A voiceis heardon the bareheights,The weeping[and] the supplicationsof the sonsof Israel;Becausethey have pervertedtheir way,They have forgottenthe LORDtheir God.
"He will singto menand say,I have sinnedand pervertedwhatis right,And it is not properfor me.
He who walksin integritywalkssecurely,But he who pervertshis wayswill be foundout.
The foolishnessof manruinshis way,And his heartragesagainstthe LORD.
They have goneup to the templeand [to] Dibon,[even] to the highplacesto weep.MoabwailsoverNeboand Medeba;Everyone'sheadis bald[and] everybeardis cutoff.
For you have forgottenthe Godof your salvationAnd have not rememberedthe rockof your refuge.Thereforeyou plantdelightfulplantsAnd setthem with vineslipsof a strange[god].
"Of whomwere you worriedand fearfulWhenyou lied,and did not rememberMe Norgive[Me] a thought?Was I not silenteven for a longtimeSo you do not fearMe?
"On allthe bareheightsin the wildernessDestroyershave come,For a swordof the LORDis devouringFrom one endof the landeven to the other;Thereis nopeacefor anyone.
"Thisis your lot,the portionmeasuredto you From Me," declaresthe LORD,"Becauseyou have forgottenMe And trustedin falsehood.
For My peoplehave forgottenMe, They burnincenseto worthlessgods And they have stumbledfrom their ways,From the ancientpaths,To walkin bypaths,Not on a highway,
"Can a virginforgether ornaments,Or a brideher attire?Yet My peoplehave forgottenMe Dayswithoutnumber.
"Liftup your eyesto the bareheightsand see;Wherehave you not been violated?By the roadsyou have satfor them Like an Arabin the desert,And you have polluteda landWith your harlotryand with your wickedness.
"With weepingthey will come,And by supplicationI will leadthem; I will make them walkby streamsof waters,On a straightpathin which they will not stumble;For I ama fatherto Israel,And Ephraimis My firstborn."
Cutoffyour hairand cast[it] away,And takeup a lamentationon the bareheights;For the LORDhas rejectedand forsakenThe generationof His wrath.'
"Therefore,thussaysthe LordGOD,'Becauseyou have forgottenMe and castMe behindyour back,bearnowthe [punishment] of your lewdnessand your harlotries.'"
Even when their survivorsescape,they will be on the mountainslike dovesof the valleys,allof them mourning,eachover his own iniquity.
As [they had] their pasture,they becamesatisfied,And beingsatisfied,their heartbecameproud;Thereforethey forgotMe.
For Israelhas forgottenhis Makerand builtpalaces;And Judahhas multipliedfortifiedcities,But I will senda fireon its citiesthat it may consumeits palatialdwellings.
Nowhearthis,headsof the houseof JacobAnd rulersof the houseof Israel,Who abhorjusticeAnd twisteverythingthat is straight,
The angelof the LORDsaidto him, "Whyhave you struckyour donkeythesethreetimes?Behold,I have comeout as an adversary,becauseyour waywas contraryto me.
For the sorrowthat is accordingto [the will] [of] Godproducesa repentancewithout regret,[leading] to salvation,but the sorrowof the worldproducesdeath.
