"Were they ashamedbecauseof the abominationthey have done?They were not evenashamedat all;They did not evenknowhow to blush.Thereforethey shall fallamong those who fall;At the timethat I punishthem, They shall be castdown,"saysthe LORD.
On the followingday,the firstbornsaidto the younger,"Behold,I laylastnightwith my father;let us make him drinkwinetonightalso;then you goin and liewith him, that we may preserveour familythroughour father."
"But gonow,leadthe peoplewhereI toldyou. Behold,My angelshall gobeforeyou; nevertheless in the daywhen I punish,I will punishthem for their sin."
A manwho hardens[his] neckafter much reproofWill suddenlybe brokenbeyondremedy.
Nothing[remains] but to crouchamongthe captivesOr fallamongthe slain.In [spite of] allthis,His angerdoes not turnawayAnd His handis stillstretchedout.
The expressionof their facesbearswitnessagainst them, And they displaytheir sinlike Sodom;They do not [even] conceal[it]. Woeto them! For they have broughtevilon themselves.
"Thereforethussaysthe LORDconcerningthe prophetswho are prophesyingin My name,although it was not I who sentthem-- yet they keep saying,'There will be noswordor faminein thisland--by swordand faminethoseprophetsshall meettheir end!
Yet You, O LORD,knowAlltheir deadlydesignsagainstme; Do not forgivetheir iniquityOr blotout their sinfrom Your sight.But may they be overthrownbeforeYou; Dealwith them in the timeof Your anger!
"Thereforetheir waywill be like slipperypathsto them, They will be drivenawayinto the gloomand falldownin it; For I will bringcalamityupon them, The yearof their punishment,"declaresthe LORD.
"Therefore the showershave been withheld,And there has beennospringrain.Yet you hada harlot'sforehead;You refusedto be ashamed.
"But they have not becomecontriteeven to thisday,norhave they fearednorwalkedin My lawor My statutes,whichI have setbeforeyou and beforeyour fathers."'
Shall I not punishthese[people]?' declaresthe LORD,'On a nationsuchas thisShall I not avengeMyself?'
"Shall I not punishthese[people]," declaresthe LORD,"And on a nationsuchas thisShall I not avengeMyself?
"Were they ashamedbecauseof the abominationthey had done?They certainlywere not ashamed,And they did not knowhow to blush;Thereforethey shall fallamong those who fall;At the timeof their punishmentthey shall be broughtdown,"Saysthe LORD.
"The wisemenare putto shame,They are dismayedand caught;Behold,they have rejectedthe wordof the LORD,And whatkind of wisdomdo they have?
"So I will teardownthe wallwhichyou plasteredoverwith whitewashand bringit downto the ground,so that its foundationis laidbare;and when it falls,you will be consumedin its midst.And you will knowthat I am the LORD.
"I am sendingyou to them who are stubbornand obstinatechildren,and you shall sayto them, 'Thussaysthe LordGOD.'
"For her bloodis in her midst;She placedit on the barerock;She did not pourit on the groundTo coverit with dust.
So you will stumbleby day,And the prophetalsowill stumblewith you by night;And I will destroyyour mother.
The daysof punishmenthave come,The daysof retributionhave come;Let Israelknow[this]! The prophetis a fool,The inspiredmanis demented,Becauseof the grossnessof your iniquity,And [because] your hostilityis [so] great.
Therefore[it will be] nightfor you-- withoutvision,And darknessfor you-- withoutdivination.The sunwill godown on the prophets,And the daywill becomedarkoverthem.
The bestof them is like a briar,The most uprightlike a thornhedge.The daywhen you post your watchmen,Your punishmentwill come.Thentheir confusionwill occur.
Gatheryourselvestogether, yes, gather,O nationwithoutshame,
The LORDis righteouswithinher; He will donoinjustice.EverymorningHe bringsHis justiceto light;He does not fail.But the unjustknowsnoshame.
"Also it will comeabout in that daythat the prophetswill eachbe ashamedof his visionwhen he prophesies,and they will not puton a hairyrobein orderto deceive;
"Let them alone;they are blindguidesof the blind.And ifa blind manguidesa blind man,bothwill fallinto a pit."
whoseendis destruction,whosegodis [their] appetite,and [whose] gloryis in their shame,who set their mindson earthly things.
