Israel

Here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'No foreigner, uncircumcised in both heart and flesh, is to enter my sanctuary - no foreigner living among the people of Isra'el.

"'However, the cohanim, who are L'vi'im and descendants of Tzadok, who took care of my sanctuary when the people of Isra'el went astray from me - they are the ones who will approach me and serve me; it is they who will attend me and offer me the fat and the blood,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

You are to divide it by lot as an inheritance both to you and to the foreigners living among you who give birth to children living among you; for you they are to be no different from the native-born among the people of Isra'el - they are to have an inheritance with you among the tribes of Isra'el.

The portion set aside as holy will be for the cohanim who are descendants of Tzadok that remained faithful to my commission and did not go astray when the people of Isra'el and the L'vi'im went astray.

The king ordered Ashp'naz, the eunuch serving as his chief officer, to bring into the palace from the people of Isra'el some of royal or noble descent.

"Nevertheless, the people of Isra'el will number as many as the grains of sand by the sea, which cannot be measured or counted; so that the time will come when, instead of being told, 'You are not my people,' it will be said to them, 'You are the children of the living God.'

Then the people of Y'hudah and the people of Isra'el will be gathered together; they will appoint for themselves one leader; and they will go up out of the land; for that will be a great day, [the day] of Yizre'el.

ADONAI said to me, "Go once more, and show love to [this] wife [of yours] who has been loved by her boyfriend, to this adulteress - just as ADONAI loves the people of Isra'el, even though they turn to other gods and love the raisin cakes [offered to them]."

For the people of Isra'el are going to be in seclusion for a long time without a king, prince, sacrifice, standing-stone, ritual vest or household gods.

Afterwards, the people of Isra'el will repent and seek ADONAI their God and David their king; they will come trembling to ADONAI and his goodness in the acharit-hayamim.

Hear the word of ADONAI, people of Isra'el! For ADONAI has a grievance against the inhabitants of the land: there is no truth, no faithful love or knowledge of God in the land;

Efrayim is a well-taught cow - it loves to tread the grain, and I have spared her fair neck. But I will put Efrayim in harness, Y'hudah will have to plow, Ya'akov will harrow his own land.

ADONAI also has a grievance against Y'hudah; he will punish Ya'akov according to his ways and pay him back for his misdeeds.

Ya'akov fled to the land of Aram. There Isra'el slaved to win a wife; for a wife he tended sheep.

ADONAI will roar from Tziyon, he will thunder from Yerushalayim, the sky and the earth will shake. But ADONAI will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Isra'el.

I raised up some of your sons to be prophets, other young men of yours to be n'zirim. People of Isra'el! Isn't that true?" asks ADONAI.

"Listen to this word which ADONAI has spoken against you, people of Isra'el, against the entire family that I brought up from the land of Egypt:

This is what ADONAI says: "As a shepherd rescues from the mouth of a lion a couple of leg bones or a piece of an ear; so the people of Isra'el in Shomron will be rescued, huddled under cushions in the corners of their beds."

"Hear, and testify against the house of Ya'akov," says Adonai ELOHIM Elohei-Tzva'ot.

burn leavened bread as a thank offering; brag in public about your voluntary offerings; because that's what you love to do, Isra'el!" says Adonai ELOHIM.

"Adonai ELOHIM swears by himself," says Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot, "I detest that Ya'akov is so proud, and I hate his palaces. I will hand over the city, along with everything in it."

While they were finishing up eating all the vegetation in the land, I said, "Adonai ELOHIM, forgive - please! How will tiny Ya'akov survive?"

But I said, "Adonai ELOHIM, stop - please! How will tiny Ya'akov survive?"

ADONAI swears by Ya'akov's pride, "I will forget none of their deeds, ever.

"People of Isra'el, are you any different from the Ethiopians to me?" asks ADONAI. "True, I brought Isra'el up from Egypt, but I also brought the P'lishtim from Kaftor, and Aram from Kir.