Psalms 81:11-13

81:11 But my people did not obey me; ¹ 

Israel did not submit to me. ² 

81:12 I gave them over to their stubborn desires; ³ 

they did what seemed right to them. ⁴ 

81:13 If only my people would obey me! ⁵ 

If only Israel would keep my commands! ⁶ 

Jeremiah 44:16

44:16 “We will not listen to what you claim the Lord has spoken to us! ⁷ 

Zechariah 7:11

7:11 “But they refused to pay attention, turning away stubbornly and stopping their ears so they could not hear.

Zechariah 7:14

7:14 ‘Rather, I will sweep them away in a storm into all the nations they are not familiar with.’ Thus the land had become desolate because of them, with no one crossing through or returning, for they had made the fruitful ⁸  land a waste.”

Hebrews 12:25

12:25 Take care not to refuse the one who is speaking! For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less shall we, if we reject the one who warns from heaven?

¹ tn Heb “did not listen to my voice.”

² tn The Hebrew expression אָבָה לִי (’avah liy) means “submit to me” (see Deut 13:8).

³ tn Heb “and I sent him away in the stubbornness of their heart.”

⁴ tn Heb “they walked in their counsel.” The prefixed verbal form is either preterite (“walked”) or a customary imperfect (“were walking”).

⁵ tn Heb “if only my people were listening to me.” The Hebrew particle לוּ (lu, “if not”) introduces a purely hypothetical or contrary to fact condition (see 2 Sam 18:12).

⁶ tn Heb “[and if only] Israel would walk in my ways.”

⁷ tn Heb “the word [or message] you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord.” For an explanation of the rendering of “in the name of the Lord” see the study notes on 10:25 and 23:27.

⁸ tn Or “desirable”; traditionally “pleasant” (so many English versions; cf. TEV “This good land”).