of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

Listen carefully ¹  to my words; let your ears be attentive to my explanation. ² 

“Listen carefully ¹  to my words; let this be ²  the consolation you offer me. ³ 

Now these were their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur;

Listen carefully ¹  to the thunder of his voice, to the rumbling ²  that proceeds from his mouth.

These are the names of children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

These are the names of children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

In the past he said to them, ¹  “This is where security can be found. Provide security for the one who is exhausted! This is where rest can be found.” ²  But they refused to listen.

For these are rebellious people – they are lying children, children unwilling to obey the Lord’s law. ¹ 

And now, if you will diligently listen to me ¹  and keep ²  my covenant, then you will be my ³  special possession ⁴  out of all the nations, for all the earth is mine,

if you carefully obey ¹  him ²  by keeping ³  all these commandments that I am giving ⁴  you today.

He said, “Go and tell these people: ‘Listen continually, but don’t understand! Look continually, but don’t perceive!’

Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? ¹  Why spend ²  your hard-earned money ³  on something that will not satisfy? Listen carefully ⁴  to me and eat what is nourishing! ⁵  Enjoy fine food! ⁶ 

Your ancestors, ¹  however, did not listen to me or pay any attention to me. They stubbornly refused ²  to pay attention or to respond to any discipline.’

I have indeed ¹  heard the people of Israel ²  say mournfully, ‘We were like a calf untrained to the yoke. ³  You disciplined us and we learned from it. ⁴  Let us come back to you and we will do so, ⁵  for you are the Lord our God.

Then those who are far away ¹  will come and build the temple of the Lord so that you may know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me to you. This will all come to pass if you completely obey the voice of the Lord your God.”’”

He said, “If you will diligently obey ¹  the Lord your God, and do what is right ²  in his sight, and pay attention ³  to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then all ⁴  the diseases ⁵  that I brought on the Egyptians I will not bring on you, for I, the Lord, am your healer.” ⁶ 

“If you indeed ¹  obey the Lord your God and are careful to observe all his commandments I am giving ²  you today, the Lord your God will elevate you above all the nations of the earth.

Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the praise ¹  leader who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his colleagues; and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

“The Lord God of Israel who rules over all ¹  says, ‘I will soon bring on this city and all the towns surrounding it ²  all the disaster I threatened to do to it. I will do so because they have stubbornly refused ³  to pay any attention to what I have said!’”