But they were mocking the messengers of Elohim and despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of יהוה arose against His people, until there was no healing.
“And You had patience with them for many years, and did warn them by Your Spirit, by the hand of Your prophets, yet they would not give ear. Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
“They have turned back to the crookednesses of their forefathers who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other mighty ones to serve them. The house of Yisra’ĕl and the house of Yehuḏah have broken My covenant I made with their fathers.”
“For your mighty ones have become as many as your cities, O Yehuḏah. And you have set up as many slaughter-places to shame as there are streets in Yerushalayim – slaughter-places to burn incense to Ba‛al.
“And יהוה of hosts, who planted you, has spoken evil against you for the evil of the house of Yisra’ĕl and of the house of Yehuḏah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me, by burning incense to Ba‛al.”
But they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart. So I brought on them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, and they did not do.’ ”
This evil people, who refuse to hear My Words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and walk after other mighty ones to serve them and to bow themselves to them, is like this girdle which is completely useless.
“And the houses of Yerushalayim and the houses of the sovereigns of Yehuḏah shall be as unclean as the place of Topheth, because of all the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to all the host of the heavens, and poured out drink offerings to other mighty ones.” ’ ”
“And we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your Name to our sovereigns, our heads, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.