Alas,sinfulnation,Peopleweigheddownwith iniquity,Offspringof evildoers,Sonswho actcorruptly!They have abandonedthe LORD,They have despisedthe HolyOneof Israel,They have turnedawayfrom Him.
Now the menof Sodomwere wickedexceedinglyand sinnersagainst the LORD.
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.
"We have actedverycorruptlyagainst You and have not keptthe commandments,northe statutes,northe ordinanceswhichYou commandedYour servantMoses.
The wickedare estrangedfrom the womb;These who speakliesgoastrayfrom birth.
I will alsopraiseYou with a harp,[Even] Your truth,O my God;To You I will singpraiseswith the lyre,O HolyOneof Israel.
Howoftenthey rebelledagainst Him in the wildernessAnd grievedHim in the desert!
Againand again they temptedGod,And painedthe HolyOneof Israel.
But turnedbackand actedtreacherouslylike their fathers;They turnedasidelike a treacherousbow.
And not be like their fathers,A stubbornand rebelliousgeneration,A generationthat did not prepareits heartAnd whose spiritwas not faithfulto God.
For our shieldbelongs to the LORD,And our kingto the HolyOneof Israel.
Then the LORDspoketo Moses,"Godownat once,for your people,whomyou broughtup from the landof Egypt,have corrupted[themselves].
Your rulersare rebelsAnd companionsof thieves;Everyonelovesa bribeAnd chasesafter rewards.They do not defendthe orphan,Nordoes the widow'spleacomebeforethem.
But transgressorsand sinnerswill be crushedtogether,And those who forsakethe LORDwill cometo an end.
I sendit against a godlessnationAnd commissionit againstthe peopleof My furyTo capturebootyand to seizeplunder,And to tramplethem downlike mudin the streets.
Cryaloudand shoutfor joy,O inhabitantof Zion,For greatin your midstis 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.
The afflictedalso will increasetheir gladnessin the LORD,And the needyof mankindwill rejoicein the HolyOneof Israel.
For Jerusalemhas stumbledand Judahhas fallen,Becausetheir speechand their actionsare againstthe LORD,To rebelagainst His gloriouspresence.
"Woeto the rebelliouschildren,"declaresthe LORD,"Who executea plan,but not Mine,And makean alliance,but not of My Spirit,In orderto addsinto sin;
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;
Yet He alsois wiseand will bringdisasterAnd does not retractHis words,But will ariseagainstthe houseof evildoersAnd againstthe helpof the workersof iniquity.
"Whomhave you reproachedand blasphemed?And againstwhomhave you raised[your] voiceAnd haughtilyliftedup your eyes?Againstthe HolyOneof Israel!
"Do not fear,you wormJacob,you menof Israel;I will helpyou," declaresthe LORD,"and your Redeemeris the HolyOneof Israel.
"You will winnowthem, and the windwill carrythem away, And the stormwill scatterthem; But you will rejoicein the LORD,You will gloryin the HolyOneof Israel.
That they may seeand recognize,And considerand gaininsightas well,That the handof the LORDhas donethis,And the HolyOneof Israelhas createdit.
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]!"
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.
"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,
A peoplewho continuallyprovokeMe to My face,Offeringsacrificesin gardensand burningincenseon bricks;
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.
"You who have forsakenMe," declaresthe LORD,"You keep goingbackward.So I will stretchout My handagainstyou and destroyyou; I am tiredof relenting!
"For My peoplehave committedtwoevils:They have forsakenMe, The fountainof livingwaters,To hewfor themselves cisterns,BrokencisternsThat canholdnowater.
"Have you not donethisto yourself By your forsakingthe LORDyour GodWhenHe ledyou in the way?
"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.
"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'?
"Howwellyou prepareyour wayTo seeklove!Thereforeeventhe wickedwomenYou have taughtyour ways.
Thussaysthe LORD,"Whatinjusticedid your fathersfindin Me, That they wentfarfrom Me And walkedafteremptinessand becameempty?
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.
"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.
For neitherIsraelnorJudahhas been forsakenBy his God,the LORDof hosts,Althoughtheir landis fullof guiltBeforethe HolyOneof Israel.
"Do they spiteMe?" declaresthe LORD."Is it not themselves [they spite], to their ownshame?"
"Yet they did not listento Me or inclinetheir ear,but stiffenedtheir neck;they did moreevilthantheir fathers.
in orderto layholdof the heartsof the houseof Israelwhoare estrangedfrom Me through alltheir idols."'
"Men givegiftsto allharlots,but you giveyour giftsto allyour loversto bribethem to cometo you from everydirectionfor your harlotries.
"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."
"Now behold,you have risenup in your fathers'place,a broodof sinfulmen,to addstillmoreto the burningangerof the LORDagainstIsrael.
"Cometo Me, allwho are wearyand heavy-laden,and I will give you rest.
"You serpents,you broodof vipers,howwill you escapethe sentenceof hell?
But when he sawmanyof the Phariseesand Sadduceescomingfor baptism,he saidto them, "You broodof vipers,whowarnedyou to fleefrom the wrathto come?
becausethe mind seton the fleshis hostiletowardGod;for it does not subjectitself to the lawof God,for it is not evenable[to do so],
Ordo we provokethe Lordto jealousy?We are not strongerthan He, are we?
"Then [men] will say,Becausethey forsookthe covenantof the LORD,the Godof their fathers,whichHe madewith them when He broughtthem out of the landof Egypt.
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.
"The LORDsaw[this], and spurned[them] Becauseof the provocationof His sonsand daughters.
"They have actedcorruptlytoward Him, [They are] not His children,because of their defect;[But are] a perverseand crookedgeneration.
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.
for her sinshave piledup as highas heaven,and Godhas rememberedher iniquities.
Then the sonsof Israelcriedout to the LORD,saying,"We have sinnedagainst You, for indeed, we have forsakenour Godand servedthe Baals."
