When you felt secure, I warned you. But you said,‘ I won’t listen!’ You have acted like that ever since you were young. You have not obeyed me.

你兴盛的时候，我对你说话；你却说：‘我不听。’你自幼年以来总是这样，不听从我的话。

你兴盛的时候，我对你说话；你却说：“我不听。”你从年轻时就是这样，不肯听我的话。

你兴盛的时候，我对你说话；你却说：“我不听。”你从年轻时就是这样，不肯听我的话。

在你们兴盛的时候，我曾警告过你们，你们却不听。你们从小就叛逆，不听我的话。

你安定的时候，我曾警告过你，你却说：‘我不听！’从你幼年以来，你就是这样，不听从我的话。

你興盛的時候，我對你說話；你卻說：我不聽。你自幼年以來總是這樣，不聽從我的話。

你興盛的時候，我對你說話；你卻說：「我不聽。」你從年輕時就是這樣，不肯聽我的話。

你興盛的時候，我對你說話；你卻說：「我不聽。」你從年輕時就是這樣，不肯聽我的話。

在你們興盛的時候，我曾警告過你們，你們卻不聽。你們從小就叛逆，不聽我的話。

你安定的時候，我曾警告過你，你卻說：‘我不聽！’從你幼年以來，你就是這樣，不聽從我的話。

你優游興盛時、我對你說過話，你卻說：「我不聽。」從你幼年以來你的行徑總是這樣：不聽從我的聲音。

爾興盛時、我與爾言、惟爾曰、我不聽、爾自幼時、所為若是、不從我言、

平康之時、我曾語爾、惟爾不聽、自肇造邦國、以迄於今、爾不從我言、所為若是。

爾平康之時、我曾諭爾、乃爾云、我不願聽、自爾幼年以來、爾不聽我言、此爾故習、

I warned you when you felt secure, but you said,‘ I will not listen!’ This has been your way from your youth; you have not obeyed me.

I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said,‘ I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, that you have not obeyed my voice.

I warned you when you were prosperous, but you replied,‘ Don’t bother me.’ You have been that way since childhood— you simply will not obey me!

I spoke to you when you were secure. You said,“ I will not listen.” This has been your way since youth; indeed, you have never listened to me.

I spoke to you in your prosperity; But you said,‘ I will not listen!’ This has been your way from your youth, That you have not obeyed My voice.

I spoke to you in your prosperity, But you said,‘ I will not hear.’ This has been your manner from your youth, That you did not obey My voice.

I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice.

I spoke to you when you were secure. You said,“ I will not listen.” This has been your way since youth; indeed, you have never listened to Me.

I spake unto thee in thy prosperity;[ but] thou saidst, I will not hear. This[ hath been] thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice.

While you were feeling secure I gave you warning. But you said,“ I refuse to listen to you.” That is the way you have acted from your earliest history onward. Indeed, you have never paid attention to me.

I spoke to you in your prosperity; but you said,‘ I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, that you didn’t obey my voice.

“ The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my eyes. They have done it since the nation was young. In fact, they have done nothing but make me very angry. They have worshiped statues of gods their own hands have made,” announces the Lord.

When I brought your people out of Egypt, I spoke to them. But I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices.I also gave them another command. I said,‘ Obey me. Then I will be your God. And you will be my people. Live the way I command you to live. Then things will go well with you.’But they did not listen. They refused to pay any attention to me. Instead, they did what their stubborn and evil hearts wanted them to do. They went backward and not forward.Again and again I sent my servants the prophets to you. They came to you day after day. They prophesied from the time your people left Egypt until now.But your people of long ago did not listen. They refused to pay any attention to me. They were stubborn. They did more evil things than their people who lived before them.“ Jeremiah, when you tell them all this, they will not listen to you. When you call out to them, they will not answer.So say to them,‘ You are a nation that has not obeyed the Lord your God. You did not pay attention when you were corrected. Truth has died out. You do not tell the truth anymore.’ ”

Let us lie down in our shame. Let our dishonor cover us. You are the Lord our God. But we have sinned against you. We and our people of long ago have sinned. We haven’t obeyed you from our earliest years until now.”

They became prostitutes in Egypt. They have been unfaithful to me since they were young. In that land they allowed their breasts to be touched. They permitted their virgin breasts to be kissed.The older sister was named Oholah. The younger one was Oholibah. They belonged to me. Sons and daughters were born to them. Oholah stands for Samaria. And Oholibah stands for Jerusalem.“ Oholah was unfaithful to me even while she still belonged to me. She longed for her Assyrian lovers. They included soldierswho wore blue uniforms. They also included governors and commanders. All of them were young and handsome. They rode horses.She gave herself as a prostitute to all Assyria’s finest warriors. She made herself impure with the statues of the gods of everyone she longed for.She started being a prostitute in Egypt. And she never stopped. When she was young, men had sex with her. They kissed her virgin breasts. They used up all their sinful desires on her.“ So I handed her over to her Assyrian lovers. She longed for them.They stripped her naked. They took away her sons and daughters. And they killed her with their swords. Other women laughed when that happened. I was the one who had punished her.“ Her sister Oholibah saw it. But her evil desire for sexual sin was worse than her sister’s.She too longed for the men of Assyria. They included governors and commanders. They included soldiers who wore fancy uniforms. They also included men who rode horses. All of them were young and handsome.I saw that she too made herself impure. So both sisters did the same evil things.“ But Oholibah went even further with her sexual sins. She saw pictures of men drawn on a wall. They were figures of Babylonians drawn in red.They had belts around their waists. They wore flowing turbans on their heads. All of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers. They were from the land of the Chaldeans.As soon as she saw the pictures, she longed for the men. So she sent messengers to them in Babylon.Then the Babylonians came to her. They went to bed with her. They had sex with her. They made her impure when they had sex with her. After they did it, she became sick of them. So she turned away from them.She acted like a prostitute who had no shame at all. She openly showed her naked body. I became sick of what she was doing. So I turned away from her. I had also turned away from her sister.But Oholibah offered her body to her lovers again and again. She remembered the days when she was a young prostitute in Egypt.There she had longed for her lovers. Their private parts seemed as big as those of donkeys. And their flow of semen appeared to be as much as that of horses.So you wanted to return to the days when you were young. You longed for the time when you first became impure in Egypt. That was when you allowed your breasts to be kissed. And you permitted your young breasts to be touched.”So the Lord and King says,“ Oholibah, I will stir up your lovers against you. You became sick of them. You turned away from them. But I will bring them against you from every side.They include the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans. They include the men from Pekod, Shoa and Koa. They also include all the Assyrians. They are young and handsome. Some of them are governors and commanders. Others are chariot officers. Still others are very high officials. All of them ride horses.So a huge army will come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons. They will take up positions against you on every side. They will carry large and small shields. They will wear helmets. I will turn you over to them to be punished. They will punish you in their own way.I will pour out my jealous anger on you. And the army’s anger will burn against you. They will cut off your noses and ears. Some of you who are left will be killed by swords. They will take away your sons and daughters. Others of you who are left will be burned up.The army will also strip off your clothes. They will take your fine jewelry away from you.You became an impure prostitute in Egypt. But I will put a stop to all of that. You will no longer want to do any of it. You will not remember Egypt anymore.”The Lord and King says,“ I am about to hand you over to people you hate. You became sick of them. You turned away from them.They will punish you because they hate you so much. They will take away from you everything you have worked for. They will leave you completely naked. Then everyone will see that you are a prostitute who has no shame at all. You were impure. You offered your body to your lovers again and again.That is why you will be punished. You longed for lovers in other nations. You made yourself impure by worshiping their gods.You did the same things your sister Oholah did. So I will put her cup in your hand. It is filled with the wine of my anger.”The Lord and King says to Oholibah,“ You will drink from your sister’s cup. It is large and deep. It is filled with the wine of my anger. So others will laugh at you. They will make fun of you.You will become drunk and sad. The cup of my anger will completely destroy you. It is the same cup your sister Samaria drank from.You will drink from it until it is empty. Then you will chew on its pieces. And you will claw at your breasts. I have spoken,” announces the Lord and King.So the Lord and King says,“ You have forgotten me. You have turned your back on me. You have been impure. You have acted like a prostitute. So I will punish you.”The Lord said to me,“ Son of man, are you going to judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then tell them they have done many evil things. I hate those things.They have committed adultery. Their hands are covered with the blood of the people they have murdered. They have worshiped other gods. They have not been faithful to me. They have even sacrificed their children as food to other gods. Those children belonged to me.Here are some other things the sisters have done to me. They have made my temple‘ unclean.’ They have misused my Sabbath days.They have sacrificed their children to their gods. On that same day they entered my temple and made it‘ unclean.’ That is what they have done in my house.

You have not heard or understood what I said. Your ears have been plugged up for a long time. I knew very well that you would turn against me. From the day you were born, you have refused to obey me.

If you don’t, I might have too much. Then I might say I don’t know you. I might say,‘ Who is the Lord?’ Or I might become poor and steal. Then I would bring shame to the name of my God.

Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said,‘ Each of you must turn from your evil ways. You must change the way you act. Do not worship other gods. Do not serve them. Then you will live in the land. I gave it to you and your people of long ago.’ But you have not paid any attention. You have not listened to me.

The Lord tells the people of Judah,“ Stand where the roads cross, and look around. Ask where the old paths are. Ask for the good path, and walk on it. Then your hearts will find rest in me. But you said,‘ We won’t walk on it.’

“‘ “But they refused to obey me. They would not listen to me. They did not get rid of the evil gods they worshiped. And they did not turn away from Egypt’s gods. So I said I would pour out all my great anger on them in Egypt.

The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They served gods that were named Baal.They deserted the Lord, the God of their people. He had brought them out of Egypt. But now the Israelites served other gods and worshiped them. They served the gods of the nations that were around them. They made the Lord angrybecause they deserted him. They served Baal. They also served female gods that were named Ashtoreth.The Lord became angry with the Israelites. So he handed them over to robbers. The robbers stole everything from them. The Lord handed the Israelites over to their enemies all around them. Israel wasn’t able to fight against them anymore and win.When the Israelites went out to fight, the Lord’ s power was against them. He let their enemies win the battle over them. The Lord had warned them that it would happen. And now they were suffering terribly.Then the Lord gave them leaders. The leaders saved them from the power of those robbers.But the people wouldn’t listen to their leaders. They weren’t faithful to the Lord. They served other gods and worshiped them. They didn’t obey the Lord’ s commands as their people before them had done. They quickly turned away from the path their people had taken.When the Lord gave them a leader, he was with that leader. The Lord saved the people from the power of their enemies. He did it as long as the leader lived. The Lord felt very sorry for the people. They groaned because of what their enemies did to them. Their enemies treated them badly.But when the leader died, the people returned to their evil ways. The things they did were even more sinful than the things their people before them had done. They served other gods and worshiped them. They refused to give up their evil practices. They wouldn’t change their stubborn ways.

I know how you refuse to obey the Lord. I know how stubborn you are. You have refused to obey him while I’ve been living among you. So you will certainly refuse to obey him after I’m dead!

But God’s people made fun of his messengers. They hated his words. They laughed at his prophets. Finally the Lord’ s great anger was stirred up against his people. Nothing could save them.The Lord brought the king of the Babylonians against them. The Babylonian army killed their young people with their swords at the temple. They didn’t spare young men or young women. They didn’t spare the old people or weak people either. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar.

“ But our people before us became proud and stubborn. They didn’t obey your commands.They refused to listen to you. They forgot the miracles you had done among them. So they became stubborn. When they refused to obey you, they appointed a leader for themselves. They wanted to go back to being slaves in Egypt. But you are a God who forgives. You are gracious. You are tender and kind. You are slow to get angry. You are full of love. So you didn’t desert them.They made for themselves a metal statue of a god that looked like a calf. They said to one another,‘ Here is your god. He brought you up out of Egypt.’ And they did evil things that dishonored you. But you still didn’t desert them.“ Because you loved them so much, you didn’t leave them in the desert. During the day the pillar of cloud didn’t stop guiding them on their path. At night the pillar of fire didn’t stop shining on the way you wanted them to go.You gave them your good Spirit to teach them. You didn’t hold back your manna from their mouths. And you gave them water when they were thirsty.For 40 years you took good care of them in the desert. They had everything they needed. Their clothes didn’t wear out. And their feet didn’t swell up.“ You gave them kingdoms and nations. You even gave them lands far away. They took over the country of Sihon. He was the king of Heshbon. They also took over the country of Og. He was the king of Bashan.You gave them as many children as there are stars in the sky. You told their parents to enter the land. You told them to take it over. And you brought their children into it.Their children went into the land. They took it as their own. You brought the Canaanites under Israel’s control. The Canaanites lived in the land. But you handed them over to Israel. You also handed over their kings and the other nations in the land to Israel. You allowed Israel to deal with them just as they wanted to.Your people captured cities that had high walls around them. They also took over the rich land in Canaan. They took houses filled with all kinds of good things. They took over wells that had already been dug. They took many vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees. They ate until they were very full and satisfied. They were filled with joy because you were so good to them.“ But they didn’t obey you. Instead, they turned against you. They turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets. The prophets had warned them to return to you. But they did very evil things that dishonored you.So you handed them over to their enemies, who treated them badly. Then they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them. You loved them very much. So you sent leaders to help them. The leaders saved them from the power of their enemies.“ Then the people were enjoying peace and rest again. That’s when they did what you did not want them to do. Then you handed them over to their enemies. So their enemies ruled over them. When they cried out to you again, you heard them from heaven. You loved them very much. So you saved them time after time.“ You warned them so that they would obey your law again. But they became proud. They didn’t obey your commands. They sinned against your rules. You said,‘ Anyone who obeys my rules will live by them.’ But the people didn’t care about that. They turned their backs on you. They became very stubborn. They refused to listen to you.For many years you put up with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. In spite of that, they didn’t pay any attention. So you handed them over to the nations that were around them.But you loved them very much. So you didn’t put an end to them. You didn’t desert them. That’s because you are a gracious God. You are tender and kind.“ Our God, you are the great God. You are mighty and wonderful. You keep the covenant you made with us. You show us your love. So don’t let all our suffering seem like a small thing to you. We’ve suffered greatly. So have our kings and leaders. So have our priests and prophets. Our people who lived long ago also suffered. And all your people are suffering right now. In fact, we’ve been suffering from the time of the kings of Assyria until today.In spite of everything that has happened to us, you have been fair. You have been faithful in what you have done. But we did what was evil.Our kings and leaders didn’t follow your law. Our priests and our people before us didn’t follow it either. They didn’t pay any attention to your commands or rules that you warned them to keep.They didn’t serve you. They didn’t turn from their evil ways. They didn’t obey you even when they had a kingdom. You were very good to them. And they enjoyed it. You gave them a rich land. It had plenty of room in it. But they still didn’t serve you.“ Now look at us. We are slaves today. We’re slaves in the land you gave our people of long ago. You gave it to them so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces.But we have sinned against you. So its great harvest goes to the kings of Persia. You have placed them over us. They rule over our bodies and cattle just as they please. And we are suffering terribly.

You have been refusing to obey the Lord as long as I’ve known you.

The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama the secretary. Jehudi read it to the king. All the officials were standing beside the king. So they heard it too.It was the ninth month. The king was sitting in his winter apartment. A fire was burning in the fire pot in front of him.Jehudi read three or four sections from the scroll. Then the king cut them off with a secretary’s knife. He threw them into the fire pot. He did that until the entire scroll was burned up in the fire.The king and some of his attendants heard all these words. But they weren’t afraid. They didn’t tear their clothes.Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll. But he wouldn’t listen to them.Instead, the king commanded three men to arrest Baruch the secretary and Jeremiah the prophet. But the Lord had hidden them. The three men were Jerahmeel, Seraiah and Shelemiah. Jerahmeel was a member of the royal court. Seraiah was the son of Azriel. And Shelemiah was the son of Abdeel.

“‘ “But their children refused to obey me. They did not follow my rules. They were not careful to keep my laws. The person who obeys them will live by them. They misused my Sabbath days. So I said I would pour out all my great anger on them in the desert.

When Israel grew fat, they became stubborn. When they were filled with food, they became fat and heavy. They left the God who made them. They turned away from the Rock who saved them.They made him jealous by serving false gods. They made him angry by worshiping statues of gods. He hated those gods.The people sacrificed to those false gods, not to God. They hadn’t known anything about those false gods. Those gods were new to them. Their people of long ago didn’t worship them.But then they deserted the Rock. He was their Father. They forgot the God who created them.When the Lord saw this, he turned away from them. His sons and daughters made him angry.“ I will turn my face away from them,” he said.“ I will see what will happen to them in the end. They are sinful people. They are unfaithful children.

But I brought them into the land. I had promised to give the land to them. Then they offered sacrifices that made me very angry. They did it on every high hill and under every green tree. There they brought their sweet- smelling incense. And there they poured out their drink offerings.

Here is something you must remember. Never forget it. You made the Lord your God angry in the desert. You refused to obey him from the day you left Egypt until you arrived here.

The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people. But they didn’t pay any attention to him.

“ You who are now living, consider my message. I am saying,“ Have I been like a desert to Israel? Have I been like a land of deep darkness? Why do my people say,‘ We are free to wander. We won’t come to you anymore’?

“‘ “But in the desert the people of Israel refused to obey me. They did not follow my rules. They turned their backs on my laws. The person who obeys them will live by them. They totally misused my Sabbath days. So I said I would pour out my great anger on them. I would destroy them in the desert.

We have sinned, just as our people of long ago did. We too have done what is evil and wrong.When our people were in Egypt, they forgot about the Lord’ s miracles. They didn’t remember his many kind acts. At the Red Sea they refused to obey him.But he saved them for the honor of his name. He did it to make his mighty power known.He ordered the Red Sea to dry up, and it did. He led his people through it as if it were a desert.He saved them from the power of their enemies. He set them free from their control.The waters covered their enemies. Not one of them escaped alive.Then his people believed his promises and sang praise to him.But they soon forgot what he had done. They didn’t wait for what he had planned to happen.In the desert they longed for food. In that dry and empty land they tested God.So he gave them what they asked for. But he also sent a sickness that killed many of them.In their camp some of them became jealous of Moses and Aaron. Aaron had been set apart to serve the Lord.The ground opened up and swallowed Dathan. It buried Abiram and his followers.Fire blazed among all of them. Flames destroyed those evil people.At Mount Horeb they made a metal statue of a bull calf. They worshiped that statue of a god.They traded their glorious God for a statue of a bull that eats grass.They forgot the God who saved them. They forgot the God who had done great things in Egypt.They forgot the miracles he did in the land of Ham. They forgot the wonderful things he did by the Red Sea.So he said he would destroy them. But Moses, his chosen one, stood up for them. He kept God’s anger from destroying them.Later on, they refused to enter the pleasant land of Canaan. They didn’t believe God’s promise.In their tents they told the Lord how unhappy they were. They didn’t obey him.So he lifted up his hand and promised that he would make them die in the desert.He promised he would scatter their children’s children among the nations. He would make them die in other lands.They joined in worshiping the Baal that was worshiped at Peor. They ate food that had been offered to gods that aren’t even alive.Their evil ways made the Lord angry. So a plague broke out among them.But Phinehas stood up and took action. Then the plague stopped.What Phinehas did made him right with the Lord. It will be remembered for all time to come.By the waters of Meribah the Lord’ s people made him angry. Moses got in trouble because of them.They refused to obey the Spirit of God. So Moses spoke without thinking.They didn’t destroy the nations in Canaan as the Lord had commanded them.Instead, they mixed with those nations and adopted their ways.They worshiped statues of their gods. That became a trap for them.They sacrificed their sons and daughters as offerings to false gods.They killed those who weren’t guilty of doing anything wrong. They killed their own sons and daughters. They sacrificed them as offerings to statues of the gods of Canaan. The land became“ unclean” because of the blood of their children.The people made themselves impure by what they had done. They weren’t faithful to the Lord.So the Lord became angry with his people. He turned away from his own children.He handed them over to the nations. Their enemies ruled over them.Their enemies treated them badly and kept them under their power.Many times the Lord saved them. But they refused to obey him. So he destroyed them because of their sins.Yet he heard them when they cried out. He paid special attention to their suffering.Because they were his people, he remembered his covenant. Because of his great love, he felt sorry for them.He made all those who held them as prisoners have mercy on them.Lord our God, save us. Bring us back from among the nations. Then we will give thanks to you, because your name is holy. We will celebrate by praising you.Give praise to the Lord, the God of Israel, for ever and ever. Let all the people say,“ Amen!” Praise the Lord.