主说：“因为这百姓亲近我，用嘴唇尊敬我，心却远离我；他们敬畏我，不过是领受人的吩咐。

主说：“因这百姓以口亲近我，用嘴唇尊敬我，心却远离我；他们敬畏我，不过是领受前人的命令。

主说：“因这百姓以口亲近我，用嘴唇尊敬我，心却远离我；他们敬畏我，不过是领受前人的命令。

主说：“这些人嘴上亲近我，尊崇我，心却远离我。他们敬拜我不过是遵行人定的规条。

主说：“因为这子民只用言语来亲近我，用嘴唇尊崇我，他们的心却远离我。他们对我的敬畏，只是遵从传统的吩咐。

主说：“因为这子民嘴上亲近我，用嘴唇尊重我，他们的心却远离我；他们敬畏我，不过是遵行人所教导的规条；

主說：因為這百姓親近我，用嘴唇尊敬我，心卻遠離我；他們敬畏我，不過是領受人的吩咐。

主說：「因這百姓以口親近我，用嘴唇尊敬我，心卻遠離我；他們敬畏我，不過是領受前人的命令。

主說：「因這百姓以口親近我，用嘴唇尊敬我，心卻遠離我；他們敬畏我，不過是領受前人的命令。

主說：「這些人嘴上親近我，尊崇我，心卻遠離我。他們敬拜我不過是遵行人定的規條。

主說：“因為這子民只用言語來親近我，用嘴唇尊崇我，他們的心卻遠離我。他們對我的敬畏，只是遵從傳統的吩咐。

主說：『這人民既只是口頭上親近我，嘴脣上尊敬我，心卻遠離着我；他們之敬畏我、不過是死記着人所吩咐的罷了；

主說：「因為這子民嘴上親近我，用嘴唇尊重我，他們的心卻遠離我；他們敬畏我，不過是遵行人所教導的規條；

主曰、斯民以口親我、以脣尊我、而心則遠我、彼之畏我、乃從人所授之命耳、

主曰、斯民以口舌附我、言則敬我、而心則遠我、其敬畏我者、苟隨流俗而已。

主曰、此民但以口親近我、以唇尊敬我、而心則遠離我、其敬畏我者、不過守習學世人所傳之誡而已、

The Lord says:“ These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.

The Lord says,“ These people worship me only with their words. They honor me by what they say. But their hearts are far away from me. Their worship doesn’t mean anything to me. They teach nothing but human rules that they have been taught.

And the Lord said:“ Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,

And so the Lord says,“ These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man made rules learned by rote.

The Lord said: These people approach me with their speeches to honor me with lip-service, yet their hearts are far from me, and human rules direct their worship of me.

Then the Lord said,“ Because this people approaches Me with their words And honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of the commandment of men that is taught;

Therefore the Lord said:“ Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,

And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nigh unto me, and with their mouth and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which hath been taught them;

The Lord said: Because these people approach Me with their mouths to honor Me with lip-service— yet their hearts are far from Me, and their worship consists of man-made rules learned by rote—

Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near[ me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

The sovereign master says,“ These people say they are loyal to me; they say wonderful things about me, but they are not really loyal to me. Their worship consists of nothing but man- made ritual.

The Lord said,“ Because this people draws near with their mouth and honors me with their lips, but they have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which has been taught;

and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.( The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus,“ Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”He replied,“ Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:“‘ These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”And he continued,“ You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!For Moses said,‘ Honor your father and mother,’ and,‘ Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban( that is, devoted to God)—then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother.Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” (niv)

You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts. (niv)

My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.“ When all this comes true— and it surely will— then they will know that a prophet has been among them.” (niv)

In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the Lord. (niv)

For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.‘ Why have we fasted,’ they say,‘ and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’“ Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. (niv)

“ Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”Jesus replied,“ And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?For God said,‘ Honor your father and mother’ and‘ Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is‘ devoted to God,’they are not to‘ honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:“‘ These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’” (niv)

Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. (niv)

These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. (niv)

“ Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the Lord and invoke the God of Israel— but not in truth or righteousness—you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and claim to rely on the God of Israel— the Lord Almighty is his name: (niv)

that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said,‘ Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.’ (niv)

Jeremiah the prophet and said to him,“ Please hear our petition and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left.Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”“ I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet.“ I will certainly pray to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.” (niv)

Although they say,‘ As surely as the Lord lives,’ still they are swearing falsely.” (niv)

Hezekiah was twenty- five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty- nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah.He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done.In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the Lord and repaired them.He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east sideand said:“ Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary.Our parents were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the Lord’s dwelling place and turned their backs on him.They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel.Therefore, the anger of the Lord has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes.This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity.Now I intend to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us.My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense.”Then these Levites set to work: from the Kohathites, Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah; from the Merarites, Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel; from the Gershonites, Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah;from the descendants of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel; from the descendants of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah;from the descendants of Heman, Jehiel and Shimei; from the descendants of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.When they had assembled their fellow Levites and consecrated themselves, they went in to purify the temple of the Lord, as the king had ordered, following the word of the Lord.The priests went into the sanctuary of the Lord to purify it. They brought out to the courtyard of the Lord’s temple everything unclean that they found in the temple of the Lord. The Levites took it and carried it out to the Kidron Valley.They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and by the eighth day of the month they reached the portico of the Lord. For eight more days they consecrated the temple of the Lord itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month.Then they went in to King Hezekiah and reported:“ We have purified the entire temple of the Lord, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table for setting out the consecrated bread, with all its articles.We have prepared and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz removed in his unfaithfulness while he was king. They are now in front of the Lord’s altar.”Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials together and went up to the temple of the Lord.They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer these on the altar of the Lord.So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and splashed it against the altar; next they slaughtered the rams and splashed their blood against the altar; then they slaughtered the lambs and splashed their blood against the altar.The goats for the sin offering were brought before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them.The priests then slaughtered the goats and presented their blood on the altar for a sin offering to atone for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.He stationed the Levites in the temple of the Lord with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David and Gad the king’s seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the Lord through his prophets.So the Levites stood ready with David’s instruments, and the priests with their trumpets.Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. As the offering began, singing to the Lord began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments of David king of Israel.The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the musicians played and the trumpets sounded. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed.When the offerings were finished, the king and everyone present with him knelt down and worshiped.King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed down and worshiped.Then Hezekiah said,“ You have now dedicated yourselves to the Lord. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the temple of the Lord.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings. (niv)

Hear me, Lord, my plea is just; listen to my cry. Hear my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips. (niv)

I send him against a godless nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets. (niv)