Therefore do not defile the land that you will inhabit, in which I live, for I the <sc>Lordsc> live among the Israelites.&#8221;p>

I got up during the night, along with a few men who were with me. But I did not tell anyone what my God was putting on my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no animals with me, except for the one<n id="1" /> I was riding.

<t /><p class="poetry">I thought to myself,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I have become much wiser<n id="2" /> than any of my predecessors who ruled<n id="3" /> over Jerusalem;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">I<n id="5" /> have acquired much wisdom and knowledge.&#8221;<n id="6" />p>

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> told Jeremiah,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Tell Baruch,<n id="2" /> &#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> says, &#8220;I am about to tear down what I have built and to uproot what I have planted. I will do this throughout the whole earth.<n id="3" />

As for you, son of man, listen to what I am saying to you: Do not rebel like that rebellious house! Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;&#8216;I will take a sprig<n id="1" /> from the lofty top of the cedar and plant it.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will pluck from the top one of its tender twigs;p> <p class="poetry">I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.p>

<p class="poetry">All the trees of the field will know that I am the <sc>Lord.sc>p> <p class="poetry">I make the high tree low; I raise up the low tree.p> <p class="poetry">I make the green tree wither, and I make the dry tree sprout.p> <p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lord,sc> have spoken, and I will do it!&#8217;&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">&#8220;A son naturally honors his father and a slave respects<n id="1" /> his master. If I am your<n id="2" /> father, where is my honor? If I am your master, where is my respect? The <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all asks you this, you priests who make light of my name! But you reply, &#8216;How have we made light of your name?&#8217;

<p class="bodytext">And God said, &#8220;This is the guarantee<n id="1" /> of the covenant I am making<n id="2" /> with you<n id="3" /> and every living creature with you, a covenant<n id="4" /> for all subsequent<n id="5" /> generations:

that I will take nothing<n id="1" /> belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal. That way you can never say, &#8216;It is I<n id="2" /> who made Abram rich.&#8217;

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> said<n id="1" /> to him, &#8220;I am the <sc>Lordsc><n id="2" /> who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans<n id="3" /> to give you this land to possess.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">When Esau heard<n id="1" /> his father&#8217;s words, he wailed loudly and bitterly.<n id="2" /> He said to his father, &#8220;Bless me too, my father!&#8221;

Esau said to his father, &#8220;Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!&#8221;<n id="1" /> Then Esau wept loudly.<n id="2" />p>

Then God said to him, &#8220;I am the sovereign God.<n id="1" /> Be fruitful and multiply! A nation &#8211; even a company of nations &#8211; will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants!<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">When the chief baker saw that the interpretation of the first dream was favorable,<n id="1" /> he said to Joseph, &#8220;I also appeared in my dream and there were three baskets of white bread<n id="2" /> on my head.

Pharaoh also said to Joseph, &#8220;I am Pharaoh, but without your permission<n id="1" /> no one<n id="2" /> will move his hand or his foot<n id="3" /> in all the land of Egypt.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">Joseph said to his brothers, &#8220;I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?&#8221; His brothers could not answer him because they were dumbfounded before him.

Joseph said to his brothers, &#8220;Come closer to me,&#8221; so they came near. Then he said, &#8220;I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

<p class="bodytext">Then he instructed them,<n id="1" /> &#8220;I am about to go<n id="2" /> to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.

I<n id="1" /> have also heard<n id="2" /> the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving,<n id="3" /> and I have remembered my covenant.<n id="4" />