“‘ Look, you who make fun of the truth! Wonder and die! I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe. You wouldn’t believe it even if someone told you.’ ”( Habakkuk 1:5)

主说：‘你们这轻慢的人要观看，要惊奇，要灭亡；因为在你们的时候，我行一件事，虽有人告诉你们，你们总是不信。’”

‘要观看，你们这些藐视的人，要惊讶，要灭亡，因为在你们的日子，我行一件事，虽有人告诉你们，你们总是不信。’”

‘要观看，你们这些藐视的人，要惊讶，要灭亡，因为在你们的日子，我行一件事，虽有人告诉你们，你们总是不信。’”

“‘藐视真理的人啊，看吧！你们要在惊惧中灭亡，因为我要在你们的时代行一件事，即使有人告诉你们，你们也不会信。’”

‘傲慢的人哪！你们要看、要惊奇、要灭亡，因为在你们的日子，我要作一件事，就算有人告诉你们，你们总是不信。’”

‘看吧，你们这些好讥诮的人哪！惊奇吧，灭亡吧！因为在你们的时代里，我要做一件事，就算有人向你们详细说明，你们也绝不会相信。’”

主說：你們這輕慢的人要觀看，要驚奇，要滅亡；因為在你們的時候，我行一件事，雖有人告訴你們，你們總是不信。」

『要觀看，你們這些藐視的人，要驚訝，要滅亡，因為在你們的日子，我行一件事，雖有人告訴你們，你們總是不信。』」

『要觀看，你們這些藐視的人，要驚訝，要滅亡，因為在你們的日子，我行一件事，雖有人告訴你們，你們總是不信。』」

『藐視真理的人啊，看吧！你們要在驚懼中滅亡，因為我要在你們的時代行一件事，即使有人告訴你們，你們也不會信。』」

‘傲慢的人哪！你們要看、要驚奇、要滅亡，因為在你們的日子，我要作一件事，就算有人告訴你們，你們總是不信。’”

「藐視的人哪，你們要看，要希奇，要滅沒！因為當你們的日子、我作一件事，若有人向你們詳敘了，你們也總不信的！」』

『看吧，你們這些好譏誚的人哪！驚奇吧，滅亡吧！因為在你們的時代裡，我要做一件事，就算有人向你們詳細說明，你們也絕不會相信。』」

曰、藐忽者乎、爾其視之、且駭且亡、蓋於爾之時、我方有為、人雖告爾、爾必不信、○

其言曰、藐忽者乎、當爾之時、我將有所為、使爾見之、奇而駭絕、雖有人告爾、爾亦不信也、

其言曰、藐忽者乎、爾視之而驚駭滅亡、因爾在時、我將行一事、雖有人告爾、爾亦不信也、○

「傲慢不恭者、始見之、繼駭之、終之歸於淪滅。蓋當爾之日、吾之所行、雖有人為爾諄諄、爾亦必聽之藐藐也。』

“‘ Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’”

“‘ Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’”

‘ Look, you mockers, be amazed and die! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.’”

Look, you scoffers, marvel and vanish away, because I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will never believe, even if someone were to explain it to you.”

‘ Look, you scoffers, and be astonished, and perish; For I am accomplishing a work in your days, A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.’ ”

‘ Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days, A work which you will by no means believe, Though one were to declare it to you.’”

Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; For I work a work in your days, A work which ye shall in no wise believe, if one declare it unto you.

Look, you scoffers, marvel and vanish away, because I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will never believe, even if someone were to explain it to you.”

Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

‘ Look, you scoffers; be amazed and perish! For I am doing a work in your days, a work you would never believe, even if someone tells you.’”

‘ Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which you will in no way believe, if one declares it to you.’”

The Lord replies,“ Look at the nations. Watch them. Be totally amazed at what you see. I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe. You would not believe it even if someone told you about it.

It is time for judgment to begin with the household of God. And since it begins with us, what will happen to people who don’t obey God’s good news?

What should we say then? The people of Israel did not receive what they wanted so badly. Those Israelites who were chosen did receive it. But the rest of the people were made stubborn.It is written,“ God made it hard for them to understand. He gave them eyes that could not see. He gave them ears that could not hear. And they are still like that today.”( Deuteronomy 29:4; Isaiah 29:10)David says,“ Let their feast be a trap and a snare. Let them trip and fall. Let them get what’s coming to them.Let their eyes grow dark so they can’t see. Let their backs be bent forever.”( Psalm 69:22, 23)Again, here is what I ask. The Israelites didn’t trip and fall once and for all time, did they? Not at all! Because Israel sinned, the Gentiles can be saved. That will make Israel jealous of them.Israel’s sin brought riches to the world. Their loss brings riches to the Gentiles. So then what greater riches will come when all Israel turns to God!I am talking to you who are not Jews. I am the apostle to the Gentiles. So I take pride in the work I do for God and others.I hope somehow to stir up my own people to want what you have. Perhaps I can save some of them.

“ He will destroy those evil people,” they replied.“ Then he will rent the vineyard out to other renters. They will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”Jesus said to them,“ Haven’t you ever read what the Scriptures say,“‘ The stone the builders didn’t accept has become the most important stone of all. The Lord has done it. It is wonderful in our eyes’?( Psalm 118:22, 23)“ So here is what I tell you. The kingdom of God will be taken away from you. It will be given to people who will produce its fruit.Anyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on.”

You will say,“ How I hated to take advice! How my heart refused to be corrected!

So I am sending you prophets, wise people, and teachers. You will kill some of them. You will nail some to a cross. Others you will whip in your synagogues. You will chase them from town to town.So you will pay for all the godly people’s blood spilled on earth. I mean from the blood of godly Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berekiah. Zechariah was the one you murdered between the temple and the altar.What I’m about to tell you is true. All this will happen to those who are now living.“ Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and throw stones in order to kill those who are sent to you. Many times I have wanted to gather your people together. I have wanted to be like a hen who gathers her chicks under her wings. And you would not let me!Look, your house is left empty.

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those following him,“ What I’m about to tell you is true. In Israel I have not found anyone whose faith is so strong.I say to you that many will come from the east and the west. They will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of heaven. They will sit with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Suppose someone did not obey the law of Moses. And suppose two or three witnesses made charges against them. That person would die without mercy.People who deserve even more punishment include those who have hated the Son of God. They include people who have said no to him. They include people who have treated as unholy the blood of the covenant that makes them holy. They also include people who have disrespected the Holy Spirit who brings God’s grace. Don’t you think people like this should be punished more than anyone else?We know the God who said,“ I am the God who judges people. I will pay them back.”( Deuteronomy 32:35) Scripture also says,“ The Lord will judge his people.”( Deuteronomy 32:36; Psalm 135:14)

“ A time is coming when you will see armies surround Jerusalem. Then you will know that it will soon be destroyed.Those who are in Judea should then escape to the mountains. Those in the city should get out. Those in the country should not enter the city.This is the time when God will punish Jerusalem. Everything will come true, just as it has been written.How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women! How awful for nursing mothers! There will be terrible suffering in the land. There will be great anger against those people.Some will be killed by the sword. Others will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be taken over by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles come to an end.“ There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. The nations of the earth will be in terrible pain. They will be puzzled by the roaring and tossing of the sea.Terror will make people faint. They will be worried about what is happening in the world. The sun, moon and stars will be shaken from their places.

This is what the Lord has commanded us to do. He said,“‘ I have made you a light for the Gentiles. You will bring salvation to the whole earth.’ ”( Isaiah 49:6)

The Pharisees loved money. They heard all that Jesus said and made fun of him.

The king became very angry. He sent his army to destroy them. They killed those murderers and burned their city.“ Then the king said to his slaves,‘ The wedding dinner is ready. But those I invited were not fit to come.So go to the street corners. Invite to the dinner anyone you can find.’So the slaves went out into the streets. They gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good. Soon the wedding hall was filled with guests.

He said,“ I wish you had known today what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.The days will come when your enemies will arrive. They will build a wall of dirt up against your city. They will surround you and close you in on every side.You didn’t recognize the time when God came to you. So your enemies will smash you to the ground. They will destroy you and all the people inside your walls. They will not leave one stone on top of another.”

Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’( Deuteronomy 18:15, 18, 19)

I’m talking about the mystery God showed me. I have already written a little about it.By reading about this mystery, you will be able to understand what I know. You will know about the mystery of Christ.The mystery was not made known to people of other times. But now the Holy Spirit has made this mystery known to God’s holy apostles and prophets.Here is the mystery. Because of the good news, God’s promises are for Gentiles as well as for Jews. Both groups are parts of one body. They share in the promise. It belongs to them because they belong to Christ Jesus.I now serve the good news because God gave me his grace. His power is at work in me.I am by far the least important of all the Lord’s holy people. But he gave me the grace to preach to the Gentiles about the unlimited riches that Christ gives.

“ Then the Lord said to me,‘ Go. I will send you far away to people who are not Jews.’ ”

Flames of fire burn up straw. Dry grass sinks down into those flames. Evil people will be like plants whose roots rot away. They will be like flowers that are blown away like dust. That’s because they have said no to the law of the Lord who rules over all. They have turned against the message of the Holy One of Israel.

My chosen ones will use your names when they curse others. I am your Lord and King. I will put you to death. But I will give new names to those who serve me.

They try to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles. These Jews don’t want the Gentiles to be saved. In this way, these Jews always increase their sins to the limit. God’s anger has come on them at last.

After the 62‘ weeks,’ the Anointed King will be put to death. His followers will desert him. And everything he has will be taken away from him. The army of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the temple. The end will come like a flood. War will continue until the end. The Lord has ordered that many places be destroyed.A covenant will be put into effect with many people for one‘ week.’ In the middle of the‘ week’ sacrifices and offerings will come to an end. And at the temple a hated thing that destroys will be set up. It will remain until that ruler who will come is destroyed. Then he will experience what the Lord has ordered.”

That word contains the mystery that has been hidden for many ages. But now it has been made known to the Lord’s people.God has chosen to make known to them the glorious riches of that mystery. He has made it known among the Gentiles. And here is what it is. Christ is in you. He is your hope of glory.

But you refuse to listen when I call out to you. No one pays attention when I reach out my hand.You turn away from all my advice. And you do not accept my warning.So I will laugh at you when you are in danger. I will make fun of you when hard times come.I will laugh when hard times hit you like a storm. I will laugh when danger comes your way like a windstorm. I will make fun of you when suffering and trouble come.“ Then you will call to me. But I won’t answer. You will look for me. But you won’t find me.You hated knowledge. You didn’t choose to have respect for the Lord.You wouldn’t accept my advice. You turned your backs on my warnings.So you will eat the fruit of the way you have lived. You will choke on the fruit of what you have planned.“ The wrong path that childish people take will kill them. Foolish people will be destroyed by being satisfied with the way they live.

Listen to the Lord’ s message, you who make fun of the truth. Listen, you who rule over these people in Jerusalem.You brag,“ We have entered into a covenant with the place of the dead. We have made an agreement with the grave. When a terrible plague comes to punish us, it can’t touch us. That’s because we depend on lies to keep us safe. We hide behind what isn’t true.”So the Lord and King speaks. He says,“ Look! I am laying a stone in Zion. It is a stone that has been tested. It is the most important stone for a firm foundation. The one who depends on that stone will never be shaken.I will use a measuring line to prove that you have not been fair. I will use a plumb line to prove that you have not done what is right. Hail will sweep away the lies you depend on to keep you safe. Water will flood your hiding place.Your covenant with death will be called off. The agreement you made with the place of the dead will not stand. When the terrible plague comes to punish you, you will be struck down by it.As often as it comes, it will carry you away. Morning after morning, day and night, it will come to punish you.” If you understand this message, it will bring you absolute terror.You will be like someone whose bed is too short to lie down on. You will be like those whose blankets are too small to wrap themselves in.The Lord will rise up to judge, just as he did at Mount Perazim. He will get up to act, just as he did in the Valley of Gibeon. He’ll do his work, but it will be strange work. He’ll carry out his task, but it will be an unexpected one.Now stop making fun of me. If you don’t, your chains will become heavier. The Lord who rules over all has spoken to me. The Lord has told me he has ordered that the whole land be destroyed.

The people stood there watching. The rulers even made fun of Jesus. They said,“ He saved others. Let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”

We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place. He says Jesus will change the practices that Moses handed down to us.”