and I said,"O my God,I am ashamedand embarrassedto liftup my faceto You, my God,for our iniquitieshave risenaboveour headsand our guilthas grownevento the heavens.
Now the menof Sodomwere wickedexceedinglyand sinnersagainst the LORD.
if they takethoughtin the landwherethey have been takencaptive,and repentand makesupplicationto You in the landof those who have takenthem captive,saying,We have sinnedand have committediniquity,we have actedwickedly';
But a prophetof the LORDwas there,whose name[was] Oded;and he wentout to meetthe armywhich cameto Samariaand saidto them, "Behold,because the LORD,the Godof your fathers,was angrywith Judah,He has deliveredthem into your hand,and you have slainthem in a rage[which] has evenreachedheaven.
"Afterallthat has comeupon us for our evildeedsand our greatguilt,sinceYou our Godhave requited[us] lessthanour iniquities[deserve], and have givenus an escapedremnantas this,
"O LORDGodof Israel,You are righteous,for we have been leftan escapedremnant,as [it is] thisday;behold,we are beforeYou in our guilt,for noonecan standbeforeYou becauseof this."
let Your earnowbe attentiveand Your eyesopento hearthe prayerof Your servantwhichI am prayingbeforeYou now,dayand night,on behalfof the sonsof IsraelYour servants,confessingthe sinsof the sonsof Israelwhichwe have sinnedagainst You; I and my father'shousehave sinned.
"Behold,I am insignificant;whatcan I replyto You? I laymy handon my mouth.
ThereforeI retract,And I repentin dustand ashes."
For my iniquitiesare goneovermy head;As a heavyburdenthey weightoomuchfor me.
My woundsgrowfoul[and] festerBecauseof my folly.
Then Mosesreturnedto the LORD,and said,"Alas,thispeoplehas committeda greatsin,and they have madea godof goldfor themselves.
"Comenow,and let us reasontogether," Saysthe LORD,"Thoughyour sinsare as scarlet,They will be as whiteas snow;Thoughthey are redlike crimson,They will be like wool.
For our transgressionsare multipliedbeforeYou, And our sinstestifyagainst us; For our transgressionsare with us, And we knowour iniquities:
"Therefore the showershave been withheld,And there has beennospringrain.Yet you hada harlot'sforehead;You refusedto be ashamed.
For afterI turnedback,I repented;And afterI was instructed,I smoteon [my] thigh;I was ashamedand alsohumiliatedBecauseI borethe reproachof my youth.'
We applied healingto Babylon,but she was not healed;Forsakeher and let us eachgoto his own country,For her judgmenthas reachedto heavenAnd towersup to the very skies.
"Were they ashamedbecauseof the abominationthey have done?They were not evenashamedat all;They did not evenknowhow to blush.Thereforethey shall fallamong those who fall;At the timethat I punishthem, They shall be castdown,"saysthe LORD.
"Were they ashamedbecauseof the abominationthey had done?They certainlywere not ashamed,And they did not knowhow to blush;Thereforethey shall fallamong those who fall;At the timeof their punishmentthey shall be broughtdown,"Saysthe LORD.
We have transgressedand rebelled,You have not pardoned.
so that you may rememberand be ashamedand neveropenyour mouthanymorebecauseof your humiliation,when I have forgivenyou for allthat you have done,"the LordGODdeclares.
If they confesstheir iniquityand the iniquityof their forefathers,in their unfaithfulnesswhichthey committedagainst Me, and alsoin their actingwith hostilityagainstMe--
"And the sonsaidto him, 'Father,I have sinnedagainstheavenand in your sight;I amno longerworthyto be calledyour son.'
"But the tax collector,standingsome distance away,was evenunwillingto liftup his eyesto heaven,but was beatinghis breast,saying,'God,be mercifulto me, the sinner!'
Thereforewhatbenefitwere you thenderivingfrom the things of whichyou are nowashamed?For the outcomeof those thingsis death.
for her sinshave piledup as highas heaven,and Godhas rememberedher iniquities.
