"Your dwellingis in the midstof deceit;Through deceitthey refuseto knowMe," declaresthe LORD.
"BecauseI calledand you refused,I stretchedout my handand noonepaidattention;
Becausethey hatedknowledgeAnd did not choosethe fearof the LORD.
"I will also turnMy handagainstyou, And will smeltaway your drossas with lyeAnd will removeallyour alloy.
"An oxknowsits owner,And a donkeyits master'smanger,[But] Israeldoes not know,My peopledo not understand."
Whenthe Lordhas washedawaythe filthof the daughtersof Zionand purgedthe bloodshedof Jerusalemfrom her midst,by the spiritof judgmentand the spiritof burning,
"They have turnedbackto the iniquitiesof their ancestorswhorefusedto hearMy words,and they have goneafterothergodsto servethem; the houseof Israeland the houseof Judahhave brokenMy covenantwhichI madewith their fathers."
But I was like a gentlelambledto the slaughter;And I did not knowthat they had devisedplotsagainstme, [saying], "Let us destroythe treewith its fruit,And let us cuthim offfrom the landof the living,That his namebe rememberednomore."
Thiswickedpeople,whorefuseto listento My words,who walkin the stubbornnessof their heartsand have goneafterothergodsto servethem and to bowdownto them, let them be just like thiswaistbandwhichis totallyworthless.
Then they said,"Comeand let us deviseplansagainstJeremiah.Surelythe lawis not going to be lostto the priest,norcounselto the sage,northe [divine] wordto the prophet!Comeon and let us strikeat him with [our] tongue,and let us givenoheedto anyof his words."
For I have heardthe whisperingof many,"Terroron everyside!Denounce[him]; yes, let us denouncehim!" Allmy trustedfriends,Watchingfor my fall,say: "Perhapshe will be deceived,so that we may prevailagainst him And takeour revengeon him."
Like a cagefullof birds,Sotheir housesare fullof deceit;Thereforethey have becomegreatand rich.
"Whythen has thispeople,Jerusalem,Turnedawayin continualapostasy?They holdfastto deceit,They refuseto return.
Howcan I giveyou up, O Ephraim?How can I surrenderyou, O Israel?Howcan I makeyou like Admah?How can I treatyou like Zeboiim?My heartis turnedoverwithinMe, AllMy compassionsare kindled.
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.
"And I will bringthe thirdpartthrough the fire,Refinethem as silveris refined,And testthem as goldis tested.They will callon My name,And I will answerthem; I will say,They are My people,'And they will say,'The LORDis my God.'"
And justas they did not see fitto acknowledgeGodany longer, Godgave them overto a depravedmind,to dothosethings which are not proper,
Become sober-mindedas you ought,and stopsinning;for somehaveno knowledgeof God.I speak[this] to your shame.
Now the sonsof Eliwere worthlessmen;they did not knowthe LORD
