For if you return to the <sc>Lordsc>, your brothers and sons will be shown mercy by their captors and return to this land. The <sc>Lordsc> your God is merciful and compassionate; he will not reject you<n id="1" /> if you return to him.&#8221;p>

Who among all the gods of these nations whom my predecessors annihilated was able to rescue his people from my power?<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">Then Nehemiah the governor,<n id="1" /> Ezra the priestly scribe,<n id="2" /> and the Levites who were imparting understanding to the people said to all of them,<n id="3" /> &#8220;This day is holy to the <sc>LORDsc> your God. Do not mourn or weep.&#8221; For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the law.

The Levites &#8211; Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah &#8211; said, &#8220;Stand up and bless the <sc>LORDsc> your God!&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">&#8220;May you be blessed, O <sc>LORDsc> our God, from age to age.<n id="1" /> May your glorious name<n id="2" /> be blessed; may it be lifted up above all blessing and praise.

<p class="poetry">Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion!p> <p class="poetry">Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Shout, don&#8217;t be afraid!p> <p class="poetry">Say to the towns of Judah,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Here is your God!&#8221;p>

The prophet Jeremiah answered them, &#8220;Agreed!<n id="1" /> I will indeed pray to the <sc>Lordsc> your God as you have asked. I will tell you everything the <sc>Lordsc> replies in response to you.<n id="2" /> I will not keep anything back from you.&#8221;

You are making a fatal mistake.<n id="1" /> For you sent me to the <sc>Lordsc> your God and asked me, &#8216;Pray to the <sc>Lordsc> our God for us. Tell us what the <sc>Lordsc> our God says and we will do it.&#8217;<n id="2" />

and say to them:p> <p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: On the day I chose Israel I swore<n id="1" /> to the descendants<n id="2" /> of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I swore<n id="3" /> to them, &#8220;I am the <sc>Lordsc> your God.&#8221;

<p class="poetry">Return to the <sc>Lordsc> your God,p> <p class="poetry">for he is merciful and compassionate,p> <p class="poetry">slow to anger and boundless in loyal love<n id="1" /> &#8211; often relenting from calamitous punishment.<n id="2" />p>

As for that prophet or dreamer,<n id="1" /> he must be executed because he encouraged rebellion against the <sc>Lordsc> your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, redeeming you from that place of slavery, and because he has tried to entice you from the way the <sc>Lordsc> your God has commanded you to go. In this way you must purge out evil from within.<n id="2" />p>

until the <sc>Lordsc> gives your brothers a place like yours to settle and they conquer the land the <sc>Lordsc> your God is ready to hand over to them. Then you may go back to your allotted land and occupy the land Moses the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s servant assigned you east of the Jordan.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Look, today I am about to die.<n id="1" /> You know with all your heart and being<n id="2" /> that not even one of all the faithful promises the <sc>Lordsc> your God made to you is left unfulfilled; every one was realized &#8211; not one promise is unfulfilled!<n id="3" />

Now don&#8217;t let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this. Don&#8217;t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to rescue his people from my power or the power of my predecessors. So how<n id="1" /> can your gods rescue<n id="2" /> you from my power?&#8217;&#8221;p>

He told the Levites, who instructed all Israel about things consecrated to the <sc>Lordsc>, &#8220;Place the holy ark in the temple which King Solomon son of David of Israel built. Don&#8217;t carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the <sc>Lordsc> your God and his people Israel!