For your handsare defiledwith bloodAnd your fingerswith iniquity;Your lipshave spokenfalsehood,Your tonguemutterswickedness.
Haughtyeyes,a lyingtongue,And handsthat shedinnocentblood,
"So when you spreadout your hands[in prayer], I will hideMy eyesfrom you; Yes,eventhoughyou multiplyprayers,I will not listen.Your handsare coveredwith blood.
Howthe faithfulcityhas becomea harlot,She [who] was fullof justice!Righteousnessonce lodgedin her, But nowmurderers.
Becauseyou have said,"We have madea covenantwith death,And with Sheolwe have madea pact.The overwhelmingscourgewill not reachus whenit passesby, For we have madefalsehoodour refugeand we have concealedourselves with deception."
For Jerusalemhas stumbledand Judahhas fallen,Becausetheir speechand their actionsare againstthe LORD,To rebelagainst His gloriouspresence.
For thisis a rebelliouspeople,false~sons,Sonswho refuseto listenTo the instructionof the LORD;
He feedson ashes;a deceivedhearthas turnedhim aside.And he cannotdeliverhimself,norsay,"Is there not a liein my righthand?"
Transgressingand denyingthe LORD,And turningawayfrom our God,Speakingoppressionand revolt,Conceiving[in] and utteringfrom the heartlyingwords.
Then I said,"Woeis me, for I am ruined!BecauseI am a manof uncleanlips,And I liveamonga peopleof uncleanlips;For my eyeshave seenthe King,the LORDof hosts."
The headis the elderand honorableman, And the prophetwho teachesfalsehoodis the tail.
"In vainI have struckyour sons;They acceptednochastening.Your swordhas devouredyour prophetsLike a destroyinglion.
"Alsoon your skirtsis foundThe lifebloodof the innocentpoor;You did not findthem breakingin. But in spiteof allthesethings,
"But your eyesand your heartAre [intent] onlyupon your own dishonestgain,And on sheddinginnocentbloodAnd on practicingoppressionand extortion."
"Behold,you are trustingin deceptivewordsto noavail.
Ohthat I hadin the desertA wayfarers'lodgingplace;That I might leavemy peopleAnd gofrom them! For allof them are adulterers,An assemblyof treacherousmen.
Thereforethussaysthe LORDof hosts,"Behold,I will refinethem and assaythem; For what[else] can I do,becauseof the daughterof My people?
Therefore,thussaysthe LordGOD,"Becauseyou have spokenfalsehoodand seena lie,thereforebehold,I am againstyou," declaresthe LordGOD.
"And you, sonof man,will you judge,will you judgethe bloodycity?Then cause her to knowallher abominations.
thereforeas I live,"declaresthe LordGOD,"I will giveyou overto bloodshed,and bloodshedwill pursueyou; sinceyou have not hatedbloodshed,therefore bloodshedwill pursueyou.
Makethe chain,for the landis fullof bloodycrimesand the cityis fullof violence.
Then He saidto me, "The iniquityof the houseof Israeland Judahis very,verygreat,and the landis filledwith bloodand the cityis fullof perversion;for they say,'The LORDhas forsakenthe land,and the LORDdoes not see!'
[There is] swearing,deception,murder,stealingand adultery.They employviolence,so that bloodshedfollowsbloodshed.
Woeto them, for they have strayedfrom Me! Destructionis theirs, for they have rebelledagainst Me! I would redeemthem, but they speakliesagainstMe.
With their wickednessthey makethe kingglad,And the princeswith their lies.
Thenthey will cryout to the LORD,But He will not answerthem. Instead, He will hideHis facefrom them at that timeBecausethey have practicedevildeeds.
"For the richmenof [the] city are fullof violence,Her residentsspeaklies,And their tongueis deceitfulin their mouth.
The godlypersonhas perishedfrom the land,And thereis noupright[person] among men.Allof them liein waitfor bloodshed;Eachof them huntsthe otherwith a net.
saying,"I have sinnedby betrayinginnocentblood."But they said,"Whatis that to us? See[to that] yourself!"
by meansof the hypocrisyof liarssearedin their ownconscienceas with a branding iron,
