O land, land, land! Listen to what the LORD has said:

I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that, if you disobey me, you will soon disappear from the land. You will not live very long in the land across the Jordan that you are about to occupy. You will be completely destroyed.

I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God's blessing and God's curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life.

"Earth and sky, hear my words, listen closely to what I say.

The LORD said, "Earth and sky, listen to what I am saying! The children I brought up have rebelled against me.

You mountains, you everlasting foundations of the earth, listen to the LORD's case! The LORD has a case against his people. He is going to bring an accusation against Israel.

Keep your covenant with me, your LORD, and dedicate yourselves to me, you people of Judah and Jerusalem. If you don't, my anger will burn like fire because of the evil things you have done. It will burn, and there will be no one to put it out."

I, the LORD, search the minds and test the hearts of people. I treat each of them according to the way they live, according to what they do."

I have been calling you, inviting you to come, but you would not listen. You paid no attention to me.

So when you get into trouble, I will laugh at you. I will make fun of you when terror strikes---

Then you will call for wisdom, but I will not answer. You may look for me everywhere, but you will not find me.

You have never wanted my advice or paid any attention when I corrected you.

The LORD hates evil thoughts, but he is pleased with friendly words.

You are always planning something evil, and you can hardly wait to do it. You never hesitate to murder innocent people. You leave ruin and destruction wherever you go,

I know their thoughts and their deeds. I am coming to gather the people of all the nations. When they come together, they will see what my power can do

But instead you planted evil and reaped its harvest. You have eaten the fruit produced by your lies. "Because you trusted in your chariots and in the large number of your soldiers,

Repent, then, of this evil plan of yours, and pray to the Lord that he will forgive you for thinking such a thing as this.

I answered, "Who would listen to me if I spoke to them and warned them? They are stubborn and refuse to listen to your message; they laugh at what you tell me to say.

Your wise men are put to shame; they are confused and trapped. They have rejected my words; what wisdom do they have now?

Rebellion against him is as bad as witchcraft, and arrogance is as sinful as idolatry. Because you rejected the LORD's command, he has rejected you as king."

"I will not go back with you," Samuel answered. "You rejected the LORD's command, and he has rejected you as king of Israel."

If you do not obey the law, God will find your prayers too hateful to hear.

My people are doomed because they do not acknowledge me. You priests have refused to acknowledge me and have rejected my teaching, and so I reject you and will not acknowledge your sons as my priests.

This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil.

But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God.

Those who reject me and do not accept my message have one who will judge them. The words I have spoken will be their judge on the last day!