They were not to be like their ancestors, a rebellious and defiant generation, A generation whose heart was not constant, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.
Ah! Sinful nation, people laden with wickedness, evil offspring, corrupt children! They have forsaken the Lord, spurned the Holy One of Israel, apostatized,
Against an impious nation I send him, and against a people under my wrath I order him To seize plunder, carry off loot, and to trample them like the mud of the street.
You have declared, “We have made a covenant with death, with Sheol we have made a pact; When the raging flood passes through, it will not reach us; For we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have found a hiding place,”—
Therefore, as the tongue of fire licks up stubble, as dry grass shrivels in the flame, Their root shall rot and their blossom scatter like dust; For they have rejected the instruction of the Lord of hosts, and scorned the word of the Holy One of Israel.
The words of Jonadab, Rechab’s son, by which he commanded his children not to drink wine, have been upheld: to this day they have not drunk wine; they obeyed their ancestor’s command. I, however, have spoken to you time and again. But you did not obey me!
And now, because you have committed all these deeds—oracle of the Lord—because you did not listen, though I spoke to you untiringly, and because you did not answer, though I called you,
Say to them: This is the nation which does not listen to the voice of the Lord, its God, or take correction. Faithfulness has disappeared; the word itself is banished from their speech.
Be on your guard, everyone against his neighbor; put no trust in any brother. Every brother imitates Jacob, the supplanter, every neighbor is guilty of slander.
But as for cowards, the unfaithful, the depraved, murderers, the unchaste, sorcerers, idol-worshipers, and deceivers of every sort, their lot is in the burning pool of fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” The New Jerusalem.