¹⁸ Wo `to' those drawing out iniquity with cords of vanity, And as `with' thick ropes of the cart -- sin.

¹⁴ And in prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing, Committing adultery, and walking falsely, Yea, they strengthened the hands of evil doers, So that they have not turned back Each from his wickedness, They have been to me -- all of them -- as Sodom, And its inhabitants as Gomorrah.

¹⁰ For of adulterers hath the land been full, For because of these hath the land mourned, Dried up hath been the pleasant places of the wilderness, And their course is evil, and their might -- not right.

¹⁵ And Jeremiah the prophet saith unto Hananiah the prophet, `Hear, I pray thee, O Hananiah; Jehovah hath not sent thee, and thou hast caused this people to trust on falsehood.

¹⁶ Therefore thus said Jehovah, Lo, I am casting thee from off the face of the ground; this year thou diest, for apostacy thou hast spoken concerning Jehovah.'

¹⁵ And they answer Jeremiah -- all the men who are knowing that their wives are making perfume to other gods, and all the women who are remaining, a great assembly, even all the people who are dwelling in the land of Egypt, in Pathros -- saying:

¹⁶ `The word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of Jehovah -- we are not hearkening unto thee;

¹⁷ for we certainly do everything that hath gone out of our mouth, to make perfume to the queen of the heavens, and to pour out to her libations, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our heads, in cities of Judah, and in streets of Jerusalem, and -- we are satisfied with bread, and we are well, and evil we have not seen.

¹⁸ `And from the time we have ceased to make perfume to the queen of the heavens, and to pour out to her libations, we have lacked all, and by sword and by famine we have been consumed,

¹⁹ and when we are making perfume to the queen of the heavens, and pouring out to her libations -- without our husbands have we made for her cakes to idolize her, and to pour out to her libations?'

¹⁰ Because, even because, they did cause My people to err, Saying, Peace! and there is no peace, And that one is building a wall, And lo, they are daubing it with chalk.

¹¹ Say to those daubing with chalk -- It falleth, There hath been an overflowing shower, And ye, O hailstones, do fall, And a tempestuous wind doth rend,

²² Because of paining the heart of the righteous with falsehood, And I have not pained it, And strengthening the hands of the wicked, So as not to turn back from his evil way, To keep him alive,

¹² And it hath come to pass, at that time, I search Jerusalem with lights, And I have laid a charge on the men Who are hardened on their preserved things, Who are saying in their heart: Jehovah doth no good, nor doth He evil.

² out of the synagogues they will put you; but an hour doth come, that every one who hath killed you, may think to offer service unto God;

⁹ `I, indeed, therefore, thought with myself, that against the name of Jesus of Nazareth it behoved `me' many things to do,

²⁴ Is any one hidden in secret places, And I see him not? an affirmation of Jehovah, Do not I fill the heavens and the earth? An affirmation of Jehovah.

⁵ Wherefore hath this people of Jerusalem Turned back -- a perpetual backsliding? They have kept hold on deceit, They have refused to turn back.

⁶ I have given attention, yea, I hearken, They do not speak right, No man hath repented of his wickedness, Saying, What have I done? Every one hath turned to his courses, As a horse is rushing into battle.

⁷ Even a stork in the heavens hath known her seasons, And turtle, and swallow, and crane, Have watched the time of their coming, And -- My people have not known the judgment of Jehovah.

⁸ How do ye say, We `are' wise, And the law of Jehovah `is' with us? Surely, lo, falsely it hath wrought, The false pen of scribes.

⁹ Ashamed have been the wise, They have been affrighted, and are captured, Lo, against a word of Jehovah they kicked, And the wisdom of what -- have they?

³¹ The prophets have prophesied falsely, And the priests bear rule by their means, And My people have loved `it' so, And what do they at its latter end?

¹³ and Micah saith, `Now I have known that Jehovah doth good to me, for the Levite hath been to me for a priest.'

²⁰ And Absalom saith unto Ahithophel, `Give for you counsel what we do.'

²¹ And Ahithophel saith unto Absalom, `Go in unto the concubines of thy father, whom he left to keep the house, and all Israel hath heard that thou hast been abhorred by thy father, and the hands of all who `are' with thee have been strong.'

²² And they spread out for Absalom the tent on the roof, and Absalom goeth in unto the concubines of his father before the eyes of all Israel.

²³ And the counsel of Ahithophel which he counselled in those days `is' as `when' one inquireth at the word of God; so `is' all the counsel of Ahithophel both to David and to Absalom.

¹¹ He said in his heart, `God hath forgotten, He hath hid His face, He hath never seen.'

¹ To the Overseer. -- By David. A fool hath said in his heart, `God is not;' They have done corruptly, They have done abominable actions, There is not a doer of good.

² For he made `it' smooth to himself in his eyes, To find his iniquity to be hated.

⁵ Thy people, O Jehovah, they bruise, And Thine inheritance they afflict.

⁶ Widow and sojourner they slay, And fatherless ones they murder.

⁷ And they say, `Jehovah doth not see, And the God of Jacob doth not consider.'

⁸ Consider, ye brutish among the people, And ye foolish, when do ye act wisely?

⁹ He who planteth the ear doth He not hear? He who formeth the eye doth He not see?

¹⁰ He who is instructing nations, Doth He not reprove? He who is teaching man knowledge `is' Jehovah.

¹¹ He knoweth the thoughts of man, that they `are' vanity.

¹⁵ Because ye have said: `We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a provision, An overflowing scourge, when it passeth over, Doth not meet us, Though we have made a lie our refuge, And in falsehood have been hidden.'

⁴ There is none calling in righteousness, And there is none pleading in faithfulness, Trusting on emptiness, and speaking falsehood, Conceiving perverseness, and bearing iniquity.

⁵ Eggs of a viper they have hatched, And webs of a spider they weave, Whoso is eating their eggs doth die, And the crushed hatcheth a viper.

⁶ Their webs become not a garment, Nor do they cover themselves with their works, Their works `are' works of iniquity, And a deed of violence `is' in their hands.

⁷ Their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed innocent blood, Their thoughts `are' thoughts of iniquity, Spoiling and destruction `are' in their highways.

⁸ A way of peace they have not known, And there is no judgment in their paths, Their paths they have made perverse for themselves, No treader in it hath known peace.

⁵ As to the man Micah, he hath a house of gods, and he maketh an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrateth the hand of one of his sons, and he is to him for a priest;