²⁵ Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even ^(A)sent to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them.

⁴ And the Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets, ^(A)rising early and sending them, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear.

The Fall of Jerusalem^(A)

^15 (B)And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place.

¹⁰ Now at ^[a]vintage-time he ^(A)sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ¹¹ Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. ¹² And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.

³⁴ Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. ^35 (A)And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. ³⁶ Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.

⁵ “Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On the day when ^(A)I chose Israel and raised My hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob, and made Myself ^(B)known to them in the land of Egypt, I raised My hand in an oath to them, saying, ^(C)‘I am the Lord your God.’ ⁶ On that day I raised My hand in an oath to them, ^(D)to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, ^(E)‘flowing with milk and honey,’ ^(F)the glory of all lands. ⁷ Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, ^(G)throw away ^(H)the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with ^(I)the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’ ⁸ But they rebelled against Me and would not ^[a]obey Me. They did not all cast away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said, ‘I will ^(J)pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.’ ^9 (K)But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles among whom they were, in whose sight I had made Myself ^(L)known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁰ “Therefore I ^(M)made them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. ^11 (N)And I gave them My statutes and ^[b]showed them My judgments, ^(O)‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’ ¹² Moreover I also gave them My ^(P)Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. ¹³ Yet the house of Israel ^(Q)rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they ^(R)despised My judgments, ^(S)‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; and they greatly ^(T)defiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the ^(U)wilderness, to consume them. ^14 (V)But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out. ¹⁵ So ^(W)I also raised My hand in an oath to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, ^(X)‘flowing with milk and honey,’ ^(Y)the glory of all lands, ^16 (Z)because they despised My judgments and did not walk in My statutes, but profaned My Sabbaths; for ^(AA)their heart went after their idols. ^17 (AB)Nevertheless My eye spared them from destruction. I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.

¹⁸ “But I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols. ¹⁹ I am the Lord your God: ^(AC)Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; ^20 (AD)hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’

²¹ “Notwithstanding, ^(AE)the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments, ^(AF)‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; but they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the wilderness. ²² Nevertheless I ^[c]withdrew My hand and acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out. ²³ Also I raised My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that ^(AG)I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries, ^24 (AH)because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and ^(AI)their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.

²⁵ “Therefore ^(AJ)I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live; ²⁶ and I pronounced them unclean because of their ritual gifts, in that they caused all ^[d]their firstborn to pass ^(AK)through the fire, that I might make them desolate and that they ^(AL)might know that I am the Lord.” ’

²⁷ “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “In this too your fathers have ^(AM)blasphemed Me, by being unfaithful to Me. ²⁸ When I brought them into the land concerning which I had raised My hand in an oath to give them, and ^(AN)they saw all the high hills and all the thick trees, there they offered their sacrifices and provoked Me with their offerings. There they also sent up their ^(AO)sweet aroma and poured out their drink offerings. ²⁹ Then I said to them, ‘What is this ^[e]high place to which you go?’ So its name is called ^[f]Bamah to this day.” ’ ³⁰ Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Are you defiling yourselves in the manner of your ^(AP)fathers, and committing harlotry according to their ^(AQ)abominations? ³¹ For when you offer ^(AR)your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will ^(AS)not be inquired of by you. ^32 (AT)What you have in your mind shall never be, when you say, ‘We will be like the Gentiles, like the families in other countries, serving wood and stone.’

³ And He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has ^(A)rebelled against Me; ^(B)they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.

³⁰ because the children of Israel and the children of Judah ^(A)have done only evil before Me from their youth. For the children of Israel have provoked Me only to anger with the work of their hands,’ says the Lord. ³¹ ‘For this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My fury from the day that they built it, even to this day; ^(B)so I will remove it from before My face