¹⁹ And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?

⁹ Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?

¹⁸ And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these?

¹² Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and brought them to him to Babylon:

⁴⁹ Then said I, Ah Lord Jehovah! they say of me, Is he not a speaker of parables?

⁷ And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt say, Because of the tidings, for it cometh; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and it shall be done, saith the Lord Jehovah.

⁷ From the days of your fathers ye have turned aside from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts. But ye say, Wherein shall we return?

⁸ Will a man rob God? yet ye rob me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

¹³ Your words have been stout against me, saith Jehovah. Yet ye say, What have we spoken against thee?