¹⁷ Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted^(A) themselves to other gods^(B) and worshiped them.^(C) They quickly turned^(D) from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.^{(E) 18} Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved^(F) them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented^(G) because of their groaning^(H) under those who oppressed and afflicted^(I) them. ¹⁹ But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt^(J) than those of their ancestors,^(K) following other gods and serving and worshiping them.^(L) They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn^(M) ways.

²⁰ Therefore the Lord was very angry^(N) with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant^(O) I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me,

Israel Exiled Because of Sin

⁷ All this took place because the Israelites had sinned^(A) against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt^(B) from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods ⁸ and followed the practices of the nations^(C) the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. ⁹ The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city^(D) they built themselves high places in all their towns. ¹⁰ They set up sacred stones^(E) and Asherah poles^(F) on every high hill and under every spreading tree.^{(G) 11} At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. ¹² They worshiped idols,^(H) though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”^{[a] 13} The Lord warned^(I) Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:^(J) “Turn from your evil ways.^(K) 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.”^(L)

¹⁴ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked^(M) as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. ¹⁵ They rejected his decrees and the covenant^(N) he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols^(O) and themselves became worthless.^(P) They imitated the nations^(Q) 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,^(R) and an Asherah^(S) pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts,^(T) and they worshiped Baal.^{(U) 17} They sacrificed^(V) their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens^(W) and sold^(X) 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.^(Y) Only the tribe of Judah was left,

¹² This happened because they had not obeyed the Lord their God, but had violated his covenant^(A)—all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded.^(B) They neither listened to the commands^(C) nor carried them out.

Judgment on Jerusalem’s Sins

22 The word of the Lord came to me:

² “Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of bloodshed?^(A) Then confront her with all her detestable practices^{(B) 3} and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood^(C) in her midst and defiles herself by making idols, ⁴ you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed^(D) and have become defiled by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close, and the end of your years has come.^(E) Therefore I will make you an object of scorn^(F) to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries.^{(G) 5} Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, you infamous city, full of turmoil.^(H)

⁶ “‘See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood.^{(I) 7} In you they have treated father and mother with contempt;^(J) in you they have oppressed the foreigner^(K) and mistreated the fatherless and the widow.^{(L) 8} You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths.^{(M) 9} In you are slanderers^(N) who are bent on shedding blood;^(O) in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines^(P) and commit lewd acts.^{(Q) 10} In you are those who dishonor their father’s bed;^(R) in you are those who violate women during their period,^(S) when they are ceremonially unclean.^{(T) 11} In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor’s wife,^(U) another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law,^(V) and another violates his sister,^(W) his own father’s daughter.^{(X) 12} In you are people who accept bribes^(Y) to shed blood; you take interest^(Z) and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors.^(AA) And you have forgotten^(AB) me, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AC)

¹³ “‘I will surely strike my hands^(AD) together at the unjust gain^(AE) you have made and at the blood^(AF) you have shed in your midst.^(AG)

²³ Again the word of the Lord came to me: ²⁴ “Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of wrath.’^{(A) 25} There is a conspiracy^(B) of her princes^[a] within her like a roaring lion^(C) tearing its prey; they devour people,^(D) take treasures and precious things and make many widows^(E) within her. ²⁶ Her priests do violence to my law^(F) and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common;^(G) they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean;^(H) and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned^(I) among them.^{(J) 27} Her officials^(K) within her are like wolves^(L) tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people^(M) to make unjust gain.^{(N) 28} Her prophets whitewash^(O) these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations.^(P) They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken.^{(Q) 29} The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery;^(R) they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner,^(S) denying them justice.^(T)