⁴ Or do you show contempt for the riches^(A) of his kindness,^(B) forbearance^(C) and patience,^(D) not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?^(E)

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people!^(A) Your hearts^(B) and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!

The Fall of Jerusalem^(A)(B)

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers^(C) again and again,^(D) because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed^(E) at his prophets until the wrath^(F) of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.^(G)

¹³ The Lord warned^(A) Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:^(B) “Turn from your evil ways.^(C) Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.”^(D)

¹⁴ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked^(E) as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. ¹⁵ They rejected his decrees and the covenant^(F) he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols^(G) and themselves became worthless.^(H) They imitated the nations^(I) around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”

¹⁶ They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves,^(J) and an Asherah^(K) pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts,^(L) and they worshiped Baal.^{(M) 17} They sacrificed^(N) their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens^(O) and sold^(P) themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

¹⁸ So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence.^(Q) Only the tribe of Judah was left,

²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God^(A) as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.^(B)

¹¹ trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ^(A) in them was pointing when he predicted^(B) the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.

¹³ “‘When I called, they did not listen;^(A) so when they called, I would not listen,’^(B) says the Lord Almighty.^(C)