"Also among the prophetsof JerusalemI have seena horriblething:The committingof adulteryand walkingin falsehood;And they strengthenthe handsof evildoers,So that noonehas turnedbackfrom his wickedness.Allof them have becometo Me like Sodom,And her inhabitantslike Gomorrah.
Now the menof Sodomwere wickedexceedinglyand sinnersagainst the LORD.
And the LORDsaid,"The outcryof Sodomand Gomorrahis indeedgreat,and their sinis exceedinglygrave.
Then the LORDrainedon Sodomand Gomorrahbrimstoneand firefrom the LORDout of heaven,
and He overthrewthosecities,and allthe valley,and allthe inhabitantsof the cities,and whatgrewon the ground.
The headis the elderand honorableman, And the prophetwho teachesfalsehoodis the tail.
Then the LORDsaidto me, "The prophetsare prophesyingfalsehoodin My name.I have neithersentthem norcommandedthem norspokento them; they are prophesyingto you a false vision,divination,futilityand the deceptionof their own minds.
"Thereforethussaysthe LORD,Asknowamong the nations,Whoever heardthe like of this?The virginof IsraelHas donea mostappallingthing.
But let that manbe like the citiesWhichthe LORDoverthrewwithoutrelenting,And let him hearan outcryin the morningAnd a shoutof alarmat noon;
"They keep sayingto those who despiseMe, 'The LORDhas said,"You will havepeace"'; And as for everyonewho walksin the stubbornnessof his own heart,They say,Calamitywill not comeupon you.'
"But ifthey had stoodin My council,Then they would have announcedMy wordsto My people,And would have turnedthem backfrom their evilwayAnd from the evilof their deeds.
"Behold,I am againstthose who have prophesiedfalse~dreams,"declaresthe LORD,"and relatedthem and ledMy peopleastrayby their falsehoodsand recklessboasting;yet I did not sendthem or commandthem, nordo they furnishthispeoplethe slightestbenefit,"declaresthe LORD.
"Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,the Godof Israel,concerningAhabthe sonof Kolaiahand concerningZedekiahthe sonof Maaseiah,who are prophesyingto you falselyin My name,'Behold,I will deliverthem into the handof Nebuchadnezzarkingof Babylon,and he will slaythem before your eyes.
becausethey have actedfoolishlyin Israel,and have committedadulterywith their neighbors'wivesand have spokenwordsin My namefalsely,whichI did not commandthem; and I am He who knowsand am a witness,"declaresthe LORD.'"
"Takea scrolland writeon it allthe wordswhichI have spokento you concerningIsraeland concerningJudah,and concerningallthe nations,from the dayI [first] spoketo you, from the daysof Josiah,even to thisday.
"Like the overthrowof Sodomand Gomorrahwith its neighbors,"saysthe LORD,"noonewill livethere,norwill a sonof manresidein it.
For the iniquityof the daughterof my peopleIs greaterthanthe sinof Sodom,Which was overthrownas in a moment,And nohandswere turnedtoward her.
[along with] the prophetsof Israelwho prophesyto Jerusalem,and who seevisionsof peacefor her when thereis nopeace,'declaresthe LordGOD.
"For handfulsof barleyand fragmentsof bread,you have profanedMe to My peopleto putto deathsomewhoshould not dieand to keepothersalivewhoshould not live,by your lyingto My peoplewho listento lies."'"
"There is a conspiracyof her prophetsin her midstlike a roaringliontearingthe prey.They have devouredlives;they have takentreasureand preciousthings;they have mademanywidowsin the midstof her.
In the houseof IsraelI have seena horriblething;Ephraim'sharlotryis there,Israelhas defileditself.
"I overthrewyou, as GodoverthrewSodomand Gomorrah,And you were like a firebrandsnatchedfrom a blaze;Yet you have not returnedto Me," declaresthe LORD.
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?
Her leaderspronouncejudgmentfor a bribe,Her priestsinstructfor a priceAnd her prophetsdivinefor money.Yet they leanon the LORDsaying,"Is not the LORDin our midst?Calamitywill not comeupon us."
Her prophetsare reckless,treacherousmen;Her priestshave profanedthe sanctuary.They have doneviolenceto the law.
"It will comeabout in that day,"declaresthe LORDof hosts,"that I will cutoffthe namesof the idolsfrom the land,and they will nolongerbe remembered;and I will alsoremovethe prophetsand the uncleanspiritfrom the land.
The oracleof the wordof the LORDto IsraelthroughMalachi.
"NeverthelessI sayto you that it will be more tolerablefor the landof Sodomin [the] dayof judgment,thanfor you."
"For their vineis from the vineof Sodom,And from the fieldsof Gomorrah;Their grapesare grapesof poison,Their clusters,bitter.
by meansof the hypocrisyof liarssearedin their ownconscienceas with a branding iron,
and [if] He condemnedthe citiesof Sodomand Gomorrahto destructionby reducing [them] to ashes,having madethem an exampleto those who wouldlive ungodly[lives] thereafter;
justas Sodomand Gomorrahand the citiesaroundthem, since they in the samewayas theseindulged in gross immoralityand wentafterstrangeflesh,are exhibitedas an examplein undergoingthe punishmentof eternalfire.
And their dead bodies[will lie] in the streetof the greatcitywhichmysticallyis calledSodomand Egypt,wherealsotheir Lordwas crucified.
And the beastwas seized,and with him the false prophetwho performedthe signsin his presence,by whichhe deceivedthosewho had receivedthe markof the beastand thosewho worshipedhis image;thesetwowere thrownaliveinto the lakeof firewhich burnswith brimstone.
"But for the cowardlyand unbelievingand abominableand murderersand immoral personsand sorcerersand idolatersand allliars,their part[will be] in the lakethat burnswith fireand brimstone,whichis the seconddeath."
Outsideare the dogsand the sorcerersand the immoral personsand the murderersand the idolaters,and everyonewho lovesand practiceslying.
