But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me.
Parallel translations
- WEB But my people didn’t listen to my voice. Israel desired none of me.
- KJV But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.
- NKJV “But My people would not heed My voice, And Israel would have none of Me.
- NASB ¶“But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me.
- NLT “But no, my people wouldn’t listen. Israel did not want me around.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Despite this, God's people refused to listen, and Israel wanted nothing of Him. The tragedy of stubborn unbelief is laid bare.
Overview
The generous offer of v. 10 meets human refusal, as Israel would not heed God's voice or desire Him. This exposes the deep problem of a hardened heart that spurns grace. It is a sober warning, echoed in the New Testament's call not to harden hearts as Israel did (Heb. 3:7-19).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Jer 7:23–24but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you.
- Deut 32:18You ignored the Rock who brought you forth; you forgot the God who gave you birth.
- Jer 2:11–13Has a nation ever changed its gods, though they are no gods at all? Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols.
- Exod 32:1Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!”
- Zech 7:11But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.
- Deut 32:15But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked—becoming fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.
- Prov 1:30They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.
- Heb 10:29How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
- Ps 106:12–13Then they believed His promises and sang His praise.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 81:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.