5 This is what the Lord says:\par “Do you think that I was not fair\par to your ancestors {\cf2\super [4]} ?\par Is that why they turned away from me?\par Your ancestors worshiped worthless idols,\par and they became worthless themselves.\par
5 Thus says the Lord: What unrighteousness did your fathers find in Me, that they went far from Me and [habitually] went after emptiness, falseness, and futility and themselves became fruitless and worthless?
5 Thus saith Jehovah, What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
5 This is what the LORD says: What wrong did your ancestors find in me that made them wander so far? They pursued what was worthless and became worthless.
5 Thus says the Lord: "What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they would draw far away from me, and would walk after emptiness, and would become empty?
The people refused the Lord’s laws and his Agreement that he made with their ancestors. They refused to listen to the Lord’s warnings. They worshiped idols [208] that were worth nothing and they themselves became worth nothing. They lived like the people in the nations around them. They did those bad things. And the Lord had warned the people of Israel. The Lord told them not to do those bad things.
People knew God. But they did not give glory to God, and they did not thank him. Their ideas were all useless. There was not one good thought left in their foolish minds.
Some people make statues (false gods)—but they are worthless. People love those statues—but the statues are useless. Those people are the witnesses of the statues—but they can’t see. They know nothing—they don’t know enough to be ashamed \{of the things they do\}.
They made me jealous with {demons}
that aren’t gods.
They made me angry with those
worthless idols.
So I will make them jealous with people
that are not a real nation.
I will make them angry with people
that are a foolish [213] nation.
“Men, why are you doing these things? We are not gods! We have the same feelings as you have! We came to tell you the Good News. {\cf2\super [290]} We are telling you to turn away from these worthless things. Turn to the true living God. He is the One who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them.
“Son of man, {\cf2\super [96]} remember your brothers, the family of Israel. They were forced to leave their country, but I will bring them back! {\cf2\super [97]} But now, the people living in Jerusalem are saying, ‘Stay far away from the Lord. This land was given to us—it is ours!’
Foreign idols don’t have the power\par to bring rain.\par The sky does not have the power\par to send showers of rain down.\par You are our only hope.\par You are the One who made all these things.”\par
You have put those wicked people here.\par They are like plants with strong roots,\par they grow and produce fruit.\par With their mouths, they say that you are near and dear to them.\par But in their hearts, they are really far away from you.\par
My Master says, “These people say they love me. They show honor to me with words from their mouths. But their hearts are far from me. The honor they show me is nothing but human rules they have memorized.
Listen to my people.\par Everywhere in this country\par people are crying for help.\par They say,\par “Is the Lord still at Zion {\cf2\super [74]} ?\par Is Zion’s King still there?”\par