The LORD said to his people:“ You are standing at the crossroads. So consider your path. Ask where the old, reliable paths are. Ask where the path is that leads to blessing and follow it. If you do, you will find rest for your souls.” But they said,“ We will not follow it!”

耶和华如此说：“你们当站在路上察看，访问古道，哪是善道，便行在其间；这样，你们心里必得安息。他们却说：‘我们不行在其间。’

耶和华如此说：“你们当站在路边察看，寻访古老的路，哪里是完善的道路，就行走在其上；这样，你们自己必找到安息。他们却说：‘我们不走。’

耶和华如此说：“你们当站在路边察看，寻访古老的路，哪里是完善的道路，就行走在其上；这样，你们自己必找到安息。他们却说：‘我们不走。’

耶和华说：“你们要站在路口观望，寻访古道，找到正路并行在其上，便会得到心灵的安宁。”但你们却说：“我们拒绝这样做。”

耶和华这样说：“你们要站在路上察看，寻访远古的路径，看哪一条是美善的路，就走在其中；这样，你们心里就必得安息。他们却说：‘我们不走在其中。’

耶和華如此說：你們當站在路上察看，訪問古道，哪是善道，便行在其間；這樣，你們心裏必得安息。他們卻說：我們不行在其間。

耶和華如此說：「你們當站在路邊察看，尋訪古老的路，哪裏是完善的道路，就行走在其上；這樣，你們自己必找到安息。他們卻說：『我們不走。』

耶和華如此說：「你們當站在路邊察看，尋訪古老的路，哪裏是完善的道路，就行走在其上；這樣，你們自己必找到安息。他們卻說：『我們不走。』

耶和華說：「你們要站在路口觀望，尋訪古道，找到正路並行在其上，便會得到心靈的安寧。」但你們卻說：「我們拒絕這樣做。」

耶和華這樣說：“你們要站在路上察看，尋訪遠古的路徑，看哪一條是美善的路，就走在其中；這樣，你們心裡就必得安息。他們卻說：‘我們不走在其中。’

永恆主這麼說：『你們要站在路上察看，訪問往古的路徑，哪一條是好的路，你們便在那上頭行；這樣、你們就得安然。但他們卻說：「我們不在那上頭行。」

耶和華曰、爾宜立道中而觀、訪其古道之善者而行之、如是、則心獲安、惟彼曰、我弗由之、

耶和華曰、當立道旁、訪其舊途、正直者履之、可得平康、人曰、余不欲正直是履。

主曾如是云、爾曹當立道旁以觀、訪其舊途、何為善道則行之、如是可得平康、惟彼云、我儕不欲行、

This is what the Lord says:“ Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said,‘ We will not walk in it.’

The Lord tells the people of Judah,“ Stand where the roads cross, and look around. Ask where the old paths are. Ask for the good path, and walk on it. Then your hearts will find rest in me. But you said,‘ We won’t walk on it.’

Thus says the Lord:“ Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said,‘ We will not walk in it.’

This is what the Lord says:“ Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply,‘ No, that’s not the road we want!’

This is what the LORD says: Stand by the roadways and look. Ask about the ancient paths,“ Which is the way to what is good?” Then take it and find rest for yourselves. But they protested,“ We won’t!”

This is what the Lord says:“ Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find a resting place for your souls. But they said,‘ We will not walk in it.’

Thus says the Lord:“ Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said,‘ We will not walk in it.’

Thus saith Jehovah, Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls: but they said, We will not walk therein.

This is what the Lord says: Stand by the roadways and look. Ask about the ancient paths: Which is the way to what is good? Then take it and find rest for yourselves. But they protested,“ We won’t!”

Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where[ is] the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk[ therein].

Yahweh says,“ Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths,‘ Where is the good way?’ and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said,‘ We will not walk in it.’

Yet my people have forgotten me and offered sacrifices to worthless idols! This makes them stumble along in the way they live and leave the old reliable path of their fathers. They have left them to walk in bypaths, in roads that are not smooth and level.

Remember the ancient days; bear in mind the years of past generations. Ask your father and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you.

You will hear a word spoken behind you, saying,“ This is the correct way, walk in it,” whether you are heading to the right or the left.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

I also explicitly commanded them:“ Obey me. If you do, I will be your God and you will be my people. Live exactly the way I tell you and things will go well with you.”

“ Remember the law of my servant Moses, to whom at Horeb I gave rules and regulations for all Israel to obey.

“ We will not listen to what you claim the LORD has spoken to us!

Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,

While you were feeling secure I gave you warning. But you said,“ I refuse to listen to you.” That is the way you have acted from your earliest history onward. Indeed, you have never paid attention to me.

But Abraham said,‘ They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to them.’

But they just keep saying,‘ We do not care what you say! We will do whatever we want to do! We will continue to behave wickedly and stubbornly!’”

Jesus replied,“ The light is with you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

O descendants of Jacob, come, let us walk in the LORD’s guiding light.

If you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me.But if you do not believe what Moses wrote, how will you believe my words?”

Then you must recall the LORD’s instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen. Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened.

In the past he said to them,“ This is where security can be found. Provide security for the one who is exhausted! This is where rest can be found.” But they refused to listen.

so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.

For by it the people of old received God’s commendation.By faith we understand that the worlds were set in order at God’s command, so that the visible has its origin in the invisible.By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, and through his faith he was commended as righteous, because God commended him for his offerings. And through his faith he still speaks, though he is dead.By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death, and he was not to be found because God took him up. For before his removal he had been commended as having pleased God.Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and he went out without understanding where he was going.By faith he lived as a foreigner in the promised land as though it were a foreign country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirs of the same promise.For he was looking forward to the city with firm foundations, whose architect and builder is God.By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old, he received the ability to procreate, because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy.So in fact children were fathered by one man– and this one as good as dead– like the number of stars in the sky and like the innumerable grains of sand on the seashore.These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth.For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.But as it is, they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises, yet he was ready to offer up his only son.God had told him,“ Through Isaac descendants will carry on your name,”and he reasoned that God could even raise him from the dead, and in a sense he received him back from there.By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future.By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped as he leaned on his staff.By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave instructions about his burial.By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid him for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.By faith, when he grew up, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,choosing rather to be ill- treated with the people of God than to enjoy sin’s fleeting pleasure.He regarded abuse suffered for Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for his eyes were fixed on the reward.By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king’s anger, for he persevered as though he could see the one who is invisible.By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the one who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if on dry ground, but when the Egyptians tried it, they were swallowed up.By faith the walls of Jericho fell after the people marched around them for seven days.By faith Rahab the prostitute escaped the destruction of the disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace.And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets.Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions,quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, put foreign armies to flight,and women received back their dead raised to life. But others were tortured, not accepting release, to obtain resurrection to a better life.And others experienced mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.They were stoned, sawed apart, murdered with the sword; they went about in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, afflicted, ill- treated( the world was not worthy of them); they wandered in deserts and mountains and caves and openings in the earth.And these all were commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised.For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us.Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us,

These Jews were more open- minded than those in Thessalonica, for they eagerly received the message, examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so.

If you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

“ What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said,‘ Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’The boy answered,‘ I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart and went.The father went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered,‘ I will, sir,’ but did not go.Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said,“ The first.” Jesus said to them,“ I tell you the truth, tax collectors and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God!For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although you saw this, you did not later change your minds and believe him.

You study the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me,

What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, has discovered regarding this matter?For if Abraham was declared righteous by the works of the law, he has something to boast about– but not before God.For what does the scripture say?“ Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation.But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness.So even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

Do not chase after other gods until your shoes wear out and your throats become dry. But you say,‘ It is useless for you to try and stop me because I love those foreign gods and want to pursue them!’

Tell me, O you whom my heart loves, where do you pasture your sheep? Where do you rest your sheep during the midday heat? Tell me lest I wander around beside the flocks of your companions!If you do not know, O most beautiful of women, simply follow the tracks of my flock, and pasture your little lambs beside the tents of the shepherds.

And he is also the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised.