Then tell the people of Israel that anyone who curses God must suffer the consequences

and be put to death. Any Israelite or any foreigner living in Israel who curses the LORD shall be stoned to death by the whole community.

"Do not use my name for evil purposes, for I, the LORD your God, will punish anyone who misuses my name.

But because you have shown such contempt for the LORD in doing this, your child will die."

Get a couple of scoundrels to accuse him to his face of cursing God and the king. Then take him out of the city and stone him to death."

The two scoundrels publicly accused him of cursing God and the king, and so he was taken outside the city and stoned to death.

And don't let him persuade you to rely on the LORD. Don't think that the LORD will save you and that he will stop our Assyrian army from capturing your city.

When did any of the gods of all these countries ever save their country from our emperor? Then what makes you think the LORD can save Jerusalem?"

Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah tore their clothes in grief, and went and reported to the king what the Assyrian official had said.

As soon as King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes in grief, put on sackcloth, and went to the Temple of the LORD.

This is the message which he told them to give Isaiah: "Today is a day of suffering; we are being punished and are in disgrace. We are like a woman who is ready to give birth, but is too weak to do it.

When did any of the gods of all those countries ever save their country from us? Then what makes you think that your god can save you?

The Assyrian officials said even worse things about the LORD God and Hezekiah, the LORD's servant.

But remember, O LORD, that your enemies laugh at you, that they are godless and despise you.

Rouse yourself, God, and defend your cause! Remember that godless people laugh at you all day long.

At this the High Priest tore his clothes and said, "Blasphemy! We don't need any more witnesses! You have just heard his blasphemy!

So they bribed some men to say, "We heard him speaking against Moses and against God!"

Then they brought in some men to tell lies about him. "This man," they said, "is always talking against our sacred Temple and the Law of Moses.

The scripture says, "Because of you Jews, the Gentiles speak evil of God."

even though in the past I spoke evil of him and persecuted and insulted him. But God was merciful to me because I did not yet have faith and so did not know what I was doing.

and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not turn from their evil ways.

Huge hailstones, each weighing as much as a hundred pounds, fell from the sky on people, who cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because it was such a terrible plague.

The morning after each feast, Job would get up early and offer sacrifices for each of his children in order to purify them. He always did this because he thought that one of them might have sinned by insulting God unintentionally.

But now suppose you take away everything he has---he will curse you to your face!"

In spite of everything that had happened, Job did not sin by blaming God.

But now suppose you hurt his body---he will curse you to your face!"

His wife said to him, "You are still as faithful as ever, aren't you? Why don't you curse God and die?"

Job answered, "You are talking nonsense! When God sends us something good, we welcome it. How can we complain when he sends us trouble?" Even in all this suffering Job said nothing against God.

The people will wander through the land, discouraged and hungry. In their hunger and their anger they will curse their king and their God. They may look up to the sky

Let them serve as judges for the people on a permanent basis. They can bring all the difficult cases to you, but they themselves can decide all the smaller disputes. That will make it easier for you, as they share your burden.

They served as judges for the people on a permanent basis, bringing the difficult cases to Moses but deciding the smaller disputes themselves.

He was taken to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community,

Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must be put to death; the whole community is to stone him to death outside the camp."