Why do you complain about your injuries, that your pain is incurable? I have done all this to you because your wickedness is so great and your sin is so much.

你为何因损伤哀号呢？你的痛苦无法医治。我因你的罪孽甚大，罪恶众多，曾将这些加在你身上。

你为何因所受的损伤哀号呢？你的痛苦无法医治。我因你罪孽甚大，罪恶众多，曾将这些加在你身上。

你为何因所受的损伤哀号呢？你的痛苦无法医治。我因你罪孽甚大，罪恶众多，曾将这些加在你身上。

你们为何因自己无法医治的创伤而哭泣呢？因为你们罪大恶极，罪过无数，我才这样惩罚你们。

你为什么因你的损伤哀叫呢？你的病痛无法痊愈。我这样对你，是因你的罪孽甚多，你的罪恶无数。

你為何因損傷哀號呢？你的痛苦無法醫治。我因你的罪孽甚大，罪惡眾多，曾將這些加在你身上。

你為何因所受的損傷哀號呢？你的痛苦無法醫治。我因你罪孽甚大，罪惡眾多，曾將這些加在你身上。

你為何因所受的損傷哀號呢？你的痛苦無法醫治。我因你罪孽甚大，罪惡眾多，曾將這些加在你身上。

你們為何因自己無法醫治的創傷而哭泣呢？因為你們罪大惡極，罪過無數，我才這樣懲罰你們。

你為甚麼因你的損傷哀叫呢？你的病痛無法痊愈。我這樣對你，是因你的罪孽甚多，你的罪惡無數。

你為甚麼因你的破爛而哀呼你痛苦之無法醫治呢？我將這些刑罰施在你身上、都因你罪孽之眾多，你罪惡之重大呀。

爾曷因創傷而哀號乎、爾之痛苦、不可療也、我之待爾若此、以爾愆尤重大、罪惡增多也、

爾既遭難、何哭泣若此、因爾咎戾眾多、故予責爾、傷殘殊甚。

爾雖受傷損、痛苦難堪、豈可鳴冤、爾愆尤甚多、罪惡加增、故我待爾若是、

Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you.

Why do you cry out about your wound? Your pain can’t be healed. Your guilt is very great. And you have committed many sins. That is why I have done all these things to you.

Why do you cry out over your hurt? Your pain is incurable. Because your guilt is great, because your sins are flagrant, I have done these things to you.

Why do you protest your punishment— this wound that has no cure? I have had to punish you because your sins are many and your guilt is great.

Why do you cry out about your injury? Your pain has no cure! I have done these things to you because of your enormous guilt and your innumerable sins.

Why do you cry out over your injury? Your pain is incurable. Because your wrongdoing is great And your sins are numerous, I have done these things to you.

Why do you cry about your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable. Because of the multitude of your iniquities, Because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you.

Why criest thou for thy hurt? thy pain is incurable: for the greatness of thine iniquity, because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.

Why do you cry out about your injury? Your pain has no cure! I have done these things to you because of your enormous guilt and your innumerable sins.

Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow[ is] incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity:[ because] thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.

Why do you cry over your injury? Your pain is incurable. For the greatness of your iniquity, because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you.

All your allies have abandoned you. They no longer have any concern for you. For I have attacked you like an enemy would. I have chastened you cruelly. For your wickedness is so great and your sin is so much.

Moreover, the LORD says to the people of Zion,“ Your injuries are incurable; your wounds are severe.

Concerning my right, should I lie? My wound is incurable, although I am without transgression.’

I must endure the LORD’s anger, for I have sinned against him. But then he will defend my cause, and accomplish justice on my behalf. He will lead me out into the light; I will experience firsthand his deliverance.

This is in spite of the fact that the people of Judah have as many gods as they have towns and the citizens of Jerusalem have set up as many altars to sacrifice to that disgusting god, Baal, as they have streets in the city!’

Yes, I will restore you to health. I will heal your wounds. I, the LORD, affirm it! For you have been called an outcast, Zion, whom no one cares for.”

“‘ But just look at you! You are putting your confidence in a false belief that will not deliver you.You steal. You murder. You commit adultery. You lie when you swear on oath. You sacrifice to the god Baal. You pay allegiance to other gods whom you have not previously known.Then you come and stand in my presence in this temple I have claimed as my own and say,“ We are safe!” You think you are so safe that you go on doing all those hateful sins!Do you think this temple I have claimed as my own is to be a hideout for robbers? You had better take note! I have seen for myself what you have done! says the LORD.

Her foes subjugated her; her enemies are at ease. For the Lord afflicted her because of her many acts of rebellion. Her children went away captive before the enemy.ו( Vav)

Your misdeeds have stopped these things from coming. Your sins have deprived you of my bounty.’“ Indeed, there are wicked scoundrels among my people. They lie in wait like bird catchers hiding in ambush. They set deadly traps to catch people.Like a cage filled with the birds that have been caught, their houses are filled with the gains of their fraud and deceit. That is how they have gotten so rich and powerful.That is how they have grown fat and sleek. There is no limit to the evil things they do. They do not plead the cause of the fatherless in such a way as to win it. They do not defend the rights of the poor.I will certainly punish them for doing such things!” says the LORD.“ I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this!“ Something horrible and shocking is going on in the land of Judah:The prophets prophesy lies. The priests exercise power by their own authority. And my people love to have it this way. But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes!

The word of the LORD came to me:“ Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her abominable practicesand say,‘ This is what the sovereign LORD says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.As for your birth, on the day you were born your umbilical cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water; you were certainly not rubbed down with salt, nor wrapped with blankets.No eye took pity on you to do even one of these things for you to spare you; you were thrown out into the open field because you were detested on the day you were born.“‘ I passed by you and saw you kicking around helplessly in your blood. I said to you as you lay there in your blood,“ Live!” I said to you as you lay there in your blood,“ Live!”I made you plentiful like sprouts in a field; you grew tall and came of age so that you could wear jewelry. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, but you were still naked and bare.“‘ Then I passed by you and watched you, noticing that you had reached the age for love. I spread my cloak over you and covered your nakedness. I swore a solemn oath to you and entered into a marriage covenant with you, declares the sovereign LORD, and you became mine.“‘ Then I bathed you in water, washed the blood off you, and anointed you with fragrant oil.I dressed you in embroidered clothing and put fine leather sandals on your feet. I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk.I adorned you with jewelry. I put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck.I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.You were adorned with gold and silver, while your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidery. You ate the finest flour, honey, and olive oil. You became extremely beautiful and attained the position of royalty.Your fame spread among the nations because of your beauty; your beauty was perfect because of the splendor which I bestowed on you, declares the sovereign LORD.“‘ But you trusted in your beauty and capitalized on your fame by becoming a prostitute. You offered your sexual favors to every man who passed by so that your beauty became his.You took some of your clothing and made for yourself decorated high places; you engaged in prostitution on them. You went to him to become his.You also took your beautiful jewelry, made of my gold and my silver I had given to you, and made for yourself male images and engaged in prostitution with them.You took your embroidered clothing and used it to cover them; you offered my olive oil and my incense to them.As for my food that I gave you– the fine flour, olive oil, and honey I fed you– you placed it before them as a soothing aroma. That is exactly what happened, declares the sovereign LORD.“‘ You took your sons and your daughters whom you bore to me and you sacrificed them as food for the idols to eat. As if your prostitution not enough,you slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.And with all your abominable practices and prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth when you were naked and bare, kicking around in your blood.“‘ After all of your evil–“ Woe! Woe to you!” declares the sovereign LORD–you built yourself a chamber and put up a pavilion in every public square.At the head of every street you erected your pavilion and you disgraced your beauty when you spread your legs to every passerby and multiplied your promiscuity.You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your sexually aroused neighbors, multiplying your promiscuity and provoking me to anger.So see here, I have stretched out my hand against you and cut off your rations. I have delivered you into the power of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed by your obscene conduct.You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians because your sexual desires were insatiable; you prostituted yourself with them and yet you were still not satisfied.Then you multiplied your promiscuity to the land of merchants, Babylonia, but you were not satisfied there either.“‘ How sick is your heart, declares the sovereign LORD, when you perform all of these acts, the deeds of a bold prostitute.When you built your chamber at the head of every street and put up your pavilion in every public square, you were not like a prostitute, because you scoffed at payment.“‘ Adulterous wife, who prefers strangers instead of her own husband!All prostitutes receive payment, but instead you give gifts to every one of your lovers. You bribe them to come to you from all around for your sexual favors!You were different from other prostitutes because no one solicited you. When you gave payment and no payment was given to you, you became the opposite!“‘ Therefore O prostitute, hear the word of the LORD:This is what the sovereign LORD says: Because your lust was poured out and your nakedness was uncovered in your prostitution with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because of the blood of your children you have given to them,therefore, take note: I am about to gather all your lovers whom you enjoyed, both all those you loved and all those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around, and I will expose your nakedness to them, and they will see all your nakedness.I will punish you as an adulteress and murderer deserves. I will avenge your bloody deeds with furious rage.I will give you into their hands and they will destroy your chambers and tear down your pavilions. They will strip you of your clothing and take your beautiful jewelry and leave you naked and bare.They will summon a mob who will stone you and hack you in pieces with their swords.They will burn down your houses and execute judgments on you in front of many women. Thus I will put a stop to your prostitution, and you will no longer give gifts to your clients.I will exhaust my rage on you, and then my fury will turn from you. I will calm down and no longer be angry.“‘ Because you did not remember the days of your youth and have enraged me with all these deeds, I hereby repay you for what you have done, declares the sovereign LORD. Have you not engaged in prostitution on top of all your other abominable practices?“‘ Observe– everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you:“ Like mother, like daughter.”You are the daughter of your mother, who detested her husband and her sons, and you are the sister of your sisters who detested their husbands and their sons. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.Your older sister was Samaria, who lived north of you with her daughters, and your younger sister, who lived south of you, was Sodom with her daughters.Have you not copied their behavior and practiced their abominable deeds? In a short time you became even more depraved in all your conduct than they were!As surely as I live, declares the sovereign LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never behaved as wickedly as you and your daughters have behaved.“‘ See here– this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters had majesty, abundance of food, and enjoyed carefree ease, but they did not help the poor and needy.They were haughty and practiced abominable deeds before me. Therefore when I saw it I removed them.Samaria has not committed half the sins you have; you have done more abominable deeds than they did. You have made your sisters appear righteous with all the abominable things you have done.So now, bear your disgrace, because you have given your sisters reason to justify their behavior. Because the sins you have committed were more abominable than those of your sisters; they have become more righteous than you. So now, be ashamed and bear the disgrace of making your sisters appear righteous.“‘ I will restore their fortunes, the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters( along with your fortunes among them),so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you have done in consoling them.As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters will be restored to their former status, Samaria and her daughters will be restored to their former status, and you and your daughters will be restored to your former status.In your days of majesty, was not Sodom your sister a byword in your mouth,before your evil was exposed? Now you have become an object of scorn to the daughters of Aram and all those around her and to the daughters of the Philistines– those all around you who despise you.You must bear your punishment for your obscene conduct and your abominable practices, declares the LORD.“‘ For this is what the sovereign LORD says: I will deal with you according to what you have done when you despised your oath by breaking your covenant.Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish a lasting covenant with you.Then you will remember your conduct, and be ashamed when you receive your older and younger sisters. I will give them to you as daughters, but not on account of my covenant with you.I will establish my covenant with you, and then you will know that I am the LORD.Then you will remember, be ashamed, and remain silent when I make atonement for all you have done, declares the sovereign LORD.’”

So like a lion from the thicket their enemies will kill them. Like a wolf from the desert they will destroy them. Like a leopard they will lie in wait outside their cities and totally destroy anyone who ventures out. For they have rebelled so much and done so many unfaithful things.The LORD asked,“ How can I leave you unpunished, Jerusalem? Your people have rejected me and have worshiped gods that are not gods at all. Even though I supplied all their needs, they were like an unfaithful wife to me. They went flocking to the houses of prostitutes.They are like lusty, well-fed stallions. Each of them lusts after his neighbor’s wife.I will surely punish them for doing such things!” says the LORD.“ I will surely bring retribution on such a nation as this!”

“ Everything that has happened to us has come about because of our wicked actions and our great guilt. Even so, our God, you have exercised restraint toward our iniquities and have given us a remnant such as this.

In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to seek the LORD, and they sat down in front of me.The word of the LORD came to me:“ Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them:‘ This is what the sovereign LORD says: Are you coming to seek me? As surely as I live, I will not allow you to seek me, declares the sovereign LORD.’“ Are you willing to pronounce judgment? Are you willing to pronounce judgment, son of man? Then confront them with the abominable practices of their fathers,and say to them:“‘ This is what the sovereign LORD says: On the day I chose Israel I swore to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I swore to them,“ I am the LORD your God.”On that day I swore to bring them out of the land of Egypt to a land which I had picked out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands.I said to them,“ Each of you must get rid of the detestable idols you keep before you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.”But they rebelled against me, and refused to listen to me; no one got rid of their detestable idols, nor did they abandon the idols of Egypt. Then I decided to pour out my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.I acted for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations among whom they lived, before whom I revealed myself by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.“‘ So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them to the wilderness.I gave them my statutes and revealed my regulations to them. The one who carries them out will live by them!I also gave them my Sabbaths as a reminder of our relationship, so that they would know that I, the LORD, sanctify them.But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not follow my statutes and they rejected my regulations( the one who obeys them will live by them), and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I decided to pour out my rage on them in the wilderness and destroy them.I acted for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.I also swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them to the land I had given them– a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands.I did this because they rejected my regulations, did not follow my statutes, and desecrated my Sabbaths; for their hearts followed their idols.Yet I had pity on them and did not destroy them, so I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.“‘ But I said to their children in the wilderness,“ Do not follow the practices of your fathers; do not observe their regulations, nor defile yourselves with their idols.I am the LORD your God; follow my statutes, observe my regulations, and carry them out.Treat my Sabbaths as holy and they will be a reminder of our relationship, and then you will know that I am the LORD your God.”“‘ But the children rebelled against me, did not follow my statutes, did not observe my regulations by carrying them out( the one who obeys them will live by them), and desecrated my Sabbaths. I decided to pour out my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the wilderness.But I refrained from doing so, and acted instead for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.I also swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.I did this because they did not observe my regulations, they rejected my statutes, they desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.I also gave them decrees which were not good and regulations by which they could not live.I declared them to be defiled because of their sacrifices– they caused all their first born to pass through the fire– so that I would devastate them, so that they will know that I am the LORD.’“ Therefore, speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them,‘ This is what the sovereign LORD says: In this way too your fathers blasphemed me when they were unfaithful to me.I brought them to the land which I swore to give them, but whenever they saw any high hill or leafy tree, they offered their sacrifices there and presented the offerings that provoke me to anger. They offered their soothing aroma there and poured out their drink offerings.So I said to them, What is this high place you go to?’”( So it is called“ High Place” to this day.)“ Therefore say to the house of Israel,‘ This is what the sovereign LORD says: Will you defile yourselves like your fathers and engage in prostitution with detestable idols?When you present your sacrifices– when you make your sons pass through the fire– you defile yourselves with all your idols to this very day. Will I allow you to seek me, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the sovereign LORD, I will not allow you to seek me!“‘ What you plan will never happen. You say,“ We will be like the nations, like the clans of the lands, who serve gods of wood and stone.”As surely as I live, declares the sovereign LORD, with a powerful hand and an outstretched arm, and with an outpouring of rage, I will be king over you.I will bring you out from the nations, and will gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a powerful hand and an outstretched arm and with an outpouring of rage!I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the sovereign LORD.I will make you pass under the shepherd’s staff, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.I will eliminate from among you the rebels and those who revolt against me. I will bring them out from the land where they have been residing, but they will not come to the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.“‘ As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the sovereign LORD says: Each of you go and serve your idols, if you will not listen to me. But my holy name will not be profaned again by your sacrifices and your idols.For there on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the sovereign LORD, all the house of Israel will serve me, all of them in the land. I will accept them there, and there I will seek your contributions and your choice gifts, with all your holy things.When I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, I will accept you along with your soothing aroma. I will display my holiness among you in the sight of the nations.Then you will know that I am the LORD when I bring you to the land of Israel, to the land I swore to give to your fathers.And there you will remember your conduct and all your deeds by which you defiled yourselves. You will despise yourselves because of all the evil deeds you have done.Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for the sake of my reputation and not according to your wicked conduct and corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the sovereign LORD.’”( 21: 1) The word of the LORD came to me:“ Son of man, turn toward the south, and speak out against the south. Prophesy against the open scrub land of the Negev,and say to the scrub land of the Negev,‘ Hear the word of the LORD: This is what the sovereign LORD says: Look here, I am about to start a fire in you, and it will devour every green tree and every dry tree in you. The flaming fire will not be extinguished, and the whole surface of the ground from the Negev to the north will be scorched by it.And everyone will see that I, the LORD, have burned it; it will not be extinguished.’”Then I said,“ O sovereign LORD! They are saying of me,‘ Does he not simply speak in eloquent figures of speech?’”

Your own wickedness will bring about your punishment. Your unfaithful acts will bring down discipline on you. Know, then, and realize how utterly harmful it was for you to reject me, the LORD your God, to show no respect for me,” says the Lord GOD who rules over all.

All the leaders of the priests and people became more unfaithful and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations. They defiled the LORD’s temple which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.The LORD God of their ancestors continually warned them through his messengers, for he felt compassion for his people and his dwelling place.But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his warnings, and ridiculed his prophets. Finally the LORD got very angry at his people and there was no one who could prevent his judgment.He brought against them the king of the Babylonians, who slaughtered their young men in their temple. He did not spare young men or women, or even the old and aging. God handed everyone over to him.

The crown has fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned!Because of this, our hearts are sick; because of these things, we can hardly see through our tears.

Why should any living person complain when punished for his sins?נ( Nun)

The filthy, stained city is as good as dead; the city filled with oppressors is finished!She is disobedient; she refuses correction. She does not trust the LORD; she does not seek the advice of her God.Her princes are as fierce as roaring lions; her rulers are as hungry as wolves in the desert, who completely devour their prey by morning.Her prophets are proud; they are deceitful men. Her priests defile what is holy; they break God’s laws.The just LORD resides within her; he commits no unjust acts. Every morning he reveals his justice. At dawn he appears without fail. Yet the unjust know no shame.

Go up to Gilead and get medicinal ointment, you dear poor people of Egypt. But it will prove useless no matter how much medicine you use; there will be no healing for you.

This will happen because the people of Israel and Judah have repeatedly done what displeases me from their earliest history until now and because they have repeatedly made me angry by the things they have done. I, the LORD, affirm it!This will happen because the people of this city have aroused my anger and my wrath since the time they built it until now. They have made me so angry that I am determined to remove it from my sight.I am determined to do so because the people of Israel and Judah have made me angry with all their wickedness– they, their kings, their officials, their priests, their prophets, and especially the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem have done this wickedness.They have turned away from me instead of turning to me. I tried over and over again to instruct them, but they did not listen and respond to correction.They set up their disgusting idols in the temple which I have claimed for my own and defiled it.They built places of worship for the god Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that they could sacrifice their sons and daughters to the god Molech. Such a disgusting practice was not something I commanded them to do! It never even entered my mind to command them to do such a thing! So Judah is certainly liable for punishment.’

How tragic that the once- faithful city has become a prostitute! She was once a center of justice, fairness resided in her, but now only murderers.Your silver has become scum, your beer is diluted with water.Your officials are rebels, they associate with thieves. All of them love bribery, and look for payoffs. They do not take up the cause of the orphan, or defend the rights of the widow.Therefore, the sovereign LORD who commands armies, the powerful ruler of Israel, says this:“ Ah, I will seek vengeance against my adversaries, I will take revenge against my enemies.

But if God is quiet, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, then who can see him? Yet he is over the individual and the nation alike,

I prayed,“ O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God! For our iniquities have climbed higher than our heads, and our guilt extends to the heavens.From the days of our fathers until this very day our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities we, along with our kings and priests, have been delivered over by the local kings to sword, captivity, plunder, and embarrassment– right up to the present time.

So this sin will become your downfall. You will be like a high wall that bulges and cracks and is ready to collapse; it crumbles suddenly, in a flash.It shatters in pieces like a clay jar, so shattered to bits that none of it can be salvaged. Among its fragments one cannot find a shard large enough to scoop a hot coal from a fire or to skim off water from a cistern.”

The word of the LORD came to me:“ As for you, son of man, are you willing to pronounce judgment, are you willing to pronounce judgment on the bloody city? Then confront her with all her abominable deeds!Then say,‘ This is what the sovereign LORD says: O city, who spills blood within herself( which brings on her doom), and who makes herself idols( which results in impurity),you are guilty because of the blood you shed and defiled by the idols you made. You have hastened the day of your doom; the end of your years has come. Therefore I will make you an object of scorn to the nations, an object to be mocked by all lands.Those both near and far from you will mock you, you with your bad reputation, full of turmoil.“‘ See how each of the princes of Israel living within you has used his authority to shed blood.They have treated father and mother with contempt within you; they have oppressed the foreigner among you; they have wronged the orphan and the widow within you.You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths!Slanderous men shed blood within you. Those who live within you eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains; they commit obscene acts among you.They have sex with their father’s wife within you; they violate women during their menstrual period within you.One commits an abominable act with his neighbor’s wife; another obscenely defiles his daughter-in-law; another violates his sister– his father’s daughter– within you.They take bribes within you to shed blood. You engage in usury and charge interest; you extort money from your neighbors. You have forgotten me, declares the sovereign LORD.“‘ See, I strike my hands together at the dishonest profit you have made, and at the bloodshed they have done among you.Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong when I deal with you? I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it!I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you among various countries; I will remove your impurity from you.You will be profaned within yourself in the sight of the nations; then you will know that I am the LORD.’”The word of the LORD came to me:“ Son of man, the house of Israel has become slag to me. All of them are like bronze, tin, iron, and lead in the furnace; they are the worthless slag of silver.Therefore this is what the sovereign LORD says:‘ Because all of you have become slag, look out!– I am about to gather you in the middle of Jerusalem.As silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin are gathered in a furnace so that the fire can melt them, so I will gather you in my anger and in my rage. I will deposit you there and melt you.I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my fury, and you will be melted in it.As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted in it, and you will know that I, the LORD, have poured out my anger on you.’”The word of the LORD came to me:

( 8: 23) I wish that my head were a well full of water and my eyes were a fountain full of tears! If they were, I could cry day and night for those of my dear people who have been killed.( 9: 1) I wish I had a lodging place in the desert where I could spend some time like a weary traveler. Then I would desert my people and walk away from them because they are all unfaithful to God, a congregation of people that has been disloyal to him.The LORD says,“ These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows. Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies. They have become powerful in the land, but they have not done so by honest means. Indeed, they do one evil thing after another and do not pay attention to me.Everyone must be on his guard around his friends. He must not even trust any of his relatives. For every one of them will find some way to cheat him. And all of his friends will tell lies about him.One friend deceives another and no one tells the truth. These people have trained themselves to tell lies. They do wrong and are unable to repent.They do one act of violence after another, and one deceitful thing after another. They refuse to pay attention to me,” says the LORD.Therefore the LORD who rules over all says,“ I will now purify them in the fires of affliction and test them. The wickedness of my dear people has left me no choice. What else can I do?Their tongues are like deadly arrows. They are always telling lies. Friendly words for their neighbors come from their mouths. But their minds are thinking up ways to trap them.I will certainly punish them for doing such things!” says the LORD.“ I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this!”

For Samaria’s disease is incurable. It has infected Judah; it has spread to the leadership of my people and has even contaminated Jerusalem!

“ That is because, from the least important to the most important of them, all of them are greedy for dishonest gain. Prophets and priests alike, all of them practice deceit.

He built a hedge around it, removed its stones, and planted a vine. He built a tower in the middle of it, and constructed a winepress. He waited for it to produce edible grapes, but it produced sour ones instead.

But it happened due to the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who poured out in her midst the blood of the righteous.נ( Nun)

( 3: 19)“ For indeed the day is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant evildoers will be chaff. The coming day will burn them up,” says the LORD who rules over all.“ It will not leave even a root or branch.But for you who respect my name, the sun of vindication will rise with healing wings, and you will skip about like calves released from the stall.

The sinful nation is as good as dead, the people weighed down by evil deeds. They are offspring who do wrong, children who do wicked things. They have abandoned the LORD, and rejected the Holy One of Israel. They are alienated from him.Why do you insist on being battered? Why do you continue to rebel? Your head has a massive wound, your whole body is weak.

Look, the LORD’s hand is not too weak to deliver you; his ear is not too deaf to hear you.But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God; your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers.For your hands are stained with blood and your fingers with sin; your lips speak lies, your tongue utters malicious words.No one is concerned about justice; no one sets forth his case truthfully. They depend on false words and tell lies; they conceive of oppression and give birth to sin.

But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them save you when you are in trouble. The sad fact is that you have as many gods as you have towns, Judah.“ Why do you try to refute me? All of you have rebelled against me,” says the LORD.“ It did no good for me to punish your people. They did not respond to such correction. You slaughtered your prophets like a voracious lion.”

For you are aware of our many rebellious deeds, and our sins testify against us; indeed, we are aware of our rebellious deeds; we know our sins all too well.We have rebelled and tried to deceive the LORD; we turned back from following our God. We stir up oppression and rebellion; we tell lies we concocted in our minds.Justice is driven back; godliness stands far off. Indeed, honesty stumbles in the city square and morality is not even able to enter.Honesty has disappeared; the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed. The LORD watches and is displeased, for there is no justice.

Why must I continually suffer such painful anguish? Why must I endure the sting of their insults like an incurable wound? Will you let me down when I need you like a brook one goes to for water, but that cannot be relied on?”

and all he did to the two Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan– King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan in Ashtaroth.Our leaders and all who live in our land told us,‘ Take provisions for your journey and go meet them. Tell them,“ We are willing to be your subjects. Make a treaty with us.”’

I will be like a moth to Ephraim, like wood rot to the house of Judah.When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria, and begged its great king for help. But he will not be able to heal you! He cannot cure your wound!

All of this is because the LORD who rules over all has said:‘ Cut down the trees around Jerusalem and build up a siege ramp against its walls. This is the city which is to be punished. Nothing but oppression happens in it.As a well continually pours out fresh water so it continually pours out wicked deeds. Sounds of violence and destruction echo throughout it. All I see are sick and wounded people.’

“ Nonetheless they grew disobedient and rebelled against you; they disregarded your law. They killed your prophets who had solemnly admonished them in order to cause them to return to you. They committed atrocious blasphemies.Therefore you delivered them into the hand of their adversaries, who oppressed them. But in the time of their distress they called to you, and you heard from heaven. In your abundant compassion you provided them with deliverers to rescue them from their adversaries.“ Then, when they were at rest again, they went back to doing evil before you. Then you abandoned them to their enemies, and they gained dominion over them. When they again cried out to you, in your compassion you heard from heaven and rescued them time and again.And you solemnly admonished them in order to return them to your law, but they behaved presumptuously and did not obey your commandments. They sinned against your ordinances– those by which an individual, if he obeys them, will live. They boldly turned from you; they rebelled and did not obey.You prolonged your kindness with them for many years, and you solemnly admonished them by your Spirit through your prophets. Still they paid no attention, so you delivered them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.However, due to your abundant mercy you did not do away with them altogether; you did not abandon them. For you are a merciful and compassionate God.“ So now, our God– the great, powerful, and awesome God, who keeps covenant fidelity– do not regard as inconsequential all the hardship that has befallen us– our kings, our leaders, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all your people– from the days of the kings of Assyria until this very day!You are righteous with regard to all that has happened to us, for you have acted faithfully. It is we who have been in the wrong!Our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law. They have not paid attention to your commandments or your testimonies by which you have solemnly admonished them.Even when they were in their kingdom and benefiting from your incredible goodness that you had lavished on them in the spacious and fertile land you had set before them, they did not serve you, nor did they turn from their evil practices.“ So today we are slaves! In the very land you gave to our ancestors to eat its fruit and to enjoy its good things– we are slaves!