"Whythen has thispeople,Jerusalem,Turnedawayin continualapostasy?They holdfastto deceit,They refuseto return.
Takeholdof instruction;do not letgo.Guardher, for she is your life.
"But ifyou refuseand rebel,You will be devouredby the sword."Truly,the mouthof the LORDhas spoken.
Whosayto the seers,"You must not see[visions"]; And to the prophets,"You must not prophesyto us whatis right,Speakto us pleasantwords,Prophesyillusions.
He feedson ashes;a deceivedhearthas turnedhim aside.And he cannotdeliverhimself,norsay,"Is there not a liein my righthand?"
"Althoughour iniquitiestestifyagainst us, O LORD,actfor Your name'ssake!Trulyour apostasieshave beenmany,We have sinnedagainst You.
"Can a virginforgether ornaments,Or a brideher attire?Yet My peoplehave forgottenMe Dayswithoutnumber.
Will He be angryforever?Will He be indignantto the end?'Behold,you have spokenAnd have doneevilthings,And you have hadyour way."
Like a cagefullof birds,Sotheir housesare fullof deceit;Thereforethey have becomegreatand rich.
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.
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.
"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.
"Your dwellingis in the midstof deceit;Through deceitthey refuseto knowMe," declaresthe LORD.
"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.
They will not returnto the landof Egypt;But Assyria--he will be their kingBecausethey refusedto return[to Me].
So My peopleare benton turningfrom Me. Though they callthem to [the One] on high,Noneat allexalts[Him].
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!"
SinceIsraelis stubbornLike a stubbornheifer,Can the LORDnowpasturethem Like a lambin a largefield?
"But they refusedto payattentionand turneda stubbornshoulderand stoppedtheir earsfrom hearing.
and you are unwillingto cometo Me sothat you may havelife.
But examineeverything[carefully]; hold fastto that which is good;
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.
Neverthelesswhatyou have,hold fastuntilI come.
