You too have doneevil,[even] morethanyour forefathers;for behold,you are eachonewalkingaccordingto the stubbornnessof his own evilheart,withoutlisteningto Me.
Then the LORDsawthat the wickednessof manwas greaton the earth,and that everyintentof the thoughtsof his heartwas onlyevilcontinually.
The LORDsmelledthe soothingaroma;and the LORDsaidto Himself,"I will neveragaincursethe groundon accountof man,for the intentof man'sheartis evilfrom his youth;and I will neveragaindestroyeverylivingthing,as I have done.
Althougha sinnerdoesevila hundred[times] and may lengthenhis [life], stillI knowthat it will be wellfor those who fearGod,whofearHim openly.
Thisis an evilin allthat is doneunderthe sun,that there is onefatefor allmen.Furthermore,the heartsof the sonsof menare fullof eviland insanityis in their heartsthroughout their lives.Afterwardsthey [go] to the dead.
Thiswickedpeople,whorefuseto listento My words,who walkin the stubbornnessof their heartsand have goneafterothergodsto servethem and to bowdownto them, let them be just like thiswaistbandwhichis totallyworthless.
"The heartis moredeceitfulthanallelse And is desperatelysick;Whocan understandit?
"But they will say,'It's hopeless!For we are goingto followour own plans,and eachof us will actaccording to the stubbornnessof his evilheart.'
"Is thismanConiaha despised,shatteredjar?Oris he an undesirablevessel?Whyhave he and his descendantsbeen hurledout And castinto a landthat they had not known?
"Yet they did not obeyor inclinetheir ear,but walkedin [their own] counsels[and] in the stubbornnessof their evilheart,and wentbackwardand not forward.
"Yet they did not listento Me or inclinetheir ear,but stiffenedtheir neck;they did moreevilthantheir fathers.
but have walkedafterthe stubbornnessof their heartand afterthe Baals,as their fatherstaughtthem,"
Our fatherssinned,[and] are nomore;It is we who have bornetheir iniquities.
"Therefore,sayto the houseof Israel,'Thussaysthe LordGOD,"Will you defileyourselves after the mannerof your fathersand playthe harlotaftertheir detestablethings?
Thussaysthe LORD,"For threetransgressionsof Judahand for fourI will not revokeits [punishment], Becausethey rejectedthe lawof the LORDAnd have not keptHis statutes;Their liesalso have ledthem astray,Those afterwhichtheir fatherswalked.
"From the daysof your fathersyou have turnedasidefrom My statutesand have not kept[them]. Returnto Me, and I will returnto you," saysthe LORDof hosts."But you say,'Howshall we return?'
"For from within,out of the heartof men,proceedthe evilthoughts,fornications,thefts,murders,adulteries,
"It shall be when he hearsthe wordsof thiscurse,that he will boast,saying,'I havepeacethoughI walkin the stubbornnessof my heartin orderto destroythe watered[land] with the dry.'
RememberYour servants,Abraham,Isaac,and Jacob;do not lookat the stubbornnessof thispeopleor at their wickednessor their sin.
But evilmenand impostorswill proceed[from bad] to worse,deceivingand being deceived.
Take care,brethren,that there not be in any oneof you an evil,unbelievingheartthat falls awayfrom the livingGod.
But it cameabout when the judgedied,that they would turnbackand actmorecorruptlythantheir fathers,in followingothergodsto servethem and bowdownto them; they did not abandontheir practicesor their stubbornways.
"For rebellionis as the sinof divination,And insubordinationis as iniquityand idolatry.Becauseyou have rejectedthe wordof the LORD,He has also rejectedyou from [being] king."
