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13 Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with pleasure.

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13 Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears.(A) You weep and wail(B) because he no longer looks with favor(C) on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands.(D)

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11 “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?”
    says the Lord.
“I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams
    and the fat of fattened cattle.
I get no pleasure from the blood
    of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to worship me,
    who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?
13 Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts;
    the incense of your offerings disgusts me!
As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath
    and your special days for fasting—
they are all sinful and false.
    I want no more of your pious meetings.
14 I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals.
    They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!
15 When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look.
    Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen,
    for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.

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11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
    what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
    of rams and the fat of fattened animals;(A)
I have no pleasure(B)
    in the blood of bulls(C) and lambs and goats.(D)
12 When you come to appear before me,
    who has asked this of you,(E)
    this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!(F)
    Your incense(G) is detestable(H) to me.
New Moons,(I) Sabbaths and convocations(J)
    I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon(K) feasts and your appointed festivals(L)
    I hate with all my being.(M)
They have become a burden to me;(N)
    I am weary(O) of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands(P) in prayer,
    I hide(Q) my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.(R)

Your hands(S) are full of blood!(T)

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12 When they fast, I will pay no attention. When they present their burnt offerings and grain offerings to me, I will not accept them. Instead, I will devour them with war, famine, and disease.”

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12 Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry;(A) though they offer burnt offerings(B) and grain offerings,(C) I will not accept(D) them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword,(E) famine(F) and plague.”(G)

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20 There’s no use offering me sweet frankincense from Sheba.
    Keep your fragrant calamus imported from distant lands!
I will not accept your burnt offerings.
    Your sacrifices have no pleasing aroma for me.”

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20 What do I care about incense from Sheba(A)
    or sweet calamus(B) from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;(C)
    your sacrifices(D) do not please me.”(E)

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Again, I observed all the oppression that takes place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them. The oppressors have great power, and their victims are helpless.

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Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness

Again I looked and saw all the oppression(A) that was taking place under the sun:

I saw the tears of the oppressed—
    and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
    and they have no comforter.(B)

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The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked,
    but he delights in the prayers of the upright.

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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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34 When God began killing them,
    they finally sought him.
    They repented and took God seriously.
35 Then they remembered that God was their rock,
    that God Most High[a] was their redeemer.
36 But all they gave him was lip service;
    they lied to him with their tongues.
37 Their hearts were not loyal to him.
    They did not keep his covenant.

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Footnotes

  1. 78:35 Hebrew El-Elyon.

34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek(A) him;
    they eagerly turned to him again.
35 They remembered that God was their Rock,(B)
    that God Most High was their Redeemer.(C)
36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,(D)
    lying to him with their tongues;
37 their hearts were not loyal(E) to him,
    they were not faithful to his covenant.

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Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

10 And Nehemiah[a] continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

11 And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.” 12 So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

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Footnotes

  1. 8:10 Hebrew he.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites(A) who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.”(B) For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing(C) prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy(D) of the Lord is your strength.”

11 The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.”

12 Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy,(E) because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

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19 But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying.

20 Her brother Absalom saw her and asked, “Is it true that Amnon has been with you? Well, my sister, keep quiet for now, since he’s your brother. Don’t you worry about it.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in her brother Absalom’s house.

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19 Tamar put ashes(A) on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went.

20 Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman.

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Hannah’s Prayer for a Son

Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle.[a] 10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:9 Hebrew the Temple of the Lord.

Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house.(A) 10 In her deep anguish(B) Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.

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14 I have not eaten any of it while in mourning; I have not handled it while I was ceremonially unclean; and I have not offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God and have done everything you commanded me.

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14 I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean,(A) nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done everything you commanded me.

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Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year for canceling debts is close at hand. If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the Lord, you will be considered guilty of sin.

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Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts,(A) is near,” so that you do not show ill will(B) toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.(C)

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27 The sacrifice of an evil person is detestable,
    especially when it is offered with wrong motives.

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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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