They have gonedeepin depravityAs in the daysof Gibeah;He will remembertheir iniquity,He will punishtheir sins.
Then the LORDspoketo Moses,"Godownat once,for your people,whomyou broughtup from the landof Egypt,have corrupted[themselves].
The earthis also pollutedby its inhabitants,for they transgressedlaws,violatedstatutes,brokethe everlastingcovenant.
Returnto Him from whomyou have deeplydefected,O sonsof Israel.
Thussaysthe LORDto thispeople,"Even sothey have lovedto wander;they have not kepttheir feetin check.Therefore the LORDdoes not acceptthem; nowHe will remembertheir iniquityand calltheir sinsto account."
"And you, sonof man,prophesyand say,'Thussaysthe LordGODconcerningthe sonsof Ammonand concerningtheir reproach,'and say:'A sword,a swordis drawn,polishedfor the slaughter,to cause it to consume,that it may be like lightning--
From the daysof Gibeahyou have sinned,O Israel;Therethey stand!Will not the battleagainstthe sonsof iniquityovertakethem in Gibeah?
And it will be, like people,like priest;So I will punishthem for their waysAnd repaythem for their deeds.
Blowthe hornin Gibeah,The trumpetin Ramah.Soundan alarmat Beth-aven:"Behindyou, Benjamin!"
And they do not considerin their heartsThat I rememberalltheir wickedness.Nowtheir deedsare allaroundthem; They are beforeMy face.
As for My sacrificialgifts,They sacrificethe fleshand eat[it], [But] the LORDhas takennodelightin them. NowHe will remembertheir iniquity,And punish[them] for their sins;They will returnto Egypt.
Ephraim[was] a watchmanwith my God,a prophet;[Yet] the snareof a birdcatcheris in allhis ways,[And] there is [only] hostilityin the houseof his God.
"I said,'Surelyyou will revereMe, Acceptinstruction.'So her dwellingwill not be cutoff[According to] allthat I have appointedconcerningher. But they were eagerto corruptalltheir deeds.
However, his mastersaidto him, "We will not turnasideinto the cityof foreignerswhoare not of the sonsof Israel;but we will goon as faras Gibeah."
Then behold,an oldmanwas comingout of the fieldfrom his workat evening.Now the manwas from the hillcountryof Ephraim,and he was stayingin Gibeah,but the menof the placewere Benjamites.
While they were celebrating,behold,the menof the city,certainworthlessfellows,surroundedthe house,poundingthe door;and they spoketo the ownerof the house,the oldman,saying,"Bringout the manwhocameinto your housethat we may haverelationswith him."
They surroundedBenjamin,pursuedthem without rest[and] trodthem downoppositeGibeahtowardthe east.
