"Have you not donethisto yourself By your forsakingthe LORDyour GodWhenHe ledyou in the way?
"As for you, my sonSolomon,knowthe Godof your father,and serveHim with a wholeheartand a willingmind;for the LORDsearchesallhearts,and understandseveryintentof the thoughts.Ifyou seekHim, He will let you findHim; but ifyou forsakeHim, He will rejectyou forever.
and he wentout to meetAsaand saidto him, "Listento me, Asa,and allJudahand Benjamin:the LORDis with you when you are with Him. And ifyou seekHim, He will let you findHim; but ifyou forsakeHim, He will forsakeyou.
Becausethey turnedasidefrom followingHim, And hadnoregardfor anyof His ways;
"According to whatI have seen,those who plowiniquityAnd those who sowtroubleharvestit.
He ledthem also by a straightway,To goto an inhabitedcity.
To Him who ledHis peoplethrough the wilderness,For His lovingkindnessis everlasting;
You ledYour peoplelike a flockBy the handof Mosesand Aaron.
Grievouspunishmentis for him who forsakesthe way;He who hatesreproofwill die.
Alas,sinfulnation,Peopleweigheddownwith iniquity,Offspringof evildoers,Sonswho actcorruptly!They have abandonedthe LORD,They have despisedthe HolyOneof Israel,They have turnedawayfrom Him.
Transgressingand denyingthe LORD,And turningawayfrom our God,Speakingoppressionand revolt,Conceiving[in] and utteringfrom the heartlyingwords.
"Ifyou sayin your heart,Whyhave thesethingshappenedto me?' Because of the magnitudeof your iniquityYour skirtshave been removedAnd your heelshave been exposed.
"Becausethey have forsakenMe and have madethisan alienplaceand have burnedsacrificesin it to othergods,that neitherthey northeir forefathersnorthe kingsof Judahhad [ever] known,and [because] they have filledthisplacewith the bloodof the innocent
"For My peoplehave committedtwoevils:They have forsakenMe, The fountainof livingwaters,To hewfor themselves cisterns,BrokencisternsThat canholdnowater.
"Your own wickednesswill correctyou, And your apostasieswill reproveyou; Knowtherefore and seethat it is eviland bitterFor you to forsakethe LORDyour God,And the dreadof Me is not in you," declaresthe LordGODof hosts.
"Your waysand your deedsHave broughtthesethingsto you. Thisis your evil.Howbitter!Howit has touchedyour heart!"
becauseof their wickednesswhichthey committedso as to provokeMe to angerby continuingto burnsacrifices[and] to serveothergodswhomthey had not known,[neither] they, you, noryour fathers.
Your iniquitieshave turnedtheseaway,And your sinshave withheldgoodfrom you.
"According to their uncleannessand according to their transgressionsI dealtwith them, and I hidMy facefrom them."'"
[It is] your destruction,O Israel,That [you are] against Me, against your help.
Allthisis for the rebellionof JacobAnd for the sinsof the houseof Israel.Whatis the rebellionof Jacob?Is it not Samaria?Whatis the highplaceof Judah?Is it not Jerusalem?
"But ifyou will not doso,behold,you have sinnedagainst the LORD,and be sureyour sinwill findyou out.
"He foundhim in a desertland,And in the howlingwasteof a wilderness;He encircledhim, He caredfor him, He guardedhim as the pupilof His eye.
"The LORDsaw[this], and spurned[them] Becauseof the provocationof His sonsand daughters.
