"Whythen has thispeople,Jerusalem,Turnedawayin continualapostasy?They holdfastto deceit,They refuseto return.
"Your dwellingis in the midstof deceit;Through deceitthey refuseto knowMe," declaresthe LORD.
O LORD,do not Your eyes[look] for truth?You have smittenthem, [But] they did not weaken;You have consumedthem, But they refusedto takecorrection.They have madetheir facesharderthanrock;They have refusedto repent.
"But they refusedto payattentionand turneda stubbornshoulderand stoppedtheir earsfrom hearing.
Seeto it that you do not refuseHim who is speaking.For ifthosedid not escapewhen they refusedhim who warned[them] on earth,muchless[will] we [escape] who turn awayfrom Him who [warns] from heaven.
and you are unwillingto cometo Me sothat you may havelife.
So My peopleare benton turningfrom Me. Though they callthem to [the One] on high,Noneat allexalts[Him].
Like a cagefullof birds,Sotheir housesare fullof deceit;Thereforethey have becomegreatand rich.
He feedson ashes;a deceivedhearthas turnedhim aside.And he cannotdeliverhimself,norsay,"Is there not a liein my righthand?"
Whosayto the seers,"You must not see[visions"]; And to the prophets,"You must not prophesyto us whatis right,Speakto us pleasantwords,Prophesyillusions.
Neverthelesswhatyou have,hold fastuntilI come.
But examineeverything[carefully]; hold fastto that which is good;
SinceIsraelis stubbornLike a stubbornheifer,Can the LORDnowpasturethem Like a lambin a largefield?
"Can a virginforgether ornaments,Or a brideher attire?Yet My peoplehave forgottenMe Dayswithoutnumber.
"But ifyou refuseand rebel,You will be devouredby the sword."Truly,the mouthof the LORDhas spoken.
Takeholdof instruction;do not letgo.Guardher, for she is your life.
Thereforea lionfrom the forestwill slaythem, A wolfof the desertswill destroythem, A leopardis watchingtheir cities.Everyonewho goesout of them will be tornin pieces,Becausetheir transgressionsare many,Their apostasiesare numerous.
"Althoughour iniquitiestestifyagainst us, O LORD,actfor Your name'ssake!Trulyour apostasieshave beenmany,We have sinnedagainst You.
"Indeed allIsraelhas transgressedYour lawand turnedaside,not obeyingYour voice;so the cursehas been pouredout on us, along with the oathwhichis writtenin the lawof Mosesthe servantof God,for we have sinnedagainst Him.
Will He be angryforever?Will He be indignantto the end?'Behold,you have spokenAnd have doneevilthings,And you have hadyour way."
"And I setwatchmenoveryou, [saying], 'Listento the soundof the trumpet!'But they said,'We will not listen.'
"Hear,O earth:behold,I am bringingdisasteron thispeople,The fruitof their plans,Becausethey have not listenedto My words,And as for My law,they have rejectedit also.
They will not returnto the landof Egypt;But Assyria--he will be their kingBecausethey refusedto return[to Me].
And nowthey sinmoreand more,And makefor themselves moltenimages,Idolsskillfullymade from their silver,Allof them the workof craftsmen.They sayof them, "Let the menwho sacrificekissthe calves!"
