They answered Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not do just as ¹  the Lord sends you to tell us to do.

to proclaim the year ¹  of the Lord’s favor.” ² 

For anyone who acts dishonestly in these ways is abhorrent ¹  to the Lord your God.

Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!”

The Lord ¹  abhors a person who lies, ²  but those who deal truthfully ³  are his delight. ⁴ 

So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman. He told her, “Pretend to be in mourning ¹  and put on garments for mourning. Don’t anoint yourself with oil. Instead, act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for some time. ² 

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a human being, ¹  that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen? ² 

You must by all means ¹  return to him at sunset the item he gave you as security so that he may sleep in his outer garment and bless you for it; it will be considered a just ²  deed by the Lord your God.

I grabbed hold of my concubine and carved her up and sent the pieces ¹  throughout the territory occupied by Israel, ²  because they committed such an unthinkable atrocity ³  in Israel.

He had been hired to scare me so that I would do this and thereby sin. They would thus bring reproach on me and I ¹  would be discredited. ² 

Then I said, ¹  “O Lord, intervene for the honor of your name ²  even though our sins speak out against us. ³  Indeed, ⁴  we have turned away from you many times. We have sinned against you.

Understand that ¹  it is not for your sake I am about to act, declares the sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and embarrassed by your behavior, O house of Israel.

Many will be purified, made clean, and refined, but the wicked will go on being wicked. None of the wicked will understand, though the wise will understand.

You will trample on the wicked, for they will be like ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the Lord who rules over all.

I urged Titus to visit you ¹  and I sent our ²  brother along with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? ³  Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit? Did we not behave in the same way? ⁴ 

“If a thief is caught ¹  breaking in ²  and is struck so that he dies, there will be no blood guilt for him. ³ 

Suppose a man comes across a virgin who is not engaged and overpowers and rapes ¹  her and they are discovered.

Be strong and act like men, you Philistines, or else you will wind up serving the Hebrews the way they have served you! Act like men and fight!”

Now may the Lord show you true kindness! ¹  I also will reward you, ²  because you have done this deed.

If a decision is not made, ¹  when my master the king is buried with his ancestors, ²  my son Solomon and I ³  will be considered state criminals.” ⁴