⁶ They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek Jehovah; but they shall not find him: he hath withdrawn himself from them.

⁶ Wherewith shall I come before Jehovah, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old?

⁷ will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, `or' with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

²⁸ Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me:

³⁴ Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, ye cannot come.

⁶ And he said unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel do commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but thou shalt again see yet other great abominations.

⁴⁴ Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.

⁴ Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, are these.

¹¹ What unto me is the multitude of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah: I have had enough of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats.

¹² When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to trample my courts?

¹³ Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; new moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies,- I cannot away with iniquity and the solemn meeting.

¹⁴ Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are a trouble unto me; I am weary of bearing them.

¹⁵ And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

⁸ The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Jehovah; But the prayer of the upright is his delight.

¹⁶ But he withdrew himself in the deserts, and prayed.

²¹ I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

²² Yea, though ye offer me your burnt-offerings and meal-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts.

²³ Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.

¹⁸ Therefore will I also deal in wrath; mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.

¹¹ Therefore thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and they shall cry unto me, but I will not hearken unto them.

³ He that killeth an ox is as he that slayeth a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as he that breaketh a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, `as he that offereth' swine's blood; he that burneth frankincense, as he that blesseth an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations:

⁶ I opened to my beloved; But my beloved had withdrawn himself, `and' was gone. My soul had failed me when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

²⁷ The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination: How much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind!

²⁴ And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve Jehovah; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.

²⁵ And Moses said, Thou must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt-offerings, that we may sacrifice unto Jehovah our God.

²⁶ Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind: for thereof must we take to serve Jehovah our God; and we know not with what we must serve Jehovah, until we come thither.

⁹ And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto Jehovah.

⁴ Then shall they cry unto Jehovah, but he will not answer them; yea, he will hide his face from them at that time, according as they have wrought evil in their doings.