The answer will come back, “It is because they broke their covenant with the Lord their God and worshiped and served other gods.”

This whole area will become a desolate wasteland. These nations will be subject to the king of Babylon for seventy years.’

For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve came to me

If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach;

And these also must be tested first and then let them serve as deacons if they are found blameless.

Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we can serve the Egyptians, because it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!’”

Then they cried out to the Lord and admitted, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the images of Ashtoreth. Now deliver us from the hand of our enemies so that we may serve you.’

when the nations gather together, and the kingdoms pay tribute to the Lord.

Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, took an oath so as to give them and their troops some assurance of safety. “Do not be afraid to submit to the Babylonians. Settle down in the land and submit to the king of Babylon. Then things will go well for you.

Worship the Lord with joy! Enter his presence with joyful singing!

The produce of the land is seized by all of them, even the king is served by the fields.

The people responded, “Far be it from us to abandon the Lord so we can worship other gods!

But since you abandoned me and worshiped other gods, I will not deliver you again.

Do not listen to them. Be subject to the king of Babylon. Then you will continue to live. Why should this city be made a pile of rubble?’”

Now while Zechariah was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty,

I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so that I could serve you!

“So then, Jeremiah, when your people ask, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ tell them, ‘It is because you rejected me and served foreign gods in your own land. So you must serve foreigners in a land that does not belong to you.’

You will live by your sword but you will serve your brother. When you grow restless, you will tear off his yoke from your neck.”

“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years, but in the seventh year he will go out free without paying anything.

You must follow the Lord your God and revere only him; and you must observe his commandments, obey him, serve him, and remain loyal to him.