You have cast Me off” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “You keep going backward! So I stretch out My hand against you and will destroy you. I am weary with relenting.
Oy , a sinful nation, a people weighed down with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons dealing corruptly! They have abandoned Adonai. They have despised Israel’s Holy One. They have turned backwards.
So the word of Adonai is to them ‘precept on precept, precept on precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.’ So they walk, and fall backward, and are broken, trapped, and captured.
Now Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses are flesh, not spirit. When Adonai stretches out His hand, both he who helps will stumble and he who is helped will fall, and both will perish together.
I will pronounce My judgments on them for all their wickedness— they have forsaken Me, offering incense to other gods, worshipping the works of their hands.
And I will smash them against each other, even fathers and sons,’ says Adonai. ‘I will show no pity, nor regret, nor compassion, to keep Me from destroying them.’”
“My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me —the spring of living water— and they dug their own cisterns— cracked cisterns that hold no water.
Your own wickedness will rebuke you and your backslidings will chide you. Know then and see how bad and bitter it is for you to forsake Adonai your God. Nor is fear of Me in you.” It is a declaration of the Lord Adonai-Tzva’ot.
But if I say: “I won’t mention Him, or speak any more in His Name,” then it is like fire burning in my heart— shut up in my bones— I weary myself holding it in, but I cannot.
Then Adonai could no longer endure it, because of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations that you committed! So your land has become a wasteland, a desolation and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is this day.
So I am full of the wrath of Adonai. I am weary of holding it in! Pour it out on a child in the street, on young men gathered together. For husband will be taken with wife, the aged with the very old.
Their homes will be turned over to others—together with their fields and their wives. For I will stretch out My hand on the inhabitants of the land.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
But they did not listen or pay attention. Instead they followed their own counsel, in the stubbornness of their evil heart. They have gone backward and not forward,
“When the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, Adonai, have deceived that prophet. I will stretch out My hand against him. I will destroy him from among My people Israel.
therefore behold, I will stretch out My hand over you. I will deliver you as plunder for the nations. I will cut you off from the people. I will cause you to perish from among the countries. I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am Adonai.”
Should I ransom them from the hand of Sheol? Should I redeem them from death? O death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Comfort is hidden from My eyes.”
“I will stretch out my hand upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place —the names of the idolatrous priests along with the kohanim,