"The priestsdid not say,'Whereis the LORD?'And those who handlethe lawdid not knowMe; The rulersalso transgressedagainst Me, And the prophetsprophesiedby BaalAnd walkedafterthings that did not profit.
Then Elijahsaidto the people,"I aloneam lefta prophetof the LORD,but Baal'sprophetsare 450men.
When middaywas past,they raveduntilthe time of the offeringof the [evening] sacrifice;but therewas novoice,nooneanswered,and noonepaidattention.
Then Elijahsaidto them, "Seizethe prophetsof Baal;do not let oneof them escape."So they seizedthem; and Elijahbroughtthem downto the brookKishon,and slewthem there.
"But noone says,'Whereis Godmy Maker,Who givessongsin the night,
And thesealsoreelwith wineand staggerfrom strongdrink:The priestand the prophetreelwith strongdrink,They are confusedby wine,they staggerfrom strongdrink;They reelwhile having visions,They totter[when rendering] judgment.
For the LORDhas pouredoveryou a spiritof deepsleep,He has shutyour eyes,the prophets;And He has coveredyour heads,the seers.
"Everyonewill be ashamedbecauseof a peoplewho cannotprofitthem, [Who are] not for helpor profit,but for shameand alsofor reproach."
For the shepherdshave becomestupidAnd have not soughtthe LORD;Thereforethey have not prospered,And alltheir flockis scattered.
"Manyshepherdshave ruinedMy vineyard,They have trampleddownMy field;They have madeMy pleasantfieldA desolatewilderness.
O LORD,my strengthand my stronghold,And my refugein the dayof distress,To You the nationswill comeFrom the endsof the earthand say,"Our fathershave inheritednothingbut falsehood,Futilityand thingsof noprofit."
Then they said,"Comeand let us deviseplansagainstJeremiah.Surelythe lawis not going to be lostto the priest,norcounselto the sage,northe [divine] wordto the prophet!Comeon and let us strikeat him with [our] tongue,and let us givenoheedto anyof his words."
"Has a nationchangedgodsWhen they were not gods?But My peoplehave changedtheir gloryFor that which does not profit.
"They did not say,'Whereis the LORDWho broughtus up out of the landof Egypt,Who ledus through the wilderness,Through a landof desertsand of pits,Through a landof droughtand of deepdarkness,Through a landthat noonecrossedAnd wherenomandwelt?'
"For My peopleare foolish,They knowMe not; They are stupidchildrenAnd havenounderstanding.They are shrewdto doevil,But to dogoodthey do not know."
The prophetsprophesyfalsely,And the priestsruleon their [own] authority;And My peopleloveit so!But whatwill you doat the endof it?
"Behold,you are trustingin deceptivewordsto noavail.
but have walkedafterthe stubbornnessof their heartand afterthe Baals,as their fatherstaughtthem,"
"Her priestshave doneviolenceto My lawand have profanedMy holythings;they have madenodistinctionbetweenthe holyand the profane,and they have not taughtthe difference betweenthe uncleanand the clean;and they hidetheir eyesfrom My sabbaths,and I am profanedamongthem.
"Sonof man,prophesyagainstthe shepherdsof Israel.Prophesyand sayto those shepherds,'Thussaysthe LordGOD,"Woe,shepherdsof Israelwhohave beenfeedingthemselves! Should not the shepherdsfeedthe flock?
My peopleare destroyedfor lackof knowledge.Becauseyou have rejectedknowledge,I also will rejectyou from being My priest.Since you have forgottenthe lawof your God,I alsowill forgetyour children.
"Whatprofitis the idolwhenits makerhas carvedit, [Or] an image,a teacherof falsehood?For [its] makertrustsin his [own] handiworkWhen he fashionsspeechlessidols.
"For whatwill it profita manifhe gainsthe wholeworldand forfeitshis soul?Orwhatwill a mangivein exchangefor his soul?
"Woeto you lawyers!For you have taken awaythe keyof knowledge;you yourselvesdid not enter,and you hinderedthosewho were entering."
"These thingsthey will dobecausethey have not knownthe FatherorMe.
and you have not come to knowHim, but I knowHim; and ifI saythat I do not knowHim, I will be a liarlikeyou, but I do knowHim and keepHis word.
but we have renouncedthe things hiddenbecause of shame,not walkingin craftinessoradulteratingthe wordof God,but by the manifestationof truthcommendingourselvesto everyman'sconsciencein the sightof God.
"They shall teachYour ordinancesto Jacob,And Your lawto Israel.They shall putincensebeforeYou, And wholeburntofferingson Your altar.
"You must not turnaside,for [then you would go] afterfutilethingswhichcan not profitor deliver,becausethey are futile.
Now the sonsof Eliwere worthlessmen;they did not knowthe LORD
