<p class="bodytext">The king ordered all the people, &#8220;Observe the Passover of the <sc>Lordsc> your God, as prescribed in this scroll of the covenant.&#8221;

And now you are planning<n id="1" /> to enslave<n id="2" /> the people<n id="3" /> of Judah and Jerusalem. Yet are you not also guilty before the <sc>Lordsc> your God?

<p class="poetry">Tell those who panic,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Be strong! Do not fear!p> <p class="poetry">Look, your God comes to avenge!p> <p class="poetry">With divine retribution he comes to deliver you.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God;p> <p class="poetry">your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Show the <sc>Lordsc> your God the respect that is due him.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Do it before he brings the darkness of disaster.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Do it before you stumble<n id="3" /> into distressp> <p class="poetry">like a traveler on the mountains at twilight.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Do it before he turns the light of deliverance you hope forp> <p class="poetry">into the darkness and gloom of exile.<n id="5" />p>

But correct the way you have been living and do what is right.<n id="1" /> Obey the <sc>Lordsc> your God. If you do, the <sc>Lordsc> will forgo destroying you as he threatened he would.<n id="2" />

I said to them, &#8220;Each of you must get rid of the detestable idols you keep before you,<n id="1" /> and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the <sc>Lordsc> your God.&#8221;

<p class="poetry">Get dressed<n id="1" /> and lament, you priests!p> <p class="poetry">Wail, you who minister at the altar!p> <p class="poetry">Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you servants of my God,p> <p class="poetry">because no one brings grain offerings or drink offeringsp> <p class="poetry">to the temple of your God anymore.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Announce a holy fast;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">proclaim a sacred assembly.p> <p class="poetry">Gather the elders and<n id="2" /> all the inhabitants of the landp> <p class="poetry">to the temple of the <sc>Lordsc> your God,p> <p class="poetry">and cry out to the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="poetry">Citizens of Zion,<n id="1" /> rejoice!p> <p class="poetry">Be glad because of what the <sc>Lordsc> your God has done!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For he has given to you the early rains<n id="3" /> as vindication.p> <p class="poetry">He has sent<n id="4" /> to you the rains &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">both the early and the late rains<n id="5" /> as formerly.p>

<p class="poetry">You will have plenty to eat,p> <p class="poetry">and your hunger will be fully satisfied;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you will praise the name of the <sc>Lordsc> your God,p> <p class="poetry">who has acted wondrously in your behalf.p> <p class="poetry">My people will never again be put to shame.p>

<p class="poetry">You will be convinced that I am in the midst of Israel.p> <p class="poetry">I am the <sc>Lordsc> your God; there is no other.p> <p class="poetry">My people will never again be put to shame.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">You will be convinced<n id="1" /> that I the <sc>Lordsc> am your God,p> <p class="poetry">dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain.p> <p class="poetry">Jerusalem<n id="2" /> will be holy &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">conquering armies<n id="3" /> will no longer pass through it.p>

Then those who are far away<n id="1" /> will come and build the temple of the <sc>Lordsc> so that you may know that the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all has sent me to you. This will all come to pass if you completely obey the voice of the <sc>Lordsc> your God.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;p>

know for certain that the <sc>Lordsc> our God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. They will trap and ensnare you;<n id="1" /> they will be a whip that tears<n id="2" /> your sides and thorns that blind<n id="3" /> your eyes until you disappear<n id="4" /> from this good land the <sc>Lordsc> your God gave you.p>

But in the same way every faithful promise the <sc>Lordsc> your God made to you has been realized,<n id="1" /> it is just as certain, if you disobey, that the <sc>Lordsc> will bring on you every judgment<n id="2" /> until he destroys you from this good land which the <sc>Lordsc> your God gave you.

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Everything is fine,&#8221;<n id="1" /> the man in charge of Joseph&#8217;s household told them. &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks.<n id="2" /> I had your money.&#8221;<n id="3" /> Then he brought Simeon out to them.p>

&#8220;I have heard the murmurings of the Israelites. Tell them, &#8216;During the evening<n id="1" /> you will eat meat,<n id="2" /> and in the morning you will be satisfied<n id="3" /> with bread, so that you may know<n id="4" /> that I am the <sc>Lordsc> your God.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

for I am the <sc>Lordsc> your God and you are to sanctify yourselves and be holy because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any of the swarming things that creep on the ground,

So I have said to you: You yourselves will possess their land and I myself will give it to you for a possession, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the <sc>Lordsc> your God who has set you apart from the other peoples.<n id="1" />