And when I passed by again, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.

“我从你旁边经过，看见你的时候正动爱情，便用衣襟搭在你身上，遮盖你的赤体；又向你起誓，与你结盟，你就归于我。这是主耶和华说的。

“我从你旁边经过看见你，看哪，正是你渴慕爱情的时候，我就用我衣服的边搭在你身上，遮盖你的赤体；又向你起誓，与你立约，你就归我。这是主耶和华说的。

“我从你旁边经过看见你，看哪，正是你渴慕爱情的时候，我就用我衣服的边搭在你身上，遮盖你的赤体；又向你起誓，与你立约，你就归我。这是主耶和华说的。

“‘后来我又从你旁边经过，见你正值少女怀春，我便用衣襟遮盖你的身体，向你起誓，与你定下婚约，你便属于我。这是主耶和华说的。

我又从你身旁经过，见你已经到了谈情说爱的时候，我就用我的衣襟搭在你身上，遮盖你赤裸的身体；我又向你起誓，与你立约，于是你就属于我了。这是主耶和华的宣告。

「我從你旁邊經過，看見你的時候正動愛情，便用衣襟搭在你身上，遮蓋你的赤體；又向你起誓，與你結盟，你就歸於我。這是主耶和華說的。

「我從你旁邊經過看見你，看哪，正是你渴慕愛情的時候，我就用我衣服的邊搭在你身上，遮蓋你的赤體；又向你起誓，與你立約，你就歸我。這是主耶和華說的。

「我從你旁邊經過看見你，看哪，正是你渴慕愛情的時候，我就用我衣服的邊搭在你身上，遮蓋你的赤體；又向你起誓，與你立約，你就歸我。這是主耶和華說的。

「『後來我又從你旁邊經過，見你正值少女懷春，我便用衣襟遮蓋你的身體，向你起誓，與你定下婚約，你便屬於我。這是主耶和華說的。

我又從你身旁經過，見你已經到了談情說愛的時候，我就用我的衣襟搭在你身上，遮蓋你赤裸的身體；我又向你起誓，與你立約，於是你就屬於我了。這是主耶和華的宣告。

『我從你旁邊經過，看了看你，啊，那時正是你愛情發動的時期；我便鋪開我的衣邊到你身上去遮蓋你的裸體；我又向你起誓，與你結盟，主永恆主發神諭說，你就屬於我。

我過而見爾時、乃相愛之際、則以衣襟覆爾、蔽爾裸體、與爾誓約、爾則歸我、主耶和華言之矣、

主耶和華曰、我過而見汝、若女及笄、我以裾覆爾、締結姻盟、于歸乎我。

主天主曰、我從爾旁經過以觀爾、見爾已長、可以于歸、遂以衣裾覆爾、遮爾赤體、向爾發誓、與爾結盟、俾爾歸於我、

“‘ Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.

“‘ “Later, I was passing by again. I looked at you. I saw that you were old enough for love. So I married you and took good care of you. I covered your naked body. I made a firm promise to you. I entered into a covenant with you. And you became mine,” announces the Lord and King.

“ When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine.

“‘ Then I passed by you and saw you, and you were indeed at the age for love. So I spread the edge of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I pledged myself to you, entered into a covenant with you— this is the declaration of the Lord GOD— and you became mine.

“ Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love; so I spread My garment over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine,” declares the Lord God.

“ When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord God.

Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord Jehovah, and thou becamest mine.

“ Then I passed by you and saw you, and you were indeed at the age for love. So I spread the edge of My garment over you and covered your nakedness. I pledged Myself to you, entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time[ was] the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.

“‘ Then I passed by you and watched you, noticing that you had reached the age for love. I spread my cloak over you and covered your nakedness. I swore a solemn oath to you and entered into a marriage covenant with you, declares the sovereign LORD, and you became mine.

“‘“ Now when I passed by you, and looked at you, behold, your time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over you, and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore to you, and entered into a covenant with you,” says the Lord Yahweh,“ and you became mine.

“ Who are you?” he asked.“ I am your servant Ruth,” she replied.“ Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.”

Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.

“ Go and shout this message to Jerusalem. This is what the Lord says:“ I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me even through the barren wilderness.In those days Israel was holy to the Lord, the first of his children. All who harmed his people were declared guilty, and disaster fell on them. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

‘ You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.”So Moses returned from the mountain and called together the elders of the people and told them everything the Lord had commanded him.And all the people responded together,“ We will do everything the Lord has commanded.” So Moses brought the people’s answer back to the Lord.

For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.“ The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations!Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying,‘ I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’”

For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.

“ But I came by and saw you there, helplessly kicking about in your own blood. As you lay there, I said,‘ Live!’

The Lord will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you his very own people.

Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: When I chose Israel— when I revealed myself to the descendants of Jacob in Egypt— I took a solemn oath that I, the Lord, would be their God.I took a solemn oath that day that I would bring them out of Egypt to a land I had discovered and explored for them— a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands anywhere.

Then the Lord instructed Moses:“ Come up here to me, and bring along Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders. All of you must worship from a distance.Only Moses is allowed to come near to the Lord. The others must not come near, and none of the other people are allowed to climb up the mountain with him.”Then Moses went down to the people and repeated all the instructions and regulations the Lord had given him. All the people answered with one voice,“ We will do everything the Lord has commanded.”Then Moses carefully wrote down all the Lord’s instructions. Early the next morning Moses got up and built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.Then he sent some of the young Israelite men to present burnt offerings and to sacrifice bulls as peace offerings to the Lord.Moses drained half the blood from these animals into basins. The other half he splattered against the altar.Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people. Again they all responded,“ We will do everything the Lord has commanded. We will obey.”Then Moses took the blood from the basins and splattered it over the people, declaring,“ Look, this blood confirms the covenant the Lord has made with you in giving you these instructions.”

“ When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt.

“ But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from Abraham my friend,I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying,‘ You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away.

I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love. I will praise the Lord for all he has done. I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel, which he has granted according to his mercy and love.He said,“ They are my very own people. Surely they will not betray me again.” And he became their Savior.In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years.

On that day I will make a covenant with all the wild animals and the birds of the sky and the animals that scurry along the ground so they will not harm you. I will remove all weapons of war from the land, all swords and bows, so you can live unafraid in peace and safety.I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion.I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the Lord.

Long ago the Lord said to Israel:“ I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.

This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.

This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins.But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God.( This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes;he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told,“ Your older son will serve your younger son.”In the words of the Scriptures,“ I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.”

“ I have always loved you,” says the Lord. But you retort,“ Really? How have you loved us?” And the Lord replies,“ This is how I showed my love for you: I loved your ancestor Jacob,