Yet the peopledo not turnbackto Him who struckthem, Nordo they seekthe LORDof hosts.
Now in the timeof his distressthissameKingAhazbecameyetmoreunfaithfulto the LORD.
"But the godlessin heartlayup anger;They do not cryfor helpwhenHe bindsthem.
Wherewill you be strickenagain,[As] you continuein [your] rebellion?The wholeheadis sickAnd the wholeheartis faint.
There will be noworkfor EgyptWhich[its] heador tail,[its] palmbranchor bulrush,may do.
O LORD,Your handis liftedup [yet] they do not seeit. They see[Your] zealfor the peopleand are putto shame;Indeed,firewill devourYour enemies.
Woeto those who godownto Egyptfor help[And] relyon horses,And trustin chariotsbecausethey are manyAnd in horsemenbecausethey are verystrong,But they do not lookto the HolyOneof Israel,norseekthe LORD!
"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.
In that daythe Lordwill shavewith a razor,hiredfrom regionsbeyondthe Euphrates([that is], with the kingof Assyria),the headand the hairof the legs;and it will alsoremovethe beard.
"I will winnowthem with a winnowingforkAt the gatesof the land;I will bereave[them] of children,I will destroyMy people;They did not repentof their ways.
For I knowthe plansthat I havefor you,' declaresthe LORD,'plansfor welfareand not for calamityto giveyou a futureand a hope.
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.
"Sonof man,sayto her, 'You are a landthat is not cleansedor rainedon in the dayof indignation.'
"In your filthinessis lewdness.BecauseI [would] have cleansedyou, Yet you are not clean,You will not be cleansedfrom your filthinessagainUntilI have spentMy wrathon you.
"As it is writtenin the lawof Moses,allthiscalamityhas comeon us; yet we have not soughtthe favorof the LORDour Godby turningfrom our iniquityand givingattentionto Your truth.
I will goaway [and] returnto My placeUntilthey acknowledgetheir guiltand seekMy face;In their afflictionthey will earnestlyseekMe.
Though the prideof Israeltestifiesagainsthim, Yet they have not returnedto the LORDtheir God,Norhave they soughtHim, for allthis.
They turn,[but] not upward,They are like a deceitfulbow;Their princeswill fallby the swordBecauseof the insolenceof their tongue.This[will be] their derisionin the landof Egypt.
"I senta plagueamong you after the mannerof Egypt;I slewyour youngmenby the swordalongwith your capturedhorses,And I made the stenchof your campriseup in your nostrils;Yet you have not returnedto Me," declaresthe LORD.
"But I gaveyou alsocleannessof teethin allyour citiesAnd lackof breadin allyour places,Yet you have not returnedto Me," declaresthe LORD.
And those who have turnedbackfrom followingthe LORD,And those whohave not soughtthe LORDor inquiredof Him."
"But from thereyou will seekthe LORDyour God,and you will find[Him] ifyou searchfor Him with allyour heartand allyour soul.
