The way they live is leading them to destruction. They have replaced God with their own desires. They do shameful things, and they are proud of what they do. They think only about earthly things.
“The Lord, the God of Israel, promised that your father’s family would serve him forever. But now the Lord says, ‘That will never be! I will honor people who honor me, but bad things will happen to those who refuse to respect me.
Israel is like a vine that grows plenty of fruit. But as Israel got more and more things, he built more and more altars to honor false gods. His land became better and better, so he put up better and better stones to honor false gods.
They will eat, but they will not be satisfied. They will commit sexual sins, but they will not have babies. This is because they left the Lord and became like prostitutes.
“But they will know the Lord’s anger. It will be like a cup of poison in the Lord’s right hand. They will taste that anger, and then they will fall to the ground like drunks. “Evil ruler, you will drink from that cup. You will get shame, not honor.
The priests are like gangs of robbers hiding and waiting on the road to attack someone. They murder people before they reach safety in Shechem. They do such evil things.
“Priests, nation of Israel, and people in the king’s family, listen to me. You have been judged guilty! “You were like a trap at Mizpah and like a net spread on the ground at Tabor.
We have been guilty of many sins from the days of our ancestors until now. We sinned so our kings and priests were punished. Foreign kings attacked us and took our people away. They took away our wealth and made us ashamed. It is the same even today.
“I will save them from the grave. I will rescue them from death. Death, where are your diseases? Grave, where is your power? I am not looking for revenge.
“But Jeshurun became fat and kicked like a bull. (Yes, you people were fed well and became full and fat.) They left the God who made them! They ran away from the Rock who saved them.