And the LORD smelled a sweet smell; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again strike any more every thing living, as I have done.
Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with those who fear God, which fear before him:
This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event for all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be like this waistband, which is good for nothing.
Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel in which is no pleasure? why are they cast out, he and his children, and are cast into a land which they do not know?
Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD; Are you polluted according to the manner of your fathers? and do you commit whoredom according to their abominations?
Thus says the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after which their fathers have walked:
Even from the days of your fathers you have gone away from my ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you said, How shall we return?
And it comes to pass, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:
And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.