Alas,sinfulnation,Peopleweigheddownwith iniquity,Offspringof evildoers,Sonswho actcorruptly!They have abandonedthe LORD,They have despisedthe HolyOneof Israel,They have turnedawayfrom Him.
Therefore,as a tongueof fireconsumesstubbleAnd drygrasscollapsesinto the flame,So their rootwill becomelike rotand their blossomblowawayas dust;For they have rejectedthe lawof the LORDof hostsAnd despisedthe wordof the HolyOneof Israel.
"Have you not donethisto yourself By your forsakingthe LORDyour GodWhenHe ledyou in the way?
"For My peoplehave committedtwoevils:They have forsakenMe, The fountainof livingwaters,To hewfor themselves cisterns,BrokencisternsThat canholdnowater.
becausethe mind seton the fleshis hostiletowardGod;for it does not subjectitself to the lawof God,for it is not evenable[to do so],
But when he sawmanyof the Phariseesand Sadduceescomingfor baptism,he saidto them, "You broodof vipers,whowarnedyou to fleefrom the wrathto come?
"Do they spiteMe?" declaresthe LORD."Is it not themselves [they spite], to their ownshame?"
"Your own wickednesswill correctyou, And your apostasieswill reproveyou; Knowtherefore and seethat it is eviland bitterFor you to forsakethe LORDyour God,And the dreadof Me is not in you," declaresthe LordGODof hosts.
Who say,"Let Him makespeed,let Him hastenHis work,that we may see[it]; And let the purposeof the HolyOneof IsraeldrawnearAnd cometo pass,that we may know[it]!"
NowI rejoicein my sufferingsfor your sake,and in my fleshI do my shareon behalfof His body,whichis the church,in fillingup whatis lackingin Christ'safflictions.
Ordo we provokethe Lordto jealousy?We are not strongerthan He, are we?
"You serpents,you broodof vipers,howwill you escapethe sentenceof hell?
"Cometo Me, allwho are wearyand heavy-laden,and I will give you rest.
"Men givegiftsto allharlots,but you giveyour giftsto allyour loversto bribethem to cometo you from everydirectionfor your harlotries.
For neitherIsraelnorJudahhas been forsakenBy his God,the LORDof hosts,Althoughtheir landis fullof guiltBeforethe HolyOneof Israel.
"SummonmanyagainstBabylon,Allthose who bendthe bow:Encampagainsther on everyside,Let there be noescape. Repayher according to her work;According to allthat she has done,[so] doto her; For she has becomearrogantagainstthe LORD,Againstthe HolyOneof Israel.
"Yet they did not listento Me or inclinetheir ear,but stiffenedtheir neck;they did moreevilthantheir fathers.
"Howwellyou prepareyour wayTo seeklove!Thereforeeventhe wickedwomenYou have taughtyour ways.
"O generation,heedthe wordof the LORD.Have I beena wildernessto Israel,Ora landof thickdarkness?Whydo My peoplesay,We [are free to] roam;We will nolongercometo You'?
Thussaysthe LORD,"Whatinjusticedid your fathersfindin Me, That they wentfarfrom Me And walkedafteremptinessand becameempty?
A peoplewho continuallyprovokeMe to My face,Offeringsacrificesin gardensand burningincenseon bricks;
That they may seeand recognize,And considerand gaininsightas well,That the handof the LORDhas donethis,And the HolyOneof Israelhas createdit.
"You will winnowthem, and the windwill carrythem away, And the stormwill scatterthem; But you will rejoicein the LORD,You will gloryin the HolyOneof Israel.
"Do not fear,you wormJacob,you menof Israel;I will helpyou," declaresthe LORD,"and your Redeemeris the HolyOneof Israel.
"Whomhave you reproachedand blasphemed?And againstwhomhave you raised[your] voiceAnd haughtilyliftedup your eyes?Againstthe HolyOneof Israel!
For thusthe LordGOD,the HolyOneof Israel,has said,"In repentanceand restyou will be saved,In quietnessand trustis your strength."But you were not willing,
For thisis a rebelliouspeople,false~sons,Sonswho refuseto listenTo the instructionof the LORD;
The afflictedalso will increasetheir gladnessin the LORD,And the needyof mankindwill rejoicein the HolyOneof Israel.
"You will not be unitedwith them in burial,Becauseyou have ruinedyour country,You have slainyour people.May the offspringof evildoersnot be mentionedforever.
I sendit against a godlessnationAnd commissionit againstthe peopleof My furyTo capturebootyand to seizeplunder,And to tramplethem downlike mudin the streets.
For Jerusalemhas stumbledand Judahhas fallen,Becausetheir speechand their actionsare againstthe LORD,To rebelagainst His gloriouspresence.
Your rulersare rebelsAnd companionsof thieves;Everyonelovesa bribeAnd chasesafter rewards.They do not defendthe orphan,Nordoes the widow'spleacomebeforethem.
For our shieldbelongs to the LORD,And our kingto the HolyOneof Israel.
Howoftenthey rebelledagainst Him in the wildernessAnd grievedHim in the desert!
And not be like their fathers,A stubbornand rebelliousgeneration,A generationthat did not prepareits heartAnd whose spiritwas not faithfulto God.
The wickedare estrangedfrom the womb;These who speakliesgoastrayfrom birth.
Then the sonsof Israelcriedout to the LORD,saying,"We have sinnedagainst You, for indeed, we have forsakenour Godand servedthe Baals."
"The LORDsaw[this], and spurned[them] Becauseof the provocationof His sonsand daughters.
The LORDsaidto Moses,"Behold,you are about to liedownwith your fathers;and thispeoplewill ariseand playthe harlotwith the strangegodsof the land,into the midstof whichthey are going,and will forsakeMe and breakMy covenantwhichI have madewith them.
"Then [men] will say,Becausethey forsookthe covenantof the LORD,the Godof their fathers,whichHe madewith them when He broughtthem out of the landof Egypt.
"Now behold,you have risenup in your fathers'place,a broodof sinfulmen,to addstillmoreto the burningangerof the LORDagainstIsrael.
Now the menof Sodomwere wickedexceedinglyand sinnersagainst the LORD.
for her sinshave piledup as highas heaven,and Godhas rememberedher iniquities.
Cryaloudand shoutfor joy,O inhabitantof Zion,For greatin your midstis the HolyOneof Israel.
"We have actedverycorruptlyagainst You and have not keptthe commandments,northe statutes,northe ordinanceswhichYou commandedYour servantMoses.
I will alsopraiseYou with a harp,[Even] Your truth,O my God;To You I will singpraiseswith the lyre,O HolyOneof Israel.
But transgressorsand sinnerswill be crushedtogether,And those who forsakethe LORDwill cometo an end.
Thereforethe Lorddoes not takepleasurein their youngmen,Nordoes He havepityon their orphansor their widows;For everyoneof them is godlessand an evildoer,And everymouthis speakingfoolishness.In [spite of] allthis,His angerdoes not turnawayAnd His handis stillstretchedout.
Yet He alsois wiseand will bringdisasterAnd does not retractHis words,But will ariseagainstthe houseof evildoersAnd againstthe helpof the workersof iniquity.
"Because of the iniquityof his unjustgainI was angryand struckhim; I hid[My face] and was angry,And he wenton turningaway,in the wayof his heart.
"Yet they seekMe dayby dayand delightto knowMy ways,As a nationthat has donerighteousnessAnd has not forsakenthe ordinanceof their God.They askMe [for] justdecisions,They delightin the nearnessof God.
"But you who forsakethe LORD,WhoforgetMy holymountain,Whoseta tablefor Fortune,And who fill[cups] with mixedwinefor Destiny,
"You who have forsakenMe," declaresthe LORD,"You keep goingbackward.So I will stretchout My handagainstyou and destroyyou; I am tiredof relenting!
becauseof allthe evilof the sonsof Israeland the sonsof Judahwhichthey have doneto provokeMe to anger--they, their kings,their leaders,their priests,their prophets,the menof Judahand the inhabitantsof Jerusalem.
in orderto layholdof the heartsof the houseof Israelwhoare estrangedfrom Me through alltheir idols."'
"You are the daughterof your mother,who loathedher husbandand children.You are also the sisterof your sisters,wholoathedtheir husbandsand children.Your motherwas a Hittiteand your fatheran Amorite.
"Indeed allIsraelhas transgressedYour lawand turnedaside,not obeyingYour voice;so the cursehas been pouredout on us, along with the oathwhichis writtenin the lawof Mosesthe servantof God,for we have sinnedagainst Him.
And those who have turnedbackfrom followingthe LORD,And those whohave not soughtthe LORDor inquiredof Him."
Then the LORDspoketo Moses,"Godownat once,for your people,whomyou broughtup from the landof Egypt,have corrupted[themselves].
"They have actedcorruptlytoward Him, [They are] not His children,because of their defect;[But are] a perverseand crookedgeneration.
So he forsookthe LORD,the Godof his fathers,and did not walkin the wayof the LORD.
When the kingdomof Rehoboamwas establishedand strong,he and allIsraelwith him forsookthe lawof the LORD.
He didrightin the sightof the LORD,according to allthat his fatherUzziahhad done;howeverhe did not enterthe templeof the LORD.But the peoplecontinuedactingcorruptly.
Againand again they temptedGod,And painedthe HolyOneof Israel.
But turnedbackand actedtreacherouslylike their fathers;They turnedasidelike a treacherousbow.
"Woeto the rebelliouschildren,"declaresthe LORD,"Who executea plan,but not Mine,And makean alliance,but not of My Spirit,In orderto addsinto sin;
