²⁵ From the day that your ancestors came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day,^(A)

⁴ And though the Lord persistently sent you all his servants the prophets, you have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear^(A)

The Fall of Jerusalem

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place,^(A)

¹⁰ When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants in order that they might give him his share of the produce of the vineyard, but the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ¹¹ Next he sent another slave; that one also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed. ¹² And he sent still a third; this one also they wounded and threw out.

³⁴ When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce.^{(A) 35} But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.^{(B) 36} Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them in the same way.

² Mortal, there were two women, the daughters of one mother; ³ they prostituted themselves in Egypt; they prostituted themselves in their youth; their breasts were caressed there, and their virgin bosoms were fondled.^(A)

⁵ and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob—making myself known to them in the land of Egypt—I swore to them, saying, “I am the Lord your God.”^{(A) 6} On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands.^{(B) 7} And I said to them, “Cast away the detestable things on which your eyes feast, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.”^{(C) 8} But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; not one of them cast away the detestable things on which their eyes feasted, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.

Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.^{(D) 9} But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt.^{(E) 10} So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.^{(F) 11} I gave them my statutes and showed them my ordinances, by whose observance everyone shall live.^{(G) 12} Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, so that they might know that I the Lord sanctify them.^{(H) 13} But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not observe my statutes but rejected my ordinances, by whose observance everyone shall live, and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned.

Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make an end of them.^{(I) 14} But I acted for the sake of my name, so that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. ¹⁵ Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands,^{(J) 16} because they rejected my ordinances and did not observe my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, for their heart went after their idols.^{(K) 17} Nevertheless, my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make an end of them in the wilderness.

¹⁸ I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents, nor observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols. ¹⁹ I the Lord am your God; follow my statutes, be careful to observe my ordinances,^{(L) 20} and hallow my Sabbaths that they may be a sign between me and you, so that you may know that I the Lord am your God.” ²¹ But the children rebelled against me; they did not follow my statutes and were not careful to observe my ordinances, by whose observance everyone shall live; they profaned my Sabbaths.

Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness.^{(M) 22} But I withheld my hand and acted for the sake of my name, so that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out.^{(N) 23} Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries,^{(O) 24} because they had not executed my ordinances but had rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their ancestors’ idols. ²⁵ Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live.^{(P) 26} I defiled them through their very gifts, in their offering up all their firstborn, in order that I might horrify them, so that they might know that I am the Lord.^(Q)

²⁷ Therefore, mortal, speak to the house of Israel and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: In this again your ancestors blasphemed me by dealing treacherously with me.^{(R) 28} For when I had brought them into the land that I swore to give them, then wherever they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and presented the provocation of their offering; there they sent up their pleasing odors, and there they poured out their drink offerings.^{(S) 29} (I said to them, “What is the high place to which you go? So it is called Bamah^[a] to this day.”) ³⁰ Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your ancestors and go astray after their detestable things? ³¹ When you offer your gifts and make your children pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be consulted by you.^(T)

³² What is in your mind shall never happen—the thought, “Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.”

³ He said to me, “Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation^[a] of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this very day.^(A)

³⁰ For the people of Israel and the people of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth; the people of Israel have done nothing but provoke me to anger by the work of their hands, says the Lord.^{(A) 31} This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built until this day, so that I will remove it from my sight^(B)