"However, You borewith them for manyyears,And admonishedthem by Your SpiritthroughYour prophets,Yet they would not giveear.Therefore You gavethem into the handof the peoplesof the lands.
Then the kingof AssyriacarriedIsraelawayinto exileto Assyria,and putthem in Halahand on the Habor,the riverof Gozan,and in the citiesof the Medes,
Now the LORDspokethroughHis servantsthe prophets,saying,
Yet He sentprophetsto them to bringthem backto the LORD;though they testifiedagainst them, they would not listen.
"Now,our God,whatshall we sayafterthis?For we have forsakenYour commandments,
"You gaveYour goodSpiritto instructthem, Your mannaYou did not withholdfrom their mouth,And You gavethem waterfor their thirst.
"But they becamedisobedientand rebelledagainst You, And castYour lawbehindtheir backsAnd killedYour prophetswhohad admonishedthem So that they might returnto You, And they committedgreatblasphemies.
And admonishedthem in order to turnthem backto Your law.Yet they actedarrogantlyand did not listento Your commandmentsbut sinnedagainst Your ordinances,By whichif a manobservesthem he shall live.And they turneda stubbornshoulderand stiffenedtheir neck,and would not listen.
But You, O Lord,are a Godmercifuland gracious,Slowto angerand abundantin lovingkindnessand truth.
"For fortyyearsI loathed[that] generation,And saidthey are a peoplewho errin their heart,And they do not knowMy ways.
"For [He says], 'Orderon order,orderon order,Lineon line,lineon line,A littlehere,a littlethere.'"
WhogaveJacobup for spoil,and Israelto plunderers?Was it not the LORD,against whomwe have sinned,And in whose waysthey were not willingto walk,And whose lawthey did not obey?
"For the sakeof My nameI delayMy wrath,And [for] My praiseI restrain[it] for you, In order not to cutyou off.
But they rebelledAnd grievedHis HolySpirit;Therefore He turnedHimself to become their enemy,He foughtagainst them.
"And the LORDhas sentto you allHis servantsthe prophetsagainand again,but you have not listenednorinclinedyour earto hear,
"So the LORDwas nolongerableto endure[it], becauseof the evilof your deeds,becauseof the abominationswhichyou have committed;thus your landhas becomea ruin,an objectof horrorand a curse,withoutan inhabitant,as [it is] thisday.
Yet I sentyou allMy servantsthe prophets,againand again,saying,"Oh,do not dothisabominablethingwhichI hate."
But they did not listenor inclinetheir earsto turnfrom their wickedness,so as not to burnsacrificesto othergods.
"Sincethe daythat your fatherscameout of the landof Egyptuntilthisday,I have sentyou allMy servantsthe prophets,dailyrisingearlyand sending[them].
The LORDhas donewhatHe purposed;He has accomplishedHis wordWhichHe commandedfrom daysof old.He has throwndownwithoutsparing,And He has caused the enemyto rejoiceoveryou; He has exaltedthe mightof your adversaries.
"Moreover, we have not listenedto Your servantsthe prophets,whospokein Your nameto our kings,our princes,our fathersand allthe peopleof the land.
"They madetheir hearts[like] flintsothat they could not hearthe lawand the wordswhichthe LORDof hostshad sentby His Spiritthroughthe formerprophets;therefore greatwrathcamefrom the LORDof hosts.
"And justas He calledand they would not listen,sothey calledand I would not listen,"saysthe LORDof hosts;
But twomenhad remainedin the camp;the nameof onewas Eldadand the nameof the otherMedad.And the Spiritrestedupon them (now they were among those who had been registered,but had not goneout to the tent),and they prophesiedin the camp.
"For a periodof aboutforty yearsHe putup with them in the wilderness.
And when they did not agreewith one another,they [began] leavingafter Paulhad spokenone[parting] word,"The HolySpiritrightlyspokethroughIsaiahthe prophetto your fathers,
"You men who are stiff-neckedand uncircumcisedin heartand earsare alwaysresistingthe HolySpirit;you are doing justas your fathersdid.
Ordo you think lightlyof the richesof His kindnessand toleranceand patience,not knowingthat the kindnessof Godleadsyou to repentance?
seeking to knowwhatpersonortimethe Spiritof Christwithinthem was indicatingas He predictedthe sufferingsof Christand the gloriesto follow.
for noprophecywas evermadeby an act of humanwill,but menmovedby the HolySpiritspokefrom God.
The Lordis not slowabout His promise,as somecountslowness,but is patienttowardyou, not wishingfor anyto perishbut for allto cometo repentance.
