The Lord said: These people approach me with their speeches to honour me with lip-service, yet their hearts are far from me, and human rules direct their worship of me.
‘The Lord of Armies who planted you has decreed disaster against you, because of the disaster the house of Israel and the house of Judah brought on themselves when they angered me by burning incense to Baal.’
So my people come to you in crowds, sit in front of you, and hear your words, but they don’t obey them. Their mouths go on passionately, but their hearts pursue dishonest profit.
‘This is what you are to say to him: “This is what the Lord says: ‘What I have built I am about to demolish, and what I have planted I am about to uproot #– #the whole land!
He answered them, ‘Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, and you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do you tolerate those who are treacherous? Why are you silent while one who is wicked swallows up one who is more righteous than himself?