"For My peopleare foolish,They knowMe not; They are stupidchildrenAnd havenounderstanding.They are shrewdto doevil,But to dogoodthey do not know."
Brethren,do not be childrenin your thinking;yetin evilbe infants,but in your thinkingbe mature.
For the report of your obediencehas reachedto all;thereforeI am rejoicingoveryou, but I wantyou to be wisein what is goodand innocentin what is evil.
Nowhearthis,O foolishand senselesspeople,Who have eyesbut do not see;Who have earsbut do not hear.
THERE IS NONEWHO UNDERSTANDS,THERE IS NONEWHO SEEKSFOR GOD;
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.
Professingto be wise,they became fools,
Their deedswill not allowthem To returnto their God.For a spiritof harlotryis withinthem, And they do not knowthe LORD.
"These thingsthey will dobecausethey have not knownthe FatherorMe.
Woeto those who schemeiniquity,Who workout evilon their beds!When morningcomes, they doit, For it is in the powerof their hands.
"For they are a nationlackingin counsel,And thereis nounderstandingin them.
And justas they did not see fitto acknowledgeGodany longer, Godgave them overto a depravedmind,to dothosethings which are not proper,
"Can the Ethiopianchangehis skinOr the leopardhis spots?[Then] you alsocandogoodWho are accustomedto doingevil.
When its limbsare dry,they are brokenoff; Womencome[and] makea firewith them, For they are not a peopleof discernment,Thereforetheir Makerwill not havecompassionon them. And their Creatorwill not be graciousto them.
But they are altogetherstupidand foolish[In their] disciplineof delusion--their idol is wood!
"An oxknowsits owner,And a donkeyits master'smanger,[But] Israeldoes not know,My peopledo not understand."
Then I said,"They are onlythe poor,They are foolish;For they do not knowthe wayof the LORD[Or] the ordinanceof their God.
"And his masterpraisedthe unrighteousmanagerbecausehe had actedshrewdly;for the sonsof thisageare more shrewdin relationto their ownkindthanthe sonsof light.
Listento the wordof the LORD,O sonsof Israel,For the LORDhas a caseagainstthe inhabitantsof the land,Becausethereis nofaithfulnessor kindnessOr knowledgeof Godin the land.
"Do you thusrepaythe LORD,O foolishand unwisepeople?Is not He your Fatherwho has boughtyou? He has madeyou and establishedyou.
But Amnonhad a friendwhose namewas Jonadab,the sonof Shimeah,David'sbrother;and Jonadabwas a veryshrewdman.
The wordsof his mouthare wickednessand deceit;He has ceasedto be wise[and] to dogood.
Havethe workersof wickednessnoknowledge,Who eatup My people[as though] they atebreadAnd have not calledupon God?
They do not knownordo they understand;They walkabout in darkness;Allthe foundationsof the earthare shaken.
"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.
Howlongmust I seethe standardAnd hearthe soundof the trumpet?
"They bendtheir tongue[like] their bow;Liesand not truthprevailin the land;For they proceedfrom evilto evil,And they do not knowMe," declaresthe LORD.
"Howlanguishingis your heart,"declaresthe LordGOD,"while you doallthesethings,the actionsof a bold-facedharlot.
"But they do not knowhow to dowhatis right,"declaresthe LORD,"these who hoardup violenceand devastationin their citadels."
So she lefthis garmentbesideher untilhis mastercamehome.
He planswickednessupon his bed;He setshimself on a paththat is not good;He does not despiseevil.
Evilmendo not understandjustice,But those who seekthe LORDunderstandallthings.
Ohthat I hadin the desertA wayfarers'lodgingplace;That I might leavemy peopleAnd gofrom them! For allof them are adulterers,An assemblyof treacherousmen.
"Everyonedeceiveshis neighborAnd does not speakthe truth,They have taughttheir tongueto speaklies;They wearythemselves committinginiquity.
Concerningevil,both handsdoit well.The princeasks,also the judge,for a bribe,And a greatmanspeaksthe desireof his soul;So they weaveit together.
