Divine Warning!

“…to the wicked God says, who are you to recite my laws and mouth the terms of my covenant, seeing that you spurn my discipline and brush my words aside?

When you see a thief, you fall in with him and throw in your lot with adulterers; you devote your mouth to evil and yoke your tongue to deceit. You are busy maligning your brother defaming the son of your mother.

If I failed to act when you did these things, you would fancy that I was like you, so I censure you and confront you with charges.”

“…those who haul sin with cords of falsehood and iniquity or with cart ropes! Who say, let him speed, let him hasten his purpose if we are to give thought; let the plans of the Holy One of Israel be quickly fulfilled if we are to give heed…

those who call evil good and good evil; who present darkness as light and light as darkness; who present bitter as sweet and sweet as bitter!

Those who are so wise in their own opinion, so clever in their own judgement! Those who are so doughty as drinkers of wine and so valiant as mixers of drink? Who vindicate him who is in the wrong in return for a bribe and withhold vindication from him who is in the right.”

“Take heed you most brutish people! Fools, when will you get wisdom? Shall he who implants the ear not hear? He who forms the eye not see? Shall he who disciplines nations not punish he who instructs men in knowledge? The Lord knows the designs of men to be futile…

“Man does not abide in honor; he is like the beasts that perish. Such is the fate of those who are self-confident, the end of those pleased with their own talk. Sheeplike they head for Sheol, with Death as their shepherd.”

“But you invent lies; all of you are quacks. If only you would keep quiet, it would be considered wisdom on your part. 

Hear now my arguments, listen to my pleading, Will you speak unjustly on God’s behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him? Will you be partial toward him? Will you plead God’s cause? Will it go well when he examines you? Will you fool him as one fools men? He will surely reprove you if in your heart you are partial toward him.”

“For your hands are defiled with crime and your fingers with iniquity. Your lips speak falsehood; your tongue utters treachery. No one sues justly or pleads honestly; they rely on emptiness and speak falsehood concerning wrong and begetting evil….

And we know well our iniquities: Rebellion, faithlessness to the Lord and turning away from our God, planning fraud and treachery, conceiving lies and uttering them with the throat.

And so, redress is turned back and vindication stays afar because honesty stumbles in the public square and uprightness cannot enter; honesty has been lacking and he who turns away from evil is despoiled.”