I chose some of your sons to be prophets and others to be Nazirites. Can you deny this, my people of Israel?” asks the Lord.

我从你们子弟中兴起先知，又从你们少年人中兴起拿细耳人。以色列人哪，不是这样吗？”这是耶和华说的。

我从你们子孙中兴起先知，又从你们少年中兴起拿细耳人。以色列人哪，不是这样吗？”这是耶和华说的。

我从你们子孙中兴起先知，又从你们少年中兴起拿细耳人。以色列人哪，不是这样吗？”这是耶和华说的。

我从你们的子孙中拣选先知，从你们的青年中拣选拿细耳人。以色列人啊，难道不是这样吗？这是耶和华说的。

我从你们子孙中兴起先知，从年轻人中兴起拿细耳人；以色列人哪！这不是事实吗？’这是耶和华的宣告。

我從你們子弟中興起先知，又從你們少年人中興起拿細耳人。以色列人哪，不是這樣嗎？這是耶和華說的。

我從你們子孫中興起先知，又從你們少年中興起拿細耳人。以色列人哪，不是這樣嗎？」這是耶和華說的。

我從你們子孫中興起先知，又從你們少年中興起拿細耳人。以色列人哪，不是這樣嗎？」這是耶和華說的。

我從你們的子孫中揀選先知，從你們的青年中揀選拿細耳人。以色列人啊，難道不是這樣嗎？這是耶和華說的。

我從你們子孫中興起先知，從年輕人中興起拿細耳人；以色列人哪！這不是事實嗎？’這是耶和華的宣告。

我也從你們子弟中興起了神言人，從你們青年人之中興起了離俗人。以色列人哪，不是這樣麼？』永恆主發神諭說。

耶和華曰、以色列人歟、我自爾諸子中、興起先知、由爾少年中、興起拿細耳人、是事豈不有諸、

耶和華又曰、以色列族乎、我在爾庶民間、簡人為先知、在爾幼稚中、選人以離世故、是事豈不有諸、

在爾子弟中、立人為先知、在爾壯男間、立人為那細珥、那細珥譯即離俗者之義下同主曰、以色列人歟、是事豈不有乎、

“ I also raised up prophets from among your children and Nazirites from among your youths. Is this not true, people of Israel?” declares the Lord.

I raised up prophets from among your children. I also set apart for myself some of your young people to be Nazirites. Isn’t that true, people of Israel?” announces the Lord.

And I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?” declares the Lord.

I raised up some of your sons as prophets and some of your young men as Nazirites. Is this not the case, Israelites? This is the LORD’s declaration.

Then I raised up some of your sons to be prophets, And some of your young men to be Nazirites. Is this not so, you sons of Israel?” declares the Lord.

I raised up some of your sons as prophets, And some of your young men as Nazirites. Is it not so, O you children of Israel?” Says the Lord.

And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazirites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith Jehovah.

I raised up some of your sons as prophets and some of your young men as Nazirites. Is this not the case, Israelites? This is the Lord’s declaration.

And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites.[ Is it] not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD.

I made some of your sons prophets and some of your young men Nazirites. Is this not true, you Israelites?” The LORD is speaking!

I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Isn’t this true, you children of Israel?” says Yahweh.

“ Give the following instructions to the people of Israel.“ If any of the people, either men or women, take the special vow of a Nazirite, setting themselves apart to the Lord in a special way,they must give up wine and other alcoholic drinks. They must not use vinegar made from wine or from other alcoholic drinks, they must not drink fresh grape juice, and they must not eat grapes or raisins.

From the day your ancestors left Egypt until now, I have continued to send my servants, the prophets— day in and day out.

So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

Again and again the Lord had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah:“ Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commands and decrees— the entire law that I commanded your ancestors to obey, and that I gave you through my servants the prophets.”

“ Don’t say such things,” the people respond.“ Don’t prophesy like that. Such disasters will never come our way!”

The Lord, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent his prophets to warn them, for he had compassion on his people and his Temple.

So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food.You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.”The woman ran and told her husband,“ A man of God appeared to me! He looked like one of God’s angels, terrifying to see. I didn’t ask where he was from, and he didn’t tell me his name.But he told me,‘ You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. For your son will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from the moment of his birth until the day of his death.’”

“ O my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me!For I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.

Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab,“ As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives— the God I serve— there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”

“ O my people, listen to the words of the Lord! Have I been like a desert to Israel? Have I been to them a land of darkness? Why then do my people say,‘ At last we are free from God! We don’t need him anymore!’

Our princes once glowed with health— brighter than snow, whiter than milk. Their faces were as ruddy as rubies, their appearance like fine jewels.

The priests and prophets presented their accusations to the officials and the people.“ This man should die!” they said.“ You have heard with your own ears what a traitor he is, for he has prophesied against this city.”

They tell the seers,“ Stop seeing visions!” They tell the prophets,“ Don’t tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies.Forget all this gloom. Get off your narrow path. Stop telling us about your‘ Holy One of Israel.’”

And Elijah said to Elisha,“ Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Bethel.” But Elisha replied,“ As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you!” So they went down together to Bethel.The group of prophets from Bethel came to Elisha and asked him,“ Did you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?”“ Of course I know,” Elisha answered.“ But be quiet about it.”Then Elijah said to Elisha,“ Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Jericho.” But Elisha replied again,“ As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together to Jericho.Then the group of prophets from Jericho came to Elisha and asked him,“ Did you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?”“ Of course I know,” Elisha answered.“ But be quiet about it.”

Then the prophet quickly pulled the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.

One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him,“ As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small.

“ You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you!

Then a certain prophet came to see King Ahab of Israel and told him,“ This is what the Lord says: Do you see all these enemy forces? Today I will hand them all over to you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

This is what the Lord says about the men of Anathoth who wanted me dead. They had said,“ We will kill you if you do not stop prophesying in the Lord’s name.”

Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah, you judge between me and my vineyard.What more could I have done for my vineyard that I have not already done? When I expected sweet grapes, why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes?

And all Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord.

“ We gave you strict orders never again to teach in this man’s name!” he said.“ Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”

Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus,so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron.Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week.As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar.Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.But the angel said,“ Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God.He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him.

At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop.But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him, but the results were the same.“ Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking,‘ Surely they will respect my son.’“ But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another,‘ Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’

he sent troops to capture him. But when they arrived and saw Samuel leading a group of prophets who were prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men, and they also began to prophesy.

This is what the Lord says:“ What did your ancestors find wrong with me that led them to stray so far from me? They worshiped worthless idols, only to become worthless themselves.

The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat,“ There is one more man who could consult the Lord for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.” Jehoshaphat replied,“ That’s not the way a king should talk! Let’s hear what he has to say.”

Meanwhile, the Lord instructed one of the group of prophets to say to another man,“ Hit me!” But the man refused to hit the prophet.

Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel meholah to replace you as my prophet.

Then Amaziah sent orders to Amos:“ Get out of here, you prophet! Go on back to the land of Judah, and earn your living by prophesying there!Don’t bother us with your prophecies here in Bethel. This is the king’s sanctuary and the national place of worship!”

Once when Jezebel had tried to kill all the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had hidden 100 of them in two caves. He put fifty prophets in each cave and supplied them with food and water.)

Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding,or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

For some of the Jews killed the prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us, too. They fail to please God and work against all humanityas they try to keep us from preaching the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles. By doing this, they continue to pile up their sins. But the anger of God has caught up with them at last.