He said, “Certainly they will be my people, children who are not disloyal.” ¹  He became their deliverer.

Come, let’s deal wisely ¹  with them. Otherwise ²  they will continue to multiply, ³  and if ⁴  a war breaks out, they will ally themselves with ⁵  our enemies and fight against us and leave ⁶  the country.”

They will treat you with hatred, take away all you have labored for, ¹  and leave you naked and bare. Your nakedness will be exposed, just as when you engaged in prostitution and obscene conduct. ² 

Look, at that time I will deal with those who mistreated you. I will rescue the lame sheep ¹  and gather together the scattered sheep. I will take away their humiliation and make the whole earth admire and respect them. ² 

O sovereign Lord, intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation! ¹  Because your loyal love is good, deliver me!

Free me ¹  from prison, that I may give thanks to your name. Because of me the godly will assemble, ²  for you will vindicate me. ³ 

If the wicked are shown mercy, they do not learn about justice. ¹  Even in a land where right is rewarded, they act unjustly; ²  they do not see the Lord’s majesty revealed.

I gave it over to the leader of the nations. He has judged it thoroughly, ¹  as its sinfulness deserves. I have thrown it out.

But you, Lord, know all their plots to kill me. Do not pardon their crimes! Do not ignore their sins as though you had erased them! ¹  Let them be brought down in defeat before you! Deal with them while you are still angry! ² 

I will direct ¹  my jealous anger against you, and they will deal with you in rage. They will cut off your nose and your ears, ²  and your survivors will die ³  by the sword. They will seize your sons and daughters, and your survivors will be consumed by fire.

Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way.” ¹ 

Instead, this is what you must do to them: You must tear down their altars, shatter their sacred pillars, ¹  cut down their sacred Asherah poles, ²  and burn up their idols.

He said to them, “Why do you behave in this way? For I hear about these evil things from all these ¹  people.

“That is because, from the least important to the most important of them, all of them are greedy for dishonest gain. Prophets and priests alike, all of them practice deceit.

Therefore I will act with fury! My eye will not pity them nor will I spare ¹  them. When they have shouted in my ears, I will not listen to them.”

since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He ¹  is not weak toward you but is powerful among you.

and on the first day of the first month they finished considering all the men who had married foreign wives.

¹ I say to the proud, “Do not be proud,” and to the wicked, “Do not be so confident of victory! ² 

But I will be different now to this remnant of my people from the way I was in those days,’ says the Lord who rules over all,

The men said to her, “If you ¹  die, may we die too! ²  If you do not report what we’ve been up to, ³  then, when the Lord hands the land over to us, we will show unswerving allegiance ⁴  to you.” ⁵