What right does My beloved have to be in My house, having carried out so many evil schemes? Can holy meat prevent your disaster so you can rejoice?

我所亲爱的，既行许多淫乱，圣肉也离了你，你在我殿中做什么呢？你作恶就喜乐。

我所亲爱的既多设恶谋，还能在我殿中做什么呢？你因作恶就喜乐，圣肉要离开你。

我所亲爱的既多设恶谋，还能在我殿中做什么呢？你因作恶就喜乐，圣肉要离开你。

我所爱的子民既然罪恶滔天，还在我殿里做什么？难道祭肉可以为他们消灾免祸吗？他们以作恶为乐。

“我所爱的既然行了罪大恶极的事，还有什么资格在我的殿里呢？难道祭肉可以消除你的灾祸，使你得着欢乐吗？”

我所親愛的，既行許多淫亂，聖肉也離了你，你在我殿中做甚麼呢？你作惡就喜樂。

我所親愛的既多設惡謀，還能在我殿中做甚麼呢？你因作惡就喜樂，聖肉要離開你。

我所親愛的既多設惡謀，還能在我殿中做甚麼呢？你因作惡就喜樂，聖肉要離開你。

我所愛的子民既然罪惡滔天，還在我殿裡做什麼？難道祭肉可以為他們消災免禍嗎？他們以作惡為樂。

“我所愛的既然行了罪大惡極的事，還有甚麼資格在我的殿裡呢？難道祭肉可以消除你的災禍，使你得著歡樂嗎？”

我所愛的人既行了罪大惡極的事，還有甚麼資格在我的殿呢？難道許願或祝聖的肉能使你脫離你的壞事麼？那時你能歡躍麼？

我所愛者、爾既多行淫亂、在我聖室何為、聖胙豈能除爾罪惡、致爾得脫乎、

我之選民、樂與眾同惡、尚入我殿、以獻聖胙、亦奚以為。

昔我所悅者、而今既多行邪惡、在我殿何為、所獻之聖胙、豈能除爾所樂作之惡乎、

“ What is my beloved doing in my temple as she, with many others, works out her evil schemes? Can consecrated meat avert your punishment? When you engage in your wickedness, then you rejoice.”

“ I love the people of Judah. But they are working out their evil plans along with many others. So what are they doing in my temple? Can meat that is offered to me keep me from punishing you? When you do evil things, you get a lot of pleasure from them.”

What right has my beloved in my house, when she has done many vile deeds? Can even sacrificial flesh avert your doom? Can you then exult?

“ What right do my beloved people have to come to my Temple, when they have done so many immoral things? Can their vows and sacrifices prevent their destruction? They actually rejoice in doing evil!

What right does my beloved have to be in my house, having carried out so many evil schemes? Can holy meat prevent your disaster so you can celebrate?

What right has My beloved in My house When she has carried out many evil schemes? Can the sacrificial flesh take away from you your disaster, So that you can rejoice?”

“ What has My beloved to do in My house, Having done lewd deeds with many? And the holy flesh has passed from you. When you do evil, then you rejoice.

What hath my beloved to do in my house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.

What hath my beloved to do in mine house,[ seeing] she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.

The LORD says to the people of Judah,“ What right do you have to be in my temple, my beloved people? Many of you have done wicked things. Can your acts of treachery be so easily canceled by sacred offerings that you take joy in doing evil even while you make them?

What has my beloved to do in my house, since she has behaved lewdly with many, and the holy flesh has passed from you? When you do evil, then you rejoice.”

from those who enjoy doing evil and celebrate perversion,

To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; in fact, both their mind and conscience are defiled.

Then the Lord said to me:“ Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before Me, My compassions would not reach out to these people. Send them from My presence, and let them go.

But God says to the wicked:“ What right do you have to recite My statutes and to take My covenant on your lips?

“ Go and announce directly to Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says: I remember the loyalty of your youth, your love as a bride— how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.

But look, you keep trusting in deceitful words that cannot help.“ Do you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known?Then do you come and stand before Me in this house called by My name and say,‘ We are delivered, so we can continue doing all these detestable acts’?Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your view? Yes, I too have seen it.” This is the Lord’s declaration.

If a man is carrying consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does it become holy?” The priests answered,“ No.”Then Haggai asked,“ If someone defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?” The priests answered,“ It becomes defiled.”Then Haggai replied,“ So is this people, and so is this nation before Me”— this is the Lord’s declaration.“ And so is every work of their hands; even what they offer there is defiled.

I observed that it was because unfaithful Israel had committed adultery that I had sent her away and had given her a certificate of divorce. Nevertheless, her treacherous sister Judah was not afraid but also went and prostituted herself.

But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

“ Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother,who acted like prostitutes in Egypt, behaving promiscuously in their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin nipples caressed.The older one was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They became Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah represents Samaria and Oholibah represents Jerusalem.“ Oholah acted like a prostitute even though she was Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians: warriorsdressed in blue, governors and prefects, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on steeds.She offered her sexual favors to them; all of them were the elite of Assyria. She defiled herself with all those she lusted after and with all their idols.She didn’t give up her promiscuity that began in Egypt, when men slept with her in her youth, caressed her virgin nipples, and poured out their lust on her.Therefore, I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians she lusted for.They exposed her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword. Since they executed judgment against her, she became notorious among women.“ Now her sister Oholibah saw this, but she was even more depraved in her lust than Oholah, and made her promiscuous acts worse than those of her sister.She lusted after the Assyrians: governors and prefects, warriors splendidly dressed, horsemen riding on steeds, all of them desirable young men.And I saw that she had defiled herself; both of them had taken the same path.But she increased her promiscuity when she saw male figures carved on the wall, images of the Chaldeans, engraved in vermilion,wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like officers, a depiction of the Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth.At the sight of them she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and defiled her with their lust. But after she was defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust.When she flaunted her promiscuity and exposed her nakedness, I turned away from her in disgust just as I turned away from her sister.Yet she multiplied her acts of promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth when she acted like a prostitute in the land of Egyptand lusted after their lovers, whose sexual members were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions.So you revisited the indecency of your youth, when the Egyptians caressed your nipples to enjoy your youthful breasts.

But when the king came in to view the guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed for a wedding.

You built your elevated place at the head of every street and turned your beauty into a detestable thing. You spread your legs to everyone who passed by and increased your prostitution.You engaged in promiscuous acts with Egyptian men, your well-endowed neighbors, and increased your prostitution to provoke Me to anger.“ Therefore, I stretched out My hand against you and reduced your provisions. I gave you over to the desire of those who hate you, the Philistine women, who were embarrassed by your indecent behavior.Then you engaged in prostitution with the Assyrian men because you were not satisfied. Even though you did this with them, you were still not satisfied.So you extended your prostitution to Chaldea, the land of merchants, but you were not even satisfied with this!“ How your heart was inflamed with lust”— the declaration of the Lord God—“ when you did all these things, the acts of a brazen prostitute,building your mound at the head of every street and making your elevated place in every square. But you were unlike a prostitute because you scorned payment.You adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband!Men give gifts to all prostitutes, but you gave gifts to all your lovers. You bribed them to come to you from all around for your sexual favors.So you were the opposite of other women in your acts of prostitution; no one solicited you. When you paid a fee instead of one being paid to you, you were the opposite.

Then the Lord said to me,“ Go again; show love to a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the Israelites though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”

The sacrifice of a wicked person is detestable— how much more so when he brings it with ulterior motives!

Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows,

“ Return, you faithless children”— this is the Lord’s declaration—“ for I am your master, and I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage, but regarding election, they are loved because of the patriarchs,

“ What are all your sacrifices to Me?” asks the Lord.“ I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I have no desire for the blood of bulls, lambs, or male goats.When you come to appear before Me, who requires this from you— this trampling of My courts?Stop bringing useless offerings. Your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons and Sabbaths, and the calling of solemn assemblies— I cannot stand iniquity with a festival.I hate your New Moons and prescribed festivals. They have become a burden to Me; I am tired of putting up with them.When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will refuse to look at you; even if you offer countless prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

Anyone who turns his ear away from hearing the law— even his prayer is detestable.

I have abandoned My house; I have deserted My inheritance. I have given the love of My life into the hands of her enemies.

As shameful conduct is pleasure for a fool, so wisdom is for a man of understanding.

Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.

When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and said in a loud voice,“ What do You have to do with me, Jesus, You Son of the Most High God? I beg You, don’t torment me!”

The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

This is what the Lord says: Where is your mother’s divorce certificate that I used to send her away? Or who were My creditors that I sold you to? Look, you were sold for your iniquities, and your mother was put away because of your transgressions.

If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Wouldn’t such a land become totally defiled? But you! You have played the prostitute with many partners— can you return to Me? This is the Lord’s declaration.Look to the barren heights and see. Where have you not been immoral? You sat waiting for them beside the highways like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness.