¹⁴ Ye have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before Jehovah of hosts?

³ Wherefore have we fasted, `say they', and thou seest not? `wherefore' have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find `your own' pleasure, and exact all your labors.

¹² And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps; and I will punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart, Jehovah will not do good, neither will he do evil.

⁹ Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

³ `and' to speak unto the priests of the house of Jehovah of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?

⁴ Then came the word of Jehovah of hosts unto me, saying,

⁵ Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh `month', even these seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?

⁶ And when ye eat, and when ye drink, do not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

¹² Yet even now, saith Jehovah, turn ye unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

⁸ They scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression: They speak loftily.

⁹ They have set their mouth in the heavens, And their tongue walketh through the earth.

¹⁰ Therefore his people return hither: And waters of a full `cup' are drained by them.

¹¹ And they say, How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?

¹² Behold, these are the wicked; And, being alway at ease, they increase in riches.

¹³ Surely in vain have I cleansed my heart, And washed my hands in innocency;

³ That thou sayest, What advantage will it be unto thee? `And', What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?

⁹ For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing That he should delight himself with God.

¹⁷ Who said unto God, Depart from us; And, What can the Almighty do for us?

¹⁴ And they say unto God, Depart from us; For we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

¹⁵ What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?