Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.

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Fulfill Your Vow to God

[a]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:17, and 5:2-20 is numbered 5:1-19.

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

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Listening and Doing

19 My dear brothers and sisters,(A) take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak(B) and slow to become angry,

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28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

29 For our God is a consuming fire.

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28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,(A) let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,(B) 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”[a](C)

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 12:29 Deut. 4:24

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

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Therefore, rid yourselves(A) of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander(B) of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,(C) so that by it you may grow up(D) in your salvation,

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The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

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The Lord detests the sacrifice(A) of the wicked,(B)
    but the prayer of the upright pleases him.(C)

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12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

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12 When you come to appear before me,
    who has asked this of you,(A)
    this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!(B)
    Your incense(C) is detestable(D) to me.
New Moons,(E) Sabbaths and convocations(F)
    I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon(G) feasts and your appointed festivals(H)
    I hate with all my being.(I)
They have become a burden to me;(J)
    I am weary(K) of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands(L) in prayer,
    I hide(M) my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.(N)

Your hands(O) are full of blood!(P)

16 Wash(Q) and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;(R)
    stop doing wrong.(S)
17 Learn to do right;(T) seek justice.(U)
    Defend the oppressed.[a](V)
Take up the cause of the fatherless;(W)
    plead the case of the widow.(X)

18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”(Y)
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;(Z)
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.(AA)
19 If you are willing and obedient,(AB)
    you will eat the good things of the land;(AC)
20 but if you resist and rebel,(AD)
    you will be devoured by the sword.”(AE)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(AF)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:17 Or justice. / Correct the oppressor

27 The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?

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27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable(A)
    how much more so when brought with evil intent!(B)

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God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.

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In the council(A) of the holy ones(B) God is greatly feared;
    he is more awesome than all who surround him.(C)

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I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.

I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.

10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:

15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?

17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and casteth my words behind thee.

18 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.

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I bring no charges(A) against you concerning your sacrifices
    or concerning your burnt offerings,(B) which are ever before me.
I have no need of a bull(C) from your stall
    or of goats(D) from your pens,(E)
10 for every animal of the forest(F) is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.(G)
11 I know every bird(H) in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields(I) are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
    for the world(J) is mine, and all that is in it.(K)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?

14 “Sacrifice thank offerings(L) to God,
    fulfill your vows(M) to the Most High,(N)
15 and call(O) on me in the day of trouble;(P)
    I will deliver(Q) you, and you will honor(R) me.”

16 But to the wicked person, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws
    or take my covenant(S) on your lips?(T)
17 You hate(U) my instruction
    and cast my words behind(V) you.
18 When you see a thief, you join(W) with him;
    you throw in your lot with adulterers.(X)

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15 And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

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15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.”(A) And Joshua did so.

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And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

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“Do not come any closer,”(A) God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”(B)

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26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

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26 If we deliberately keep on sinning(A) after we have received the knowledge of the truth,(B) no sacrifice for sins is left,

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22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? what shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

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22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God(A) by humiliating those who have nothing?(B) What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you?(C) Certainly not in this matter!

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