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The Wickedness of Judah

² Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth;
   for the Lord has spoken:
I reared children and brought them up,
   but they have rebelled against me.
³ The ox knows its owner,
   and the donkey its master’s crib;
but Israel does not know,
   my people do not understand.

⁴ Ah, sinful nation,
   people laden with iniquity,
offspring who do evil,
   children who deal corruptly,
who have forsaken the Lord,
   who have despised the Holy One of Israel,
   who are utterly estranged!

⁵ Why do you seek further beatings?
   Why do you continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
   and the whole heart faint.
⁶ From the sole of the foot even to the head,
   there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
   and bleeding wounds;
they have not been drained, or bound up,
   or softened with oil.

⁷ Your country lies desolate,
   your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
   aliens devour your land;
   it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
⁸ And daughter Zion is left
   like a booth in a vineyard,
like a shelter in a cucumber field,
   like a besieged city.
⁹ If the Lord of hosts
   had not left us a few survivors,
we would have been like Sodom,
   and become like Gomorrah.

The Degenerate City

²¹ How the faithful city
   has become a whore!
   She that was full of justice,
righteousness lodged in her—
   but now murderers!
²² Your silver has become dross,
   your wine is mixed with water.
²³ Your princes are rebels
   and companions of thieves.
Everyone loves a bribe
   and runs after gifts.
They do not defend the orphan,
   and the widow’s cause does not come before them.