God says this to the evildoer:“ How can you declare my commands, and talk about my covenant?

但神对恶人说：“你怎敢传说我的律例，口中提到我的约呢？

但上帝对恶人说：“你怎敢传讲我的律例，口中提到我的约呢？

但神对恶人说：“你怎敢传讲我的律例，口中提到我的约呢？

但上帝对恶人说：“你怎能背诵我的律法，谈论我的约？

但神对恶人说：“你怎么敢述说我的律例，你的口怎么敢提到我的约呢？

但神对恶人说：“你凭什么讲述我的律例，口中提起我的约呢？

但神對惡人說：你怎敢傳說我的律例，口中提到我的約呢？

但上帝對惡人說：「你怎敢傳講我的律例，口中提到我的約呢？

但神對惡人說：「你怎敢傳講我的律例，口中提到我的約呢？

但上帝對惡人說：「你怎能背誦我的律法，談論我的約？

但神對惡人說：“你怎麼敢述說我的律例，你的口怎麼敢提到我的約呢？

對惡人呢、上帝卻說：『你有甚麼權利可以背誦我的律例，口中提到我的約呢？

但神對惡人說：「你憑什麼講述我的律例，口中提起我的約呢？

上帝語惡人曰、爾奚稱道我律、口言我約、

上帝語惡人曰、爾何假我律例、藉予聖教、

天主向惡人曰、爾為何傳述我之律法、口講我之盟約、

主語作惡者。何事研玉律。口頭誦盟約。心中存乖逆。

But to the wicked person, God says:“ What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips?

But here is what God says to a sinful person.“ What right do you have to speak the words of my laws? How dare you speak the words of my covenant!

But to the wicked God says:“ What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?

But God says to the wicked:“ Why bother reciting my decrees and pretending to obey my covenant?

But God says to the wicked:“ What right do you have to recite my statutes and to take my covenant on your lips?

But to the wicked God says,“ What right do you have to tell of My statutes And to take My covenant in your mouth?

But to the wicked God says:“ What right have you to declare My statutes, Or take My covenant in your mouth,

But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, And that thou hast taken my covenant in thy mouth,

But God says to the wicked:“ What right do you have to recite My statutes and to take My covenant on your lips?

But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or[ that] thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?

But to the wicked God says,“ What right do you have to declare my statutes, that you have taken my covenant on your lips,

The sovereign master says,“ These people say they are loyal to me; they say wonderful things about me, but they are not really loyal to me. Their worship consists of nothing but man- made ritual.

But they deceived him with their words, and lied to him.They were not really committed to him, and they were unfaithful to his covenant.Yet he is compassionate. He forgives sin and does not destroy. He often holds back his anger, and does not stir up his fury.

“ Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?” says the LORD.“ I am stuffed with burnt sacrifices of rams and the fat from steers. The blood of bulls, lambs, and goats I do not want.When you enter my presence, do you actually think I want this– animals trampling on my courtyards?Do not bring any more meaningless offerings; I consider your incense detestable! You observe new moon festivals, Sabbaths, and convocations, but I cannot tolerate sin-stained celebrations!I hate your new moon festivals and assemblies; they are a burden that I am tired of carrying.When you spread out your hands in prayer, I look the other way; when you offer your many prayers, I do not listen, because your hands are covered with blood.

Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified.

There will be no prosperity for the wicked,” says the LORD.

Stop putting your confidence in the false belief that says,“ We are safe! The temple of the LORD is here! The temple of the LORD is here! The temple of the LORD is here!”You must change the way you have been living and do what is right. You must treat one another fairly.Stop oppressing foreigners who live in your land, children who have lost their fathers, and women who have lost their husbands. Stop killing innocent people in this land. Stop paying allegiance to other gods. That will only bring about your ruin.If you stop doing these things, I will allow you to continue to live in this land which I gave to your ancestors as a lasting possession.

“ Shout loudly! Don’t be quiet! Yell as loud as a trumpet! Confront my people with their rebellious deeds; confront Jacob’s family with their sin!They seek me day after day; they want to know my requirements, like a nation that does what is right and does not reject the law of their God. They ask me for just decrees; they want to be near God.They lament,‘ Why don’t you notice when we fast? Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’ Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, you oppress your workers.Look, your fasting is accompanied by arguments, brawls, and fistfights. Do not fast as you do today, trying to make your voice heard in heaven.Is this really the kind of fasting I want? Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, bowing their heads like a reed and stretching out on sackcloth and ashes? Is this really what you call a fast, a day that is pleasing to the LORD?No, this is the kind of fast I want. I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke.I want you to share your food with the hungry and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. When you see someone naked, clothe him! Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood!

But some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by evil spirits, saying,“ I sternly warn you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”( Now seven sons of a man named Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.)But the evil spirit replied to them,“ I know about Jesus and I am acquainted with Paul, but who are you?”Then the man who was possessed by the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them all into submission. He prevailed against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded.

I will make you pass under the shepherd’s staff, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.I will eliminate from among you the rebels and those who revolt against me. I will bring them out from the land where they have been residing, but they will not come to the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

When a wicked person turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will preserve his life.

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relationship to Godand know his will and approve the superior things because you receive instruction from the law,and if you are convinced that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,an educator of the senseless, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the essential features of knowledge and of the truth–therefore you who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?You who tell others not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law!For just as it is written,“ the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

On that day, many will say to me,‘ Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?’Then I will declare to them,‘ I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’

By forsaking the right path they have gone astray, because they followed the way of Balaam son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness,

God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

“ It will not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not continue in my covenant and I had no regard for them, says the Lord.

Seek the LORD while he makes himself available; call to him while he is nearby!The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle and sinful people their plans. They should return to the LORD, and he will show mercy to them, and to their God, for he will freely forgive them.

Listen to this, O family of Jacob, you who are called by the name‘ Israel,’ and are descended from Judah, who take oaths in the name of the LORD, and invoke the God of Israel– but not in an honest and just manner.Indeed, they live in the holy city; they trust in the God of Israel, whose name is the LORD who commands armies.

Like legs that hang limp from the lame, so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

The LORD’s loyal followers receive his guidance, and he reveals his covenantal demands to them.

Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own?Or how can you say to your brother,‘ Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own?You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.