God said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what these leaders of Israel are doing in secret, each one worshiping in his own personal shrine? They say, ‘Oh, Yahweh cannot see us; he has left the land.’ ”
They boast that neither God nor men will bring them down. They sneer at all their enemies, saying in their hearts, “We’ll have success in all we do and never have to face trouble.”
He answered me, “The guilt of the people of Israel and Judah is enormous. The land is full of bloodshed, and Jerusalem full of perverted justice. They say, ‘Yahweh can’t see us! He has abandoned the nation.’
When Simeon saw what was happening, he thought, “This man can’t be a true prophet. If he were really a prophet, he would know what kind of sinful woman is touching him.”
They search out opportunities to pervert justice as they plan the “perfect crime.” How unsearchable is their endless evil! They try desperately to hide the deep darkness of their hearts.