You who saythat one should not commitadultery, do you commit adultery?You who abhoridols,do you rob temples?
"For you hatediscipline,And you castMy wordsbehindyou.
"Whyshould I pardonyou? Your sonshave forsakenMe And swornby those who are not gods.When I had fedthem to the full,They committedadulteryAnd troopedto the harlot'shouse.
Ohthat I hadin the desertA wayfarers'lodgingplace;That I might leavemy peopleAnd gofrom them! For allof them are adulterers,An assemblyof treacherousmen.
"Onehas committedabominationwith his neighbor'swifeand anotherhas lewdlydefiledhis daughter-in-law.And anotherin you has humbledhis sister,his father'sdaughter.
"But cursedbe the swindlerwho hasa malein his flockand vowsit, but sacrificesa blemishedanimalto the Lord,for I am a greatKing,"saysthe LORDof hosts,"and My nameis fearedamong the nations."
"But whenyou presentthe blindfor sacrifice,is it not evil?And whenyou presentthe lameand sick,is it not evil?Why not offerit to your governor?Would he be pleasedwith you? Orwould he receiveyou kindly?"saysthe LORDof hosts.
"Will a manrobGod?Yetyou are robbingMe! But you say,'Howhave we robbedYou?' In tithesand offerings.
But He answeredand saidto them, "An eviland adulterousgenerationcravesfor a sign;and [yet] nosignwill be givento it but the signof Jonahthe prophet;
"An eviland adulterousgenerationseeks aftera sign;and a signwill not be givenit, exceptthe signof Jonah."And He leftthem and went away.
And He [began] to teachand sayto them, "Is it not written,MY HOUSESHALL BE CALLEDA HOUSEOF PRAYERFOR ALLTHE NATIONS?But you have madeit a ROBBERS'DEN."
"For you have broughtthesemen[here] who are neitherrobbers of templesnorblasphemersof our goddess.
[Let] love[be] without hypocrisy.Abhorwhat is evil;clingto what is good.
You adulteresses,do you not knowthat friendshipwith the worldis hostilitytoward God?Thereforewhoeverwishesto be a friendof the worldmakeshimself an enemyof God.
