And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not even lift up his eyes to Heaven, but smote on his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, the sinner!
and his prayer, and how he entreated, and all his sin, and his unfaithfulness, and the places in which he had built high places and set up the Asherahs and the graven images before he was humbled, behold, they are written in the Matters of the Seers.
And I said, O my God, I am ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, O my God. For our iniquities have increased over our head, and our guiltiness has grown to the heavens.
For evils have surrounded me until there is no number; my iniquities have taken hold on me and I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails me.
And all the people would see the pillar of the cloud standing at the door of the tabernacle. And rising all the people rose up and bowed themselves, each man at the door of his tent.
Come now and let us reason together, says Jehovah: Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as the crimson, they shall be like wool.
Then I said, Woe to me! For I am cut off; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live amongst a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of Hosts.
And My hand has made all these things, even all these things exist, a statement of Jehovah. But I will look toward this one, to the afflicted one, and to the contrite of spirit, even trembling at My Word.
so that you may remember and be ashamed. And you will not any more open your mouth, because of your shame, when I am propitiated for you for all that you have done, a statement of the Lord Jehovah.
And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the open streets so that they may appear to be seen of men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward.
For behold this very same thing, you being grieved according to God, how much it fully worked earnestness in you, but also defense, but also indignation, but also fear, but also desire, but also zeal, but also vengeance! In everything you commended yourselves to be clear in the matter.
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesses, and I will not at all remember their sins and their lawlessnesses.” LXX-Jer. 38:31-34; MT-Jer. 31:31-34