"BecauseI knowthat you are obstinate,And your neckis an ironsinewAnd your foreheadbronze,
However, they did not listen,but stiffenedtheir necklike their fathers,whodid not believein the LORDtheir God.
"Nowdo not stiffenyour necklike your fathers,but yieldto the LORDand enterHis sanctuarywhichHe has consecratedforever,and servethe LORDyour God,that His burningangermay turnawayfrom you.
He alsorebelledagainst KingNebuchadnezzarwhohad made him swear[allegiance] by God.But he stiffenedhis neckand hardenedhis heartagainstturningto the LORDGodof Israel.
"But as soon as they hadrest,they didevilagainbeforeYou; Therefore You abandonedthem to the handof their enemies,so that they ruledover them. When they criedagainto You, You heardfrom heaven,And manytimesYou rescuedthem according to Your compassion,
Do not liftup your hornon high,Do not speakwith insolentpride.'"
And not be like their fathers,A stubbornand rebelliousgeneration,A generationthat did not prepareits heartAnd whose spiritwas not faithfulto God.
The LORDsaidto Moses,"I have seenthispeople,and behold,they are an obstinatepeople.
"[Go up] to a landflowingwith milkand honey;for I will not goup in your midst,becauseyou are an obstinatepeople,and I mightdestroyyou on the way."
For the LORDhad saidto Moses,"Sayto the sonsof Israel,You are an obstinatepeople;should I goup in your midstfor onemoment,I would destroyyou. Nowtherefore, putoffyour ornamentsfrom you, that I may knowwhatI shall dowith you.'"
Pharaohsent,and behold,there was not evenoneof the livestockof Israeldead.But the heartof Pharaohwas hardened,and he did not letthe peoplego.
A manwho hardens[his] neckafter much reproofWill suddenlybe brokenbeyondremedy.
For thisis a rebelliouspeople,false~sons,Sonswho refuseto listenTo the instructionof the LORD;
"Listento Me, you stubborn-minded,Who are farfrom righteousness.
"Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,the Godof Israel,'Behold,I am about to bringon thiscityand allits townsthe entirecalamitythat I have declaredagainstit, becausethey have stiffenedtheir necksso as not to heedMy words.'"
"Therefore the showershave been withheld,And there has beennospringrain.Yet you hada harlot'sforehead;You refusedto be ashamed.
O LORD,do not Your eyes[look] for truth?You have smittenthem, [But] they did not weaken;You have consumedthem, But they refusedto takecorrection.They have madetheir facesharderthanrock;They have refusedto repent.
"Yet they did not listento Me or inclinetheir ear,but stiffenedtheir neck;they did moreevilthantheir fathers.
"I am sendingyou to them who are stubbornand obstinatechildren,and you shall sayto them, 'Thussaysthe LordGOD.'
"But whenhis heartwas liftedup and his spiritbecameso proudthat he behavedarrogantly,he was deposedfrom his royalthroneand [his] glorywas takenawayfrom him.
"You men who are stiff-neckedand uncircumcisedin heartand earsare alwaysresistingthe HolySpirit;you are doing justas your fathersdid.
But becauseof your stubbornnessand unrepentantheartyou are storingup wrathfor yourselfin the dayof wrathand revelationof the righteous judgmentof God,
"So circumciseyour heart,and stiffenyour necknolonger.
"For I knowyour rebellionand your stubbornness;behold,while I am stillalivewith you today,you have beenrebelliousagainstthe LORD;howmuchmore,then, aftermy death?
But encourageone anotherdayafterday,as longas it is [still] called"Today,"sothat noneof you will be hardenedby the deceitfulnessof sin.
