"Thenthey will callon me, but I will not answer;They will seekme diligentlybut they will not findme,
Then the LORDsaid,"My Spiritshall not strivewith manforever,becausehe alsois flesh;nevertheless his daysshall be one hundredand twentyyears."
"Will Godhearhis cryWhendistresscomesupon him?
"Therethey cryout, but He does not answerBecauseof the prideof evilmen.
They criedfor help,but therewas noneto save,[Even] to the LORD,but He did not answerthem.
Then I beatthem fineas the dustbeforethe wind;I emptiedthem out as the mireof the streets.
IfI regardwickednessin my heart,The Lordwill not hear;
The LORDis farfrom the wicked,But He hearsthe prayerof the righteous.
"I lovethose who loveme; And those who diligentlyseekme will findme.
"I openedto my beloved,But my belovedhad turnedaway[and] had gone!My heartwentout [to him] as he spoke.I searchedfor him but I did not findhim; I calledhim but he did not answerme.
"So when you spreadout your hands[in prayer], I will hideMy eyesfrom you; Yes,eventhoughyou multiplyprayers,I will not listen.Your handsare coveredwith blood.
Thereforethussaysthe LORD,"BeholdI am bringingdisasteron them whichthey will not be ableto escape;though they will cryto Me, yet I will not listento them.
"Whenthey fast,I am not going to listento their cry;and whenthey offerburntofferingand grain offering,I am not going to acceptthem. RatherI am going to makean endof them by the sword,famineand pestilence."
"Therefore, I indeedwill dealin wrath.My eyewill havenopitynorwill I spare;and though they cryin My earswith a loudvoice,yet I will not listento them."
I will goaway [and] returnto My placeUntilthey acknowledgetheir guiltand seekMy face;In their afflictionthey will earnestlyseekMe.
They will gowith their flocksand herdsTo seekthe LORD,but they will not find[Him]; He has withdrawnfrom them.
"People will staggerfrom seato seaAnd from the northeven to the east;They will goto and froto seekthe wordof the LORD,But they will not find[it].
Thenthey will cryout to the LORD,But He will not answerthem. Instead, He will hideHis facefrom them at that timeBecausethey have practicedevildeeds.
"And justas He calledand they would not listen,sothey calledand I would not listen,"saysthe LORDof hosts;
"Then you returnedand weptbeforethe LORD;but the LORDdid not listento your voicenorgiveearto you.
You askand do not receive,becauseyou askwith wrong motives,sothat you may spend[it] on your pleasures.
"Then you will cryout in that daybecauseof your kingwhomyou have chosenfor yourselves, but the LORDwill not answeryou in that day."
