Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe, her priests teach for payment, and her prophets practise divination for silver. Yet they lean on the Lord, saying, ‘Isn’t the Lord among us? No disaster will overtake us.’
On that day you will not be put to shame because of everything you have done in rebelling against me. For then I will remove from among you your jubilant, arrogant people, and you will never again be haughty on my holy mountain.
You profane me among my people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread; you put those to death who should not die and spare those who should not live, when you lie to my people, who listen to lies.
‘Send a message to all the exiles, saying, “This is what the Lord says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and made you trust a lie,
Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father,” for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones.
because they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with their neighbours’ wives and have spoken in my name a lie, which I did not command them. I am he who knows, and I am a witness.’ This is the Lord’s declaration.
I will cut off Israel from the land I gave them, and I will reject the temple I have sanctified for my name. Israel will become an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples.
This is what the Lord says: Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. Where could you possibly build a house for me? And where would my resting place be?