For my people have committed a double evil: They have abandoned me, the fountain of living water, and dug cisterns for themselves #– # cracked cisterns that cannot hold water.
But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well , of water springing up in him for eternal life.’
Lord, the hope of Israel, all who abandon you will be put to shame. All who turn away from me will be written in the dirt, for they have abandoned the Lord, the fountain of living water.
Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life.
Why do you spend silver on what is not food, and your wages on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and you will enjoy the choicest of foods.
Both the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come! ’ Let anyone who hears, say, ‘Come! ’ Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.
‘For my people are fools; they do not know me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing what is evil, but they do not know how to do what is good.’
‘I will pronounce my judgements against them for all the evil they did when they abandoned me to burn incense to other gods and to worship the works of their own hands.
For to the person who is pleasing in his sight, he gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and accumulating in order to give to the one who is pleasing in God’s sight. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
You have left me.’ This is the Lord’s declaration. ‘You have turned your back, so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you. I am tired of showing compassion.
When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had laboured to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. , There was nothing to be gained under the sun.
Then they cried out to the Lord and said, “We have sinned, for we abandoned the Lord and worshipped the Baals and the Ashtoreths. Now rescue us from the power of our enemies, and we will serve you.”
Like the shame of a thief when he is caught, so the house of Israel has been put to shame. They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets
When there is a person whose work was done with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a person who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great wrong.
But recently my people have risen up like an enemy: You strip off the splendid robe from those who are passing through confidently, like those returning from war.
The Lord said to Moses, ‘You are about to rest with your ancestors, and these people will soon prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will abandon me and break the covenant I have made with them.
Their nobles send their servants for water. They go to the cisterns; they find no water; their containers return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads.
because they have abandoned me and made this a foreign place. They have burned incense in it to other gods that they, their ancestors, and the kings of Judah have never known. They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.
Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple towards the east, for the temple faced east. The water was coming down from under the south side of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.
because they have abandoned me and burned incense to other gods in order to anger me with all the work of their hands. My wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched.”
Oh sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity, brood of evildoers, depraved children! They have abandoned the Lord; they have despised the Holy One of Israel; they have turned their backs on him.