"That was a foolish thing to do," Samuel answered. "You have not obeyed the command the LORD your God gave you. If you had obeyed, he would have let you and your descendants rule over Israel forever.

Samuel said, "Which does the LORD prefer: obedience or offerings and sacrifices? It is better to obey him than to sacrifice the best sheep to him.

But when Ahijah heard her coming in the door, he said, "Come in. I know you are Jeroboam's wife. Why are you pretending to be someone else? I have bad news for you.

A prophet named Elijah, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to King Ahab, "In the name of the LORD, the living God of Israel, whom I serve, I tell you that there will be no dew or rain for the next two or three years until I say so."

When Ahab saw him, he said, "So there you are---the worst troublemaker in Israel!"

and said to him, "This is what the LORD says: 'Because you sent messengers to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekron---as if there were no god in Israel to consult---you will not get well; you will die!' "

The prophet Elijah sent Jehoram a letter, which read as follows: "The LORD, the God of your ancestor David, condemns you, because you did not follow the example of your father, King Jehoshaphat, or that of your grandfather, King Asa.

The LORD says, "Shout as loud as you can! Tell my people Israel about their sins!

Today I give you authority over nations and kingdoms to uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."

Listen, Jeremiah! Everyone in this land---the kings of Judah, the officials, the priests, and the people---will be against you. But today I am giving you the strength to resist them; you will be like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. They will not defeat you, for I will be with you to protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken."

(SEE 5:13)

Then tell them that I, the LORD, am going to fill the people in this land with wine until they are drunk: the kings, who are David's descendants, the priests, the prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem.

I will make you as firm as a rock, as hard as a diamond; don't be afraid of those rebels."

This vision was like the one I had seen when God came to destroy Jerusalem, and the one I saw by the Chebar River. Then I threw myself face downward on the ground.

Moses was amazed by what he saw, and went near the bush to get a better look. But he heard the Lord's voice:

Anyone who escapes being put to death by Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and anyone who escapes Jehu will be killed by Elisha.

he will judge the poor fairly and defend the rights of the helpless. At his command the people will be punished, and evil persons will die.

My message is like a fire and like a hammer that breaks rocks in pieces.

The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart.

He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came out of his mouth. His face was as bright as the midday sun.

Now turn from your sins! If you don't, I will come to you soon and fight against those people with the sword that comes out of my mouth.

The four angels were released; for this very hour of this very day of this very month and year they had been kept ready to kill a third of all the human race.

Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic, their sexual immorality, or their stealing.

Surely you won't kill the innocent with the guilty. That's impossible! You can't do that. If you did, the innocent would be punished along with the guilty. That is impossible. The judge of all the earth has to act justly."

Listen to me, you men who understand! Will Almighty God do what is wrong?

he will make your righteousness shine like the noonday sun.

Because of you I am afraid; I am filled with fear because of your judgments.

But the LORD is still in the city; he does what is right and never what is wrong. Every morning without fail, he brings justice to his people. And yet the unrighteous people there keep on doing wrong and are not ashamed.

But you have a hard and stubborn heart, and so you are making your own punishment even greater on the Day when God's anger and righteous judgments will be revealed.