy will capture them and take them away as prisoners. That person will be responsible for his own death.
We did not listen to the prophets. They were your servants. The prophets spoke for you. They spoke to our kings, our leaders, and our fathers. They spoke to all of the people from Israel. \{But we did not listen to those prophets!\}
Israel, you fell and sinned against God. So come back to the Lord your God.
You should let fairness flow like water\par \{through your country\}.\par Let goodness flow like a stream\par that never becomes dry.\par
People say, “Don’t preach to us.\par Don’t say those bad things about us.\par Nothing bad will happen to us.”\par
So you must tell the people these things. The Lord says, “Come back to me and I will come back to you.” The Lord All-Powerful said these things.
God used the earlier prophets to say these same things long ago. He said these things while Jerusalem was still a prosperous city filled with people. God said these things while there were still people living in the towns around Jerusalem, and in the Negev, and in the western foothills.”
I began telling people that they should change their hearts and lives and turn back to God. I told the people to do things that show that they really changed their hearts. I told these things first to people in Damascus. Then I went to Jerusalem and to every part of Judea and told these things to the people there. I also went to the non-Jewish people.
So you must change your hearts and lives! Come back to God and he will forgive your sins.
You know that \{in the past\} you were living in a worthless way. You got that way of living from the people who lived before you. But you were saved from that way of living. You were bought, but not with things that ruin like gold or silver.