²⁹ “Why do you contend with Me?
You have ^(A)all transgressed against Me,” declares the Lord.
³⁰ “^(B)In vain I have struck your sons;
They accepted no chastening.
Your ^(C)sword has devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.
³¹ “O generation, heed the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
Or a ^(D)land of thick darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘^(E)We are free to roam;
We will no longer come to You’?
³² “Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have ^(F)forgotten Me
Days without number.
³³ “How well you prepare your way
To seek love!
Therefore even ^[a]the wicked women
You have taught your ways.
³⁴ “Also on your skirts is found
The ^(G)lifeblood of the innocent poor;
You did not find them ^(H)breaking in.
But in spite of all these things,
³⁵ Yet you said, ‘I am innocent;
Surely His anger is turned away from me.’
Behold, I will ^(I)enter into judgment with you
Because you ^(J)say, ‘I have not sinned.’
³⁶ “Why do you ^(K)go around so much
Changing your way?
Also, ^(L)you will be put to shame by Egypt
As you were put to shame by ^(M)Assyria.
³⁷ “From this place also you will go out
With ^(N)your hands on your head;
For the Lord has rejected ^(O)those in whom you trust,
And you will not prosper with them.”