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 shew 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 is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;

⁴⁹ Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?

⁷ And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because 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 shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord GOD.

⁷ Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

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

¹³ Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?