⁷ Even the stork in the sky
    knows her appointed seasons,
and the dove, the swift and the thrush
    observe the time of their migration.
But my people do not know^(A)
    the requirements of the Lord.

¹⁸ They know nothing, they understand^(A) nothing;
    their eyes^(B) are plastered over so they cannot see,
    and their minds closed so they cannot understand.

“Though seeing, they do not see;
    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.^(A)

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
¹⁵ For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’^[a](C)

²² “My people are fools;^(A)
    they do not know me.^(B)
They are senseless children;
    they have no understanding.^(C)
They are skilled in doing evil;^(D)
    they know not how to do good.”^(E)

¹² They have harps and lyres at their banquets,
    pipes^(A) and timbrels^(B) and wine,
but they have no regard^(C) for the deeds of the Lord,
    no respect for the work of his hands.^(D)

⁸ Take notice, you senseless ones^(A) among the people;
    you fools, when will you become wise?

³ “They make ready their tongue
    like a bow, to shoot lies;^(A)
it is not by truth
    that they triumph^[a] in the land.
They go from one sin to another;
    they do not acknowledge^(B) me,”
declares the Lord.
⁴ “Beware of your friends;^(C)
    do not trust anyone in your clan.^(D)
For every one of them is a deceiver,^[b](E)
    and every friend a slanderer.^(F)
5 Friend deceives friend,^(G)
    and no one speaks the truth.^(H)
They have taught their tongues to lie;^(I)
    they weary themselves with sinning.
⁶ You^[c] live in the midst of deception;^(J)
    in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,”
declares the Lord.