"In vainI have struckyour sons;They acceptednochastening.Your swordhas devouredyour prophetsLike a destroyinglion.
He said,"I have beenveryzealousfor the LORD,the Godof hosts;for the sonsof Israelhave forsakenYour covenant,torndownYour altarsand killedYour prophetswith the sword.And I aloneam left;and they seekmy life,to takeit away."
Then he said,"I have beenveryzealousfor the LORD,the Godof hosts;for the sonsof Israelhave forsakenYour covenant,torndownYour altarsand killedYour prophetswith the sword.And I aloneam left;and they seekmy life,to takeit away."
So they conspiredagainsthim and at the commandof the kingthey stonedhim to deathin the courtof the houseof the LORD.
Now in the timeof his distressthissameKingAhazbecameyetmoreunfaithfulto the LORD.
but they [continually] mockedthe messengersof God,despisedHis wordsand scoffedat His prophets,untilthe wrathof the LORDaroseagainst His people,untiltherewas noremedy.
"But they becamedisobedientand rebelledagainst You, And castYour lawbehindtheir backsAnd killedYour prophetswhohad admonishedthem So that they might returnto You, And they committedgreatblasphemies.
Wherewill you be strickenagain,[As] you continuein [your] rebellion?The wholeheadis sickAnd the wholeheartis faint.
For your handsare defiledwith bloodAnd your fingerswith iniquity;Your lipshave spokenfalsehood,Your tonguemutterswickedness.
Yet the peopledo not turnbackto Him who struckthem, Nordo they seekthe LORDof hosts.
"I have surelyheardEphraimgrieving,You have chastisedme, and I was chastised,Like an untrainedcalf;Bringme backthat I may be restored,For You are the LORDmy God.
"Declarein Egyptand proclaimin Migdol,Proclaimalso in Memphisand Tahpanhes;Say,'Takeyour standand getyourself ready,For the swordhas devouredthose aroundyou.'
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.
"You shall sayto them, 'Thisis the nationthat did not obeythe voiceof the LORDtheir Godor acceptcorrection;truthhas perishedand has been cutofffrom their mouth.
Becauseof the sinsof her prophets[And] the iniquitiesof her priests,Who have shedin her midstThe bloodof the righteous;
"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.
She heedednovoice,She acceptednoinstruction.She did not trustin the LORD,She did not drawnearto her God.
"Woeto you, scribesand Pharisees,hypocrites!For you buildthe tombsof the prophetsand adornthe monumentsof the righteous,
"Which oneof the prophetsdid your fathersnot persecute?They killedthosewho had previously announcedthe comingof the Righteous One,whosebetrayersand murderersyou have nowbecome;
who bothkilledthe LordJesusand the prophets,and droveus out. They are not pleasingto God,but hostileto allmen,
Menwere scorchedwith fierceheat;and they blasphemedthe nameof Godwho hasthe powerovertheseplagues,and they did not repentso as to giveHim glory.
