Bible Verses About Excuses

Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? do I not wash in them and I have been clean?' and he turneth and goeth on in fury.

And his servants come nigh, and speak unto him, and say, `My father, a great thing had the prophet spoken unto thee--dost thou not do it ? and surely, when he hath said unto thee, Wash, and be clean.'

And he goeth down and dippeth in Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh doth turn back as the flesh of a little youth, and is clean.

And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

`Before I form thee in the belly, I have known thee; and before thou comest forth from the womb I have separated thee, a prophet to nations I have made thee.'

And I say, `Ah, Lord Jehovah! lo, I have not known--to speak, for I am a youth.'

And Jehovah saith unto me, `Do not say, I am a youth, for to all to whom I send thee thou goest, and all that I command thee thou speakest.

Be not afraid of their faces, for with thee am I to deliver thee, --an affirmation of Jehovah.'

And Jehovah putteth forth His hand, and striketh against my mouth, and Jehovah saith unto me, `Lo, I have put my words in thy mouth.

See, I have charged thee this day concerning the nations, and concerning the kingdoms, to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.'

And he said unto another, `Be following me;' and he said, `Sir, permit me, having gone away, first to bury my father;'

and Jesus said to him, `Suffer the dead to bury their own dead, and thou, having gone away, publish the reign of God.'

And another also said, `I will follow thee, sir, but first permit me to take leave of those in my house;'

and Jesus said unto him, `No one having put his hand on a plough, and looking back, is fit for the reign of God.'

`And they began with one consent all to excuse themselves: The first said to him, A field I bought, and I have need to go forth and see it; I beg of thee, have me excused.

`And another said, Five yoke of oxen I bought, and I go on to prove them; I beg of thee, have me excused:

and another said, A wife I married, and because of this I am not able to come.