⁴ They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?^(A) Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”^(B)

Breaking Covenant Through Injustice

¹⁷ You have wearied^(A) the Lord with your words.

“How have we wearied him?” you ask.^(B)

By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased^(C) with them” or “Where is the God of justice?^(D)”

⁴⁵ But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk.

¹¹ When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong.

⁴⁸ But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’

²² “Son of man, what is this proverb^(A) you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing’?^{(B) 23} Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.’ Say to them, ‘The days are near^(C) when every vision will be fulfilled.^{(D) 24} For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations^(E) among the people of Israel. ²⁵ But I the Lord will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay.^(F) For in your days, you rebellious people, I will fulfill^(G) whatever I say, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(H)’”

²⁶ The word of the Lord came to me: ²⁷ “Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’^(I)