Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart, so that you may be saved. How long will you go on thinking sinful thoughts?

People of Jerusalem, let these troubles be a warning to you, or else I will abandon you; I will turn your city into a desert, a place where no one lives."

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets, you stone the messengers God has sent you! How many times I wanted to put my arms around all your people, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not let me!

and their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, where their Lord was crucified. The symbolic name of that city is Sodom, or Egypt.

and you claim that if you had lived during the time of your ancestors, you would not have done what they did and killed the prophets.

Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. This is how the prophets who lived before you were persecuted.

The tenants grabbed his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

Again the man sent other slaves, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way.

while others grabbed the servants, beat them, and killed them.

King Joash joined in a conspiracy against Zechariah, and on the king's orders the people stoned Zechariah in the Temple courtyard.

The king forgot about the loyal service that Zechariah's father Jehoiada had given him, and he had Zechariah killed. As Zechariah was dying, he called out, "May the LORD see what you are doing and punish you!"

"But your people rebelled and disobeyed you; they turned their backs on your Law. They killed the prophets who warned them, who told them to turn back to you. They insulted you time after time,

I punished you, but it did no good; you would not let me correct you. Like a raging lion, you have murdered your prophets.

They brought him back to King Jehoiakim, who had him killed and his body thrown into the public burial ground.)

The tenants grabbed the slave, beat him, and sent him back without a thing.

The owner sent another slave, and they killed him; and they treated many others the same way, beating some and killing others.

So he sent another slave; but the tenants beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him back without a thing.

Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my own dear son; surely they will respect him!'

"How stubborn you are!" Stephen went on to say. "How heathen your hearts, how deaf you are to God's message! You are just like your ancestors: you too have always resisted the Holy Spirit!

Was there any prophet that your ancestors did not persecute? They killed God's messengers, who long ago announced the coming of his righteous Servant. And now you have betrayed and murdered him.

who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and persecuted us. How displeasing they are to God! How hostile they are to everyone!

When they finish proclaiming their message, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will fight against them. He will defeat them and kill them,

And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's people and the blood of those who were killed because they had been loyal to Jesus. When I saw her, I was completely amazed.

The LORD, the God of their ancestors, had continued to send prophets to warn his people, because he wanted to spare them and the Temple.

But they made fun of God's messengers, ignoring his words and laughing at his prophets, until at last the LORD's anger against his people was so great that there was no escape.

Listen, my people, to my warning; Israel, how I wish you would listen to me!

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Open your mouth, and I will feed you.

The LORD said to his people, "Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths and where the best road is. Walk in it, and you will live in peace." But they said, "No, we will not!"

Then the LORD appointed sentries to listen for the trumpet's warning. But they said, "We will not listen."

When I brought their ancestors out of Egypt, I solemnly warned them to obey me, and I have kept on warning the people until this day.

But they did not listen or obey. Instead, everyone continued to be as stubborn and evil as ever. I had commanded them to keep the covenant, but they refused. So I brought on them all the punishments described in it."

"For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah until this very day, the LORD has spoken to me, and I have never failed to tell you what he said. But you have paid no attention.

They told you to turn from your wicked way of life and from the evil things you are doing, so that you could go on living in the land that the LORD gave you and your ancestors as a permanent possession.

But the LORD himself says that you refused to listen to him. Instead, you made him angry with your idols and have brought his punishment on yourselves.

I have continued to send you all my servants the prophets, and they have told you to give up your evil ways and to do what is right. They warned you not to worship and serve other gods, so that you could go on living in the land that I gave you and your ancestors. But you would not listen to me or pay any attention to me.

I said to them, "The LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me with your request has said,

Stop being afraid of the king of Babylonia. I am with you, and I will rescue you from his power.

"But you people who are left in Judah must not disobey the LORD your God and refuse to live in this land. You must not say, 'No, we will go and live in Egypt, where we won't face war any more or hear the call to battle or go hungry.' If you say this, then the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says, 'If you are determined to go and live in Egypt,

I kept sending you my servants the prophets, who told you not to do this terrible thing that I hate.

Do not be like your ancestors. Long ago the prophets gave them my message, telling them not to live evil, sinful lives any longer. But they would not listen to me or obey me.

Like an eagle teaching its young to fly, catching them safely on its spreading wings, the LORD kept Israel from falling.

The LORD alone led his people without the help of a foreign god.

May the LORD reward you for what you have done. May you have a full reward from the LORD God of Israel, to whom you have come for protection!"

Protect me as you would your very eyes; hide me in the shadow of your wings

How precious, O God, is your constant love! We find protection under the shadow of your wings.

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful, because I come to you for safety. In the shadow of your wings I find protection until the raging storms are over.

because you have always been my help. In the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.

He will cover you with his wings; you will be safe in his care; his faithfulness will protect and defend you.

He sent his servants to tell the invited guests to come to the feast, but they did not want to come.

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.

"Why did my people fail to respond when I went to them to save them? Why did they not answer when I called? Am I too weak to save them? I can dry up the sea with a command and turn rivers into a desert, so that the fish in them die for lack of water.

But the more I called to him, the more he turned away from me. My people sacrificed to Baal; they burned incense to idols.

They insist on turning away from me. They will cry out because of the yoke that is on them, but no one will lift it from them.

When it was time for the feast, he sent his servant to tell his guests, 'Come, everything is ready!'

Another one said, 'I have bought five pairs of oxen and am on my way to try them out; please accept my apologies.'

The older brother was so angry that he would not go into the house; so his father came out and begged him to come in.

Now, his own people hated him, and so they sent messengers after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'

The first one came and said, 'Sir, I have earned ten gold coins with the one you gave me.'

The second servant came and said, 'Sir, I have earned five gold coins with the one you gave me.'

Another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it hidden in a handkerchief.

He said to him, 'You bad servant! I will use your own words to condemn you! You know that I am a hard man, taking what is not mine and reaping what I have not planted.

Then he said to those who were standing there, 'Take the gold coin away from him and give it to the servant who has ten coins.'

'I tell you,' he replied, 'that to those who have something, even more will be given; but those who have nothing, even the little that they have will be taken away from them.

After Jesus said this, he went on in front of them toward Jerusalem.

with these instructions: "Go to the village there ahead of you; as you go in, you will find a colt tied up that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here.

They went on their way and found everything just as Jesus had told them.

"The Master needs it," they answered,

As he rode on, people spread their cloaks on the road.

"God bless the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory to God!"

Jesus answered, "I tell you that if they keep quiet, the stones themselves will start shouting."

saying, "If you only knew today what is needed for peace! But now you cannot see it!

They will completely destroy you and the people within your walls; not a single stone will they leave in its place, because you did not recognize the time when God came to save you!"