Their webswill not becomeclothing,Norwill they coverthemselves with their works;Their worksare worksof iniquity,And an actof violenceis in their hands.
"As a wellkeepsits watersfresh,Soshe keepsfreshher wickedness.Violenceand destructionare heardin her; Sicknessand woundsare everbeforeMe.
"I will declareyour righteousnessand your deeds,But they will not profityou.
"And I will punishon that dayallwho leapon the [temple] threshold,Who fillthe houseof their lordwith violenceand deceit.
"For the richmenof [the] city are fullof violence,Her residentsspeaklies,And their tongueis deceitfulin their mouth.
"RecentlyMy peoplehave arisenas an enemy--You stripthe robeoffthe garmentFrom unsuspectingpassers-by,[From] those returnedfrom war.
Do you putoffthe dayof calamity,And would you bringnearthe seatof violence?
"But they do not knowhow to dowhatis right,"declaresthe LORD,"these who hoardup violenceand devastationin their citadels."
Makethe chain,for the landis fullof bloodycrimesand the cityis fullof violence.
Violencehas growninto a rodof wickedness.Noneof them [shall remain], noneof their people,noneof their wealth,noranything eminentamong them.
For allof us have becomelike one who is unclean,And allour righteousdeedsare like a filthygarment;And allof us witherlike a leaf,And our iniquities,like the wind,takeus away.
"Behold,you fastfor contentionand strifeand to strikewith a wickedfist.You do not fastlike [you do] todayto makeyour voiceheardon high.
"Woeto the rebelliouschildren,"declaresthe LORD,"Who executea plan,but not Mine,And makean alliance,but not of My Spirit,In orderto addsinto sin;
For the vineyardof the LORDof hostsis the houseof IsraelAnd the menof JudahHis delightfulplant.Thus He lookedfor justice,but behold,bloodshed;For righteousness,but behold,a cryof distress.
No,in heartyou workunrighteousness;On earthyou weighout the violenceof your hands.
Now the earthwas corruptin the sightof God,and the earthwas filledwith violence.
Althoughthere is noviolencein my hands,And my prayeris pure.
oppressesthe poorand needy,commitsrobbery,does not restorea pledge,but liftsup his eyesto the idols[and] commitsabomination,
"For I hatedivorce,"saysthe LORD,the Godof Israel,"and him who covershis garmentwith wrong,"saysthe LORDof hosts."So takeheedto your spirit,that you do not dealtreacherously."
Destructionis in her midst;Oppressionand deceitdo not departfrom her streets.
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!'
Woeto her who is rebelliousand defiled,The tyrannicalcity!
