So Abram said to Lot, “There should be no arguing between you and me or between your people and my people. We are all brothers.

Then the king of Sodom told Abram, “Give me my people who were captured. But you can keep everything else.”

“No, sir. Here in front of my people, I give you that land and the cave on it so that you can bury your wife.”

But my master said to me, ‘I serve the Lord, and he will send his angel with you and help you. You will find a wife for my son among my people there.

I was kidnapped and taken from the land of my people, the Hebrews. I have done nothing wrong! I should not be in prison.”

Then Israel gave them a command. He said, “When I die, I want to be with my people. I want to be buried with my ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.

Then the Lord said, “I have seen the troubles my people have suffered in Egypt, and I have heard their cries when the Egyptians hurt them. I know about their pain.

Now I will go down and save my people from the Egyptians. I will take them from that land and lead them to a good land where they can be free from these troubles. It is a land filled with many good things. Many different people live in that land: the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

So now I am sending you to Pharaoh. Go! Lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

Moses Leaves Midian

Then Moses went back to Jethro, his father-in-law. Moses said to him, “Please let me go back to Egypt. I want to see if my people are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh

After Moses and Aaron talked to the people, they went to Pharaoh and said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go into the desert so that they can have a festival to honor me.’”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. I will use my great power against him, and he will let my people go. He will be so ready for them to leave that he will force them to go.”

You will be my people and I will be your God. I am the Lord your God, and you will know that I made you free from Egypt.

Aaron and Moses were from this tribe. And they are the men the Lord spoke to and said, “Lead my people out of Israel in groups.”

But he will still refuse to listen. So then I will punish Egypt very much. And I will lead my army, my people, out of that land.

I will punish the people of Egypt, and they will learn that I am the Lord. Then I will lead my people out of their country.”

Then the Lord told Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that the Lord says, ‘Let my people go to worship me!

If you refuse to let my people go, then I will fill Egypt with frogs.

Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Ask the Lord to remove the frogs from me and my people. I will let the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

The Flies

The Lord said to Moses, “Get up in the morning and go to Pharaoh. He will go out to the river. Tell him that the Lord says, ‘Let my people go and worship me!

If you don’t let my people go, then flies will come into your houses. The flies will be on you and your officials. The houses of Egypt will be full of flies. They will be all over the ground too!

But I will not treat the Israelites the same as the Egyptians. There will not be any flies in Goshen, where my people live. In this way you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land.

So tomorrow I will treat my people differently from your people. This will be my proof.’”

The Disease of the Farm Animals

Then the Lord told Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him: “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, ‘Let my people go to worship me!’

The Hail

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up in the morning and go to Pharaoh. Tell him that the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, ‘Let my people go to worship me!

You are still against my people. You are not letting them go free.

Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, “This time I have sinned. The Lord is right, and I and my people are wrong.

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They told him, “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, ‘How long will you refuse to obey me? Let my people go to worship me!

If you refuse to let my people go, then tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country.

Israel Leaves Egypt

So that night Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said to them, “Get up and leave my people. You and your people can do as you say. Go and worship the Lord.

Don’t worship or serve idols of any kind, because I, the Lord, am your God. I hate my people worshiping other gods. People who sin against me become my enemies, and I will punish them. And I will punish their children, their grandchildren, and even their great-grandchildren.

“If you loan money to any of my people, that is, the poor among you, don’t be like a moneylender and charge them interest.

Don’t worship any other god. I am Yahweh Kanah—the jealous Lord. That is my name. I hate for my people to worship other gods.

I will walk with you and be your God. And you will be my people.

You will die in this desert. Every person who is 20 years old or older and was counted as one of my people will die. You complained against me.

But God said to Balaam, “Don’t go with them. You must not curse those people. They are my people.”

“I was so angry with the Israelites that I wanted to kill them. But Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest, has saved them from my anger. He did this by showing that he feels strongly, just as I do, that my people must worship only me.

Don’t worship or serve idols of any kind, because I am the Lord your God. I hate for my people to worship other gods. People who sin against me become my enemies. And I will punish them, and their children, their grandchildren, and even their great-grandchildren.

“‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron to Egypt. I wanted them to bring my people out of Egypt. I caused many terrible things to happen to the people of Egypt. Then I brought your people out of Egypt.

Jephthah answered them, “The Ammonites have been giving us many problems. So my people and I fought against them. I called you, but you didn’t come to help us.

So Samson’s wife went to him and began crying. She said, “You just hate me! You don’t really love me! You told my people a riddle, and you will not tell me the answer.” Samson said to her, “Look, I have not even told my father and mother. So why should I tell you?”

But Ruth said, “Don’t force me to leave you! Don’t force me to go back to my own people. Let me go with you. Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you sleep, I will sleep. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God.

“At this time tomorrow I will send a man to you. He will be from the tribe of Benjamin. You must anoint him and make him the new leader over my people Israel. This man will save my people from the Philistines. I have seen my people suffering, and I have heard their cries for help.”

When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to Samuel, “This is the man I told you about. He will rule my people.”

Now do it! The Lord was talking about David when he said, ‘I will save my people the Israelites from the Philistines and all their other enemies. I will do this through my servant David.’”

Even when Saul was our king, you were the one who led us into battle. And you were the one who brought Israel back home from war. The Lord himself said to you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people, the Israelites. You will be the ruler over Israel.’”

“You must say this to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: I chose you while you were out in the pasture following the sheep. I took you from that job and made you the leader of my people, the Israelites.

And I chose a place for my people, the Israelites. I planted the Israelites. I gave them their own place to live so that they will not have to move from place to place anymore. In the past, I sent judges to lead my people, but evil people gave them many troubles. That will not happen now. I am giving you peace from all of your enemies. I promise that I will make your family a family of kings.

But now the Lord my God has given me peace along all the borders of my country. I have no enemies, and my people are in no danger.

‘I brought my people, Israel, out of Egypt, but I had not yet chosen a city from among the tribes of Israel for a temple to honor me. And I had not chosen a man to be leader over my people, Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem to be the city where I will be honored. And I have chosen David to rule over my people, Israel.’

Go back and tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jeroboam, I chose you from among all the Israelites. I made you the ruler of my people.

“I made you an important prince over my people Israel. But you have done the same things Jeroboam did. You have caused my people Israel to sin. Their sins have made me angry.

Joram sent messengers to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. Joram said, “The king of Moab has broken away from my rule. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” Jehoshaphat said, “Yes, I will go with you. We will join together as one army. My people will be like your people, and my horses will be like your horses.”

“Go back and speak to Hezekiah, the leader of my people. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I heard your prayer and I saw your tears, so I will heal you. On the third day you will go up to the Temple of the Lord.

There will still be a few of my people left, but I will leave them. I will give them to their enemies. Their enemies will take them as prisoners—they will be like the valuable things soldiers take in war.

This is because my people did what I said was wrong. They have made me angry with them since the day their ancestors came up out of Egypt.

In the past you led us in war. You led us even though Saul was the king. The Lord said to you ‘David, you will be the shepherd of my people, the Israelites. You will become the leader over my people.’”

Since the time I brought Israel out of Egypt until now, I have not lived in a house. I have moved around in a tent. I chose people to be special leaders for the Israelites. They were like shepherds for my people. While I was going around in Israel to different places, I never said to any of them: Why haven’t you built a house of cedar wood for me?’

“Now, tell this to my servant David: The Lord All-Powerful says, ‘I took you from the fields and from taking care of the sheep. I made you king of my people Israel.

I am giving this place to my people Israel. They will plant their trees, and they will sit in peace under those trees. They will not be bothered anymore. Evil people will not hurt them as they did at first.

Those bad things happened, but I chose leaders to care for my people Israel. And I will also defeat all your enemies. “‘I tell you that the Lord will build a house for you.

King David stood up and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. In my heart I wanted to build a place to keep the Box of the Lord’s Agreement. I wanted to build a place that would be God’s footstool. And I made the plans for building that house for God.

All these things didn’t come from me and my people. All these things come from you. We are only giving back to you things that came from you.

‘I led Israel out of Egypt long ago. And in all that time, I have not chosen a city from any tribe of Israel for a place to build a house for my name. I have not chosen a man to lead my people, the people of Israel.

But now I have chosen Jerusalem as a place for my name, and I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’

When I close the sky so that there is no rain, or command the locusts to destroy the land, or send sicknesses to my people

and if my people who are called by my name become humble and pray, and look for me, and turn away from their evil ways, then I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Then Queen Esther answered, “King, if you like me and it pleases you, please let me live. And I ask you to let my people live too. This is what I ask for.

I ask this because my people and I have been sold to be destroyed—to be killed and wiped out completely. If we had just been sold as slaves, I would have kept quiet, because that would not be enough of a problem to bother the king.”

I am begging the king because I could not bear to see these terrible things happen to my people. I could not bear to see my family killed.”

Those who are evil treat my people like bread to be eaten. And they never ask for the Lord’s help. Don’t they know what they are doing?

I will tell my people about you. I will praise you in the great assembly.

God says, “My people, listen to me! People of Israel, I will show my evidence against you. I am God, your God.

Those who are evil treat my people like bread to be eaten. And they never ask for God’s help. Don’t they understand what they are doing?

Don’t just kill them, or my people might forget. My Lord and Protector, scatter and defeat them with your strength.

God has spoken in his Temple: “I will win the war and rejoice in victory! I will divide this land among my people. I will give them Shechem. I will give them Succoth Valley.

One of Asaph’s maskils.

My people, listen to my teachings. Listen to what I say.

“My people, I am warning you. Israel, listen to me!

“But my people did not listen to me. Israel did not obey me.

If my people would listen to me and would live the way I want,

I would give the best wheat to my people. I would give them the purest honey, until they were satisfied.”

God says, “Some of my people live in Egypt and Babylon. Some of them were born in Philistia, Tyre, and even Ethiopia.”

Lord, you once spoke in a vision to your followers: “I have made a young soldier strong. From among my people I chose him for an important position.

God has made this promise in his Temple: “I will win the war and rejoice in victory! I will divide this land among my people. I will give them Shechem. I will give them Succoth Valley.

He loves me and protects me. He is my safe place high on the mountain. He rescues me. He is my shield. I trust in him. He helps me rule my people.

A bull knows its master, and a donkey knows where its owner feeds it. But Israel does not know me. My people do not understand.”

Even children will defeat my people, and women will rule over them. My people, your guides lead you the wrong way, and they destroy the path you should follow.

What gives you the right to hurt my people? What gives you the right to push the faces of the poor into the dirt?” The Lord God All-Powerful said this.

My people don’t really know God. So they will be captured and taken away. Everyone, the respected leaders and the common people as well, will be hungry and thirsty.

The Lord God All-Powerful says, “My people living in Zion, don’t be afraid of Assyria! Yes, he will beat you, and it will be just as the time when Egypt beat you with a stick.

I will destroy the king of Assyria in my country. I will walk on him on my mountains. He forced my people to be his slaves; he put a yoke on their necks. But that pole will be taken off Judah’s neck, and that burden will be removed.

But even the poorest of my people will be able to eat safely. And their children will be able to lie down and feel safe. But I will make your family die from hunger, and your enemy will kill anyone who survives.

The Lord All-Powerful will bless these countries. He will say, “Egypt, you are my people. Assyria, I made you. Israel, I own you. You are all blessed!”

My people, you will be like the grain crushed on my threshing floor. I have told you everything I heard from the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel.

But the Lord says, “Your people have died, but they will live again. The bodies of my people will rise from death. Dead people in the ground, stand and be happy! The dew covering you is like the dew sparkling in the light of a new day. It shows that a new time is coming, when the earth will give birth to the dead who are in it.”

Judgment: Reward or Punishment

My people, go into your rooms and lock your doors. Hide in there for a short time until God’s anger is finished.

Many of my people are now lost in Assyria. Some of my people have run away to Egypt. But at that time a great trumpet will be blown, and all those people will come back to Jerusalem. They will bow down before the Lord on that holy mountain.

Cry for the land of my people. Cry because only thorns and weeds will grow there. Cry for the city and for all the houses that were once filled with joy.

My people will be safe in their homes and in their calm, peaceful fields.

Israel’s Punishment Will End

Your God says, “Comfort, comfort my people.

Then I will lead the blind along a path they never knew to places where they have never been before. I will change darkness into light for them. I will make the rough ground smooth. I will do these things for them; I will not abandon my people.

My people see what they should do, but they do not obey me. They can hear with their ears, but they refuse to listen to me.”

I will tell the north: Give my people to me. I will tell the south: Don’t keep my people in prison. Bring my sons and daughters to me from the faraway places.

I was right to give power to Cyrus, and I will make his work easy. He will rebuild my city, and he will set my people free without bribes or payment.” The Lord All-Powerful said this.

“My people say, ‘God saves us. His name is the Lord All-Powerful, the Holy One of Israel.’”

“I was angry with my people. They were mine, but I turned against them. I let you punish them, but you showed them no mercy. Even for those who were old you made the work hard.

You said, ‘I will live forever. I will always be the queen.’ You didn’t care what you did to my people. You didn’t think about what might happen later.

“Jacob, listen to me! Israel, I called you to be my people. So listen to me! I am the Beginning, and I am the End.

My people, leave Babylon! My people, run from the Chaldeans! Tell the news with joy. Spread the news around the world. Tell them, “The Lord rescued his servant Jacob.”

I will make a road for my people. The mountains will be made flat, and the low roads will be raised.

“My people, listen to me! My decisions will be like lights showing people how to live.

“My servant, I gave you the words I want you to say, and I covered you with my hands to protect you. I did this to make a new heaven and earth and so that you would say to Israel, ‘You are my people.’”

The Lord God says, “First, my people went down to Egypt and became slaves. Then Assyria made them slaves.

Now look what has happened. Another nation has taken my people,” says the Lord. “That country did not pay to take my people, but they rule over them and laugh at them, and they say bad things about me all the time.” The Lord is the one saying these things.

“This happened so that my people will learn about me. My people will know who I am. My people will know my name, and they will know that I Am He is speaking to them.”

So I will put a memorial stone in my Temple for them. Their name will be remembered in my city! Yes, I will give those eunuchs something better than sons and daughters. I will give them a name that will last forever! They will not be cut off from my people.

The Lord Will Save His People

Clear the road! Clear the road! Make the way clear for my people!

I will not accuse my people forever. I will not always be angry. If I continued to show my anger, then the human spirit, the life I gave them, would die before me.

That’s because I am the Lord and I love justice. I hate stealing and everything that is wrong. So I will give the people what they deserve. I will make an agreement with my people forever.

I chose a time to punish people. Now the time has come for me to save and protect my people.

I looked around, but I saw no one to help me. I was surprised that no one supported me. So I used my own power to save my people. My own anger supported me.

He said, “These are my people. These are my real children.” So he saved them.

Then Sharon Valley will be a field for sheep. The Valley of Achor will be a place for cattle to rest. All this will be for my people—for the people who come to me for help.

My people will be happy and rejoice forever and ever because of what I will make. I will make a Jerusalem that is full of joy, and I will make her people happy.

“Then I will rejoice with Jerusalem. I will be happy with my people. There will never again be crying and sadness in that city.

Never again will one person build a house and another person live there. Never again will one person plant a garden and another eat the fruit from it. My people will live as long as the trees. My chosen people will get full use of whatever they make.

Never again will a woman suffer childbirth and have her baby die. Women will not fear childbirth. I, the Lord, will bless all my people and their children.

And I will announce judgment against my people, because they are evil and have turned away from me. They offered sacrifices to other gods and worshiped idols they made with their own hands.

Has any nation ever stopped worshiping their old gods so that they could worship new gods? No! And their gods are not really gods at all! But my people stopped worshiping their glorious God and started worshiping idols that are worth nothing.

“My people have done two evil things. They turned away from me, and they dug their own water cisterns. I am the source of living water; those cisterns are broken and cannot hold water.

People of this generation, pay attention to the Lord’s message! “Have I been like a desert to the people of Israel? Have I been like a dark and dangerous land to them? My people say, ‘We are free to go our own way. We will not come back to you!’ Why do they say these things?

A young woman does not forget her jewelry. A bride does not forget to wear her wedding dress. But my people have forgotten me too many times to count.

At that time this message will be given to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “A hot wind blows from the bare hills. It comes from the desert to my people. It is not like the gentle wind that is used to separate the grain from the chaff.

The Lord said, “My people are foolish. They don’t know me. They are stupid children. They don’t understand. They are skillful at doing evil, but they don’t know how to do good.”

There are evil men among my people. They are like men who make nets for catching birds. They set their traps, but they catch people instead of birds.

The prophets tell lies. The priests will not do what they were chosen to do, and my people love it this way! But what will you people do when your punishment comes?

They should bandage the wounds my people have suffered, but they treat their wounds like small scratches. They say, ‘It’s all right, everything is all right.’ But it is not all right!

My people, put on sackcloth and roll in the ashes. Cry loudly for the dead. Cry as if you lost an only son. Do this because the destroyer will come against us very quickly.

“Jeremiah, I want you to be like a worker who tests metals. You will test my people and watch how they live.

My people have turned against me, and they are very stubborn. They say bad things about people. They are like bronze and iron that are covered with rust and tarnish.

They are like a worker who tried to make silver pure. The bellows blew strongly, and the fire became hotter, but only lead came from the fire. The worker wasted his time trying to make that silver pure. In the same way the evil was not removed from my people.

My people will be called ‘Rejected Silver.’ They will be given that name because the Lord did not accept them.”

I only gave them this command: ‘Obey me and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do all that I command, and good things will happen to you.’

Even the birds in the sky know the right time to do things. The storks, doves, swifts, and thrushes know when it is time to fly to a new home. But my people don’t know what the Lord wants them to do.

They should bandage the wounds my people have suffered, but they treat their wounds like small scratches. They say, “It’s all right, everything is all right.” But it is not all right!

Listen to my people. Everywhere in this country, people are crying for help. They say, “Is the Lord still at Zion? Is Zion’s King still there?” But God says, “The people of Judah worshiped their worthless foreign idols. That made me very angry! Why did they do that?”

My people are hurt, so I am hurt. I am too sad to speak.

Surely there is some medicine in Gilead. Surely there is a doctor in Gilead. So why are the wounds of my people not healed?

If my head were filled with water, and if my eyes were a fountain of tears, I would cry day and night for my people who have been destroyed.

If only I had a place in the desert— a house where travelers spend the night— so I could leave my people. I could go away from them, because they are all unfaithful to God. They have all turned against him.

So the Lord All-Powerful says, “A worker heats metal in a fire to test it and see if it is pure. I will test the people of Judah like that. I have no other choice. My people have sinned.

I am talking about the agreement I made with your ancestors when I brought them out of that furnace called Egypt.’ At that time I told them, ‘Listen to me and obey all the commands I give you. Then you will be my people and I will be your God.’

I want these people to learn their lessons well. In the past they taught my people to use Baal’s name to make promises. Now, I want them to learn to use my name. I want them to say, ‘As the Lord lives ….’ If they do that, I will allow them to be successful, and I will let them live among my people.

A loincloth is wrapped tightly around a man’s waist. In the same way, I wrapped the family of Israel and the family of Judah around me.” This message is from the Lord. “I did that so that they would be my people and bring me fame, praise, and honor. But my people did not listen to me.”

I will separate the people of Judah with my pitchfork. I will scatter them at the city gates of the land. My people have not changed, so I will destroy them. I will take away their children.

But my people have forgotten me. They burn offerings to worthless idols. They have left the right way that their ancestors followed, and they stumble on the path they have chosen. Instead of staying on the good road I showed them, they prefer to walk on bumpy paths.

Like a strong east wind, I will scatter my people. I will use their enemies to scatter them like dust. When disaster comes upon them, they will see me leaving, not coming to help.”

They are responsible for my people. And this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to them: “You shepherds have made my sheep run away in all directions. You have forced them to go away, and you have not taken care of them. But I will take care of you—I will punish you for the evil things you did.” This message is from the Lord:

They are trying to make the people of Judah forget my name by telling each other these false dreams. They are trying to make my people forget me, just as their ancestors forgot me and worshiped the false god Baal.

I am against the false prophets who tell false dreams.” This message is from the Lord. “They mislead my people with their lies and false teachings. I did not send them to teach the people. I never commanded them to do anything for me. They cannot help the people of Judah at all.” This message is from the Lord.

I will make them want to know me. They will know that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will do this because the prisoners in Babylon will turn to me with their whole hearts.”

Because Shemaiah has done that, this is what the Lord says: I will soon punish Shemaiah, the man from the Nehelam family. I will completely destroy his family, and he will not share in the good things I will do for my people.’” This message is from the Lord. “‘I will punish Shemaiah because he has taught the people to turn against the Lord.’”

Do this because the days will come”—this message is from the Lord—“when I will bring my people, Israel and Judah, back from exile.” This message is from the Lord. “I will put the people back in the land that I gave to their ancestors. Then my people will own that land again.”

“At that time,” says the Lord All-Powerful, “I will break the yoke from the necks of the people of Israel and Judah, and I will break the ropes holding you. People from foreign countries will never again force my people to be slaves.

“So Jacob, my servant, don’t be afraid!” This message is from the Lord. “Israel, don’t be afraid. I will save you from that faraway place. You are captives in that faraway land, but I will save your descendants. I will bring them back from that land. Jacob will have peace again. People will not bother Jacob. There will be no enemy to frighten my people.

The Lord says, “One of their own people will lead them. That ruler will come from my people. People can come close to me only if I ask them to. So I will ask that leader to come to me, and he will be close to me.

You will be my people, and I will be your God.”

The New Israel

This is what the Lord said, “At that time I will be the God of all the tribes of Israel. And they will be my people.”

Then the young women of Israel will be happy and dance. And the men, young and old, will join in the dancing. I will change their sadness into happiness. I will comfort my people, making them happy instead of sad.

I will give the priests plenty of food. And my people will be filled and satisfied with the good things I give them.” This message is from the Lord.

“In the future I will make this agreement with the people of Israel.” This message is from the Lord. “I will put my teachings in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says, ‘In the future my people will once again buy houses, fields, and vineyards in the land of Israel.’”

The people of Israel and Judah will be my people, and I will be their God.

“My people have been like lost sheep. Their shepherds led them the wrong way and caused them to wander away into the mountains and hills. They forgot where their resting place was.

Come out of the city of Babylon, my people. Run to save your lives. Run from the Lord’s great anger.

“Don’t be sad, my people. Rumors will spread, but don’t be afraid. One rumor comes this year. Another rumor will come next year. There will be rumors about terrible fighting in the country. There will be rumors about rulers fighting against other rulers.

My eyes are worn out with tears, and my insides are upset. My heart feels like it has been poured on the ground; I feel this way because of the destruction of my people. Children and babies are fainting in the public squares of the city.

I have become a joke to all my people. All day long they sing songs about me and make fun of me.

My eyes flow with streams of tears. I cry because of the destruction of my people.

Even a wild dog feeds her babies. Even the jackal lets her pups suck at her breast. But the daughter of my people is cruel. She is like the ostrich in the desert that forgets its eggs in the sand.

The sin of the daughter of my people was very great. Their sin was greater than the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed suddenly. No human hand caused their destruction.

Then even nice women cooked their own children. The children were food for their mothers. This happened when my people were destroyed.

“So tell them this: The Lord God says, ‘It is true, I forced my people to go far away to other nations. I did scatter them among many countries. But I will be their temple for a short time while they are in those other countries.

When my people come back, they will destroy all the terrible, filthy idols that are here now.

Then they will obey my laws and my commands. They will do the things I tell them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.’”

“I will punish those prophets whose visions are false and who lie about the future. I will remove them from my people. Their names will not be in the list of the family of Israel. They will never again come to the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord God!

“Again and again those false prophets lied to my people. They said there would be peace, but there is no peace. The people need to fix the walls and prepare for war. But they only slap a thin coat of plaster over the broken walls.

You make them think I am not important. You turn them against me for a few handfuls of barley and a few scraps of bread. You tell lies to my people. They love to listen to lies. You kill those who should live, and you let people live who should die.

And I will tear up those scarves and save my people from your power. They will escape from your trap, and you will know that I am the Lord.

So you will not see any more useless visions or do any more magic. I will save my people from your power, and you will know that I am the Lord.’”

I will turn against them and destroy them. They will be an example to others. People will laugh at them. I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord!

And if a prophet is foolish enough to give his own answer, I, the Lord, will show him how foolish he is! I will use my power against him. I will destroy him and remove him from among my people, Israel.

Why? So that those prophets will stop leading my people away from me, and my people will stop being filthy with sin. Then they will be my special people, and I will be their God.’” This is what the Lord God said.

The father hurts people and steals things. He never does anything good for my people! He will die because of his own sins.

But I did not destroy them. I had already told the Egyptians that I would bring my people out of Egypt. I did not want to ruin my good name, so I did not destroy Israel in front of those other people.

“‘Son of man, shout out and scream because the sword will be used against my people and all the rulers of Israel. They wanted war—so they will be with my people when the sword comes. So slap your thigh to show your sadness,

I will use my people Israel and get even against Edom. In this way the people of Israel will show my anger against Edom. Then the people of Edom will know that I punished them.” This is what the Lord God said.

So they come to you as if they were my people. They sit in front of you as if they were my people. They hear your words, but they will not do the things you say. They only want to do what feels good. They only want to cheat people and make more money.

The Lord God says, “I swear that wild animals will catch my sheep, and my people will become food for all those animals because they did not have any real shepherds. My shepherds did not look out for my flock. They did not feed my flock. No, they only killed the sheep and fed themselves!”

Then they will know that I am the Lord their God. The family of Israel will know that I am with them and that they are my people.” This is what the Lord God said!

“‘Why? Because you have always been against my people. You used your sword against Israel at the time of their trouble, at the time of their final punishment.’”

And the Lord God says, “You were jealous of my people. You were angry and hateful to them. So by my life, I swear that I will punish you the same way you hurt them! I will punish you and let my people know that I am with them.

“But mountains of Israel, you will grow new trees and produce fruit for my people Israel. My people will soon come back.

Yes, I will lead many people—my people, Israel—to your land. You will be their property, and you will not take away their children again.”

Then you will live in the land that I gave to your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God.

So speak to them for me. Tell them this is what the Lord God says: ‘My people, I will open your graves and bring you up out of them! Then I will bring you to the land of Israel.

My people, I will open your graves and bring you up out of your graves, and then you will know that I am the Lord.

And they will no longer continue to make themselves filthy with their idols and horrible statues or with any of their other crimes. Instead, I will save them from all the places where they have sinned, and I will wash them and make them pure. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

They will live on the land that I gave to my servant Jacob. Your ancestors lived in that place, and my people will live there. They and their children and their grandchildren will live there forever. My servant David will be their leader forever.

My Holy Tent will be with them. Yes, I will be their God and they will be my people.

“Son of man, speak to Gog for me. Tell him that this is what the Lord God says: ‘You will come to attack my people while they are living in peace and safety.

You will come to fight against my people Israel. You will be like a thundercloud covering the land. When that time comes, I will bring you to fight against my land. Then, Gog, the nations will learn how powerful I am! They will learn to respect me and know that I am holy. They will see what I will do to you!’”

And I will make my holy name known among my people Israel. I will not let people ruin my holy name anymore. The nations will know that I am the Lord. They will know that I am the Holy One in Israel.

And the nations will know why the family of Israel was carried away as prisoners to other countries. They will learn that my people turned against me, so I turned away from them. I let their enemies defeat them, so my people were killed in battle.

I will bring my people back from other countries. I will gather them from the lands of their enemies. Then many nations will see how holy I am.

I will pour out my Spirit on the family of Israel, and I will never turn away from my people again.” This is what the Lord God said.

“Also, the priests must teach my people the difference between things that are holy and things that are not holy. They must help my people know what is clean and what is unclean.

This land will be the ruler’s property in Israel. So he will not need to make life hard for my people anymore. But they will give the land to the Israelites for their tribes.”

This is what the Lord God said: “Enough, you rulers of Israel! Stop being cruel and stealing things from people! Be fair and do what is right! Stop forcing my people out from their homes!” This is what the Lord God said.

And the ruler will not take any of the people’s land or force them to leave their land. He must give some of his own land to his sons. In that way my people will not be forced to lose their land.”

Then the Lord said, “Name him Lo-Ammi, because you are not my people, and I am not your God.”

The Lord Speaks to the Nation of Israel

“In the future the number of the people of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which you cannot measure or count. In the same place that God told them, ‘You are not my people,’ he will call them ‘children of the Living God.’

“Then you will say to your brothers, ‘You are my people,’ and you will say to your sisters, ‘He has shown mercy to you.’”

I will sow her many seeds on her land. To Lo-Ruhamah, I will show mercy. To Lo-Ammi, I will say, ‘You are my people.’ And they will say to me, ‘You are our God.’”

“My people are destroyed because they have no knowledge. You priests have refused to learn, so I will refuse to let you be priests for me. You have forgotten the law of your God, so I will forget your children.

My people are asking pieces of wood for advice. They think those sticks will answer them! They have chased after those false gods like prostitutes and have left their own God.

Judah, there is also a time of harvest for you. It will happen when I bring my people back from captivity.

“My people expect me to come back. They will call to God above, but he will not help them.”

Then you will have plenty to eat. You will be full. You will praise the name of the Lord your God. He has done wonderful things for you. My people will never again be ashamed.

You will know that I am with Israel. You will know that I am the Lord your God. There is no other God. My people will never be ashamed again.”

I will also gather all the nations together. I will bring all these nations down into Jehoshaphat Valley. There I will judge them. Those nations scattered my people, Israel. They forced them to live in other nations, so I will punish those nations. They divided up my land.

They threw lots for my people. They sold boys to buy a prostitute, and they sold girls to buy wine to drink.

You sent my people to that faraway place, but I will bring them back. And I will punish you for what you did.

Those people killed my people, so I really will punish them!” The Lord God will live in Zion!

The Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said to me, “See, I will put a plumb line among my people Israel. I will not let their ‘crooked ways’ pass inspection anymore.

I was a shepherd and the Lord took me from following the sheep. The Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

He said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me, “The end has come to my people Israel. I will not ignore their sins anymore.

“Sinners among my people say, ‘Nothing bad will happen to us.’ But all of them will be killed with swords.”

I will bring my people, Israel, back from captivity. They will rebuild the ruined cities, and they will live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink the wine they produce. They will plant gardens and eat the crops they produce.

I will plant my people on their land, and never again will they be pulled up out of the land that I gave them.” This is what the Lord your God said.

You should not have entered the city gate of my people and laughed at their problems. You should not have taken their treasures in the time of their trouble.

Samaria’s wound cannot be healed. Her disease has spread to Judah. It has reached the city gate of my people; it has spread all the way to Jerusalem.

But you attack my people like enemies. You steal the clothes off the backs of people walking by. They think they are safe, but you are there to treat them like prisoners of war.

You have taken nice houses away from the women of my people. You have taken my wealth away from their small children forever.

You are destroying my people. You take their skin off them and break their bones. You chop their bones up like meat to put in the pot!

He says, “My people, tell me what I did! Did I do something wrong against you? Did I make life too hard for you?

My people, remember the evil plans of Balak king of Moab. Remember what Balaam son of Beor said to Balak. Remember what happened from Acacia to Gilgal, and you will know the Lord is right!”

This is what the Lord said: “The people of Assyria are at full strength. They have many soldiers, but they will all be cut down. They will all be finished. My people, I made you suffer, but I will make you suffer no more.

The Lord says, “I know what the people of Moab and Ammon did. They embarrassed my people. They took their land to make their own countries larger.

So, as surely as I am alive, Moab and the people of Ammon will be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah. I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, and I promise those countries will be destroyed completely forever. Their land will be overgrown with weeds. It will be like the land covered with salt by the Dead Sea. The survivors of my people will take that land and everything left in it.”