¹³ Your words have been strong against me, says the Lord. And still you say, What have we said against you?

¹⁷ You have made the Lord tired with your words. And still you say, How have we made him tired? By your saying, Everyone who does evil is good in the eyes of the Lord, and he has delight in them; or, Where is God the judge?

⁴ Who puts himself against all authority, lifting himself up over all which is named God or is given worship; so that he takes his seat in the Temple of God, putting himself forward as God.

²⁰ But, O man, who are you, to make answer against God? May the thing which is made say to him who made it, Why did you make me so?

⁸ Will a man keep back from God what is right? But you have kept back what is mine. But you say, What have we kept back from you? Tenths and offerings.

¹⁴ But you say, For what reason? Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your early years, to whom you have been untrue, though she is your friend and the wife to whom you have given your word.

⁶ A son gives honour to his father, and a servant has fear of his master: if then I am a father, where is my honour? and if I am a master, where is the fear of me? says the Lord of armies to you, O priests, who give no value to my name. And you say, How have we not given value to your name?

⁷ You put unclean bread on my altar. And you say, How have we made it unclean? By your saying, The table of the Lord is of no value.

⁸ And when you give what is blind for an offering, it is no evil! and when you give what is damaged and ill, it is no evil! Give it now to your ruler; will he be pleased with you, or will you have his approval? says the Lord of armies.

¹² Let them be put to shame because they have done disgusting things. They had no shame, they were not able to become red with shame: so they will come down with those who are falling: in the time of their punishment they will be made low, says the Lord.

²³ Against whom have you said evil and bitter things? and against whom has your voice been loud and your eyes lifted up? even against the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁴ Give ear then to the word of the Lord, you men of pride, the rulers of this people in Jerusalem:

¹⁵ Because you have said, We have made death our friend, and with the underworld we have made an agreement; when the overflowing waters come through they will not come near us; for we are looking to false words for help, taking cover in what is untrue:

¹⁹ Who say, Let him do his work quickly, let him make it sudden, so that we may see it: let the design of the Holy One of Israel come near, so that it may be clear to us.

¹¹ He says in his heart, God has no memory of me: his face is turned away; he will never see it.

⁸ Let them be covered together in the dust; let their faces be dark in the secret place of the underworld.

⁷ What man is like Job, a man who freely makes sport of God,

⁸ And goes in the company of evil-doers, walking in the way of sinners?

¹⁴ Who was there among all the gods of those nations, which my fathers put to destruction, who was able to keep his people safe from my hands? and is it possible that your God will keep you safe from my hands?

¹⁵ So do not be tricked by Hezekiah or let him get you to do this, and do not put any faith in what he says: for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to keep his people safe from my hands, or the hands of my fathers: how much less will your God keep you safe from my hands!

¹⁶ And his servants said even more against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah.

¹⁷ And he sent letters, in addition, to put shame on the Lord, the God of Israel, and to say evil against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not been able to keep their people safe from my hands, no more will the God of Hezekiah keep his people safe from my hands.

¹⁸ These things they said, crying out with a loud voice in the Jews' language, to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, with the purpose of troubling them and putting fear into them, so that they might take the town;

¹⁹ Talking of the God of Jerusalem as if he was like the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of men's hands.

² And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, to whose voice I am to give ear and let Israel go? I have no knowledge of the Lord and I will not let Israel go.