² Seeing -- Me day by day they seek, And the knowledge of My ways they desire, As a nation that righteousness hath done, And the judgment of its God hath not forsaken, They ask of me judgments of righteousness, The drawing near of God they desire:

¹⁶ God they profess to know, and in the works they deny `Him', being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work disapproved.

¹³ And the Lord saith: Because drawn near hath this people, with its mouth, And with its lips they have honoured Me, And its heart it hath put far off from Me, And their fear of Me is -- A precept of men is taught!

⁷ `Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

⁸ This people doth draw nigh to Me with their mouth, and with the lips it doth honour Me, but their heart is far off from Me;

⁹ and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings -- commands of men.'

¹ Having put aside, then, all evil, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envyings, and all evil speakings,

² as new-born babes the word's pure milk desire ye, that in it ye may grow,

⁸ draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you; cleanse hands, ye sinners! and purify hearts, ye two-souled!

²¹ wherefore having put aside all filthiness and superabundance of evil, in meekness be receiving the engrafted word, that is able to save your souls;

²² and become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,

⁴ for `it is' impossible for those once enlightened, having tasted also of the heavenly gift, and partakers having became of the Holy Spirit,

⁵ and did taste the good saying of God, the powers also of the coming age,

⁶ and having fallen away, again to renew `them' to reformation, having crucified again to themselves the Son of God, and exposed to public shame.

³⁵ he was the burning and shining lamp, and ye did will to be glad, for an hour, in his light.

¹⁴ and they having come, say to him, `Teacher, we have known that thou art true, and thou art not caring for any one, for thou dost not look to the face of men, but in truth the way of God dost teach; is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? may we give, or may we not give?'

²⁰ for Herod was fearing John, knowing him a man righteous and holy, and was keeping watch over him, and having heard him, was doing many things, and hearing him gladly.

¹⁶ `And these are they, in like manner, who on the rocky ground are sown: who, whenever they may hear the word, immediately with joy do receive it,

¹⁷ and have not root in themselves, but are temporary; afterward tribulation or persecution having come because of the word, immediately they are stumbled.

³⁰ And thou, son of man, the sons of thy people who are speaking about thee, By the walls, and in openings of the houses, Have spoken one with another, each with his brother, Saying: Come in, I pray you, And hear what `is' the word that cometh out from Jehovah.

³¹ And they come in unto thee as the coming in of a people, And they sit before thee -- My people, And have heard thy words, and they do them not, For doting loves with their mouth they are making, After their dishonest gain their heart is going.

³² And lo, thou `art' to them as a singer of doting loves, A pleasant voice, and playing well on an instrument, And they have heard thy words, and they are not doing them.

³³ And in its coming in -- lo, it hath come, And they have known that a prophet hath been in their midst!'

²⁰ for ye have shewed yourselves perverse in your souls, for ye sent me unto Jehovah your God, saying, Pray for us unto Jehovah our God, and according to all that Jehovah our God saith, so declare to us, and we have done `it';

² and they say unto Jeremiah the prophet, `Let, we pray thee, our supplication fall before thee, and pray for us unto Jehovah thy God, for all this remnant; for we have been left a few out of many, as thine eyes do see us;

¹ Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, Who are called by the name of Israel, And from the waters of Judah came out, Who are swearing by the name of Jehovah, And of the God of Israel make mention, Not in truth nor in righteousness.

² For from the Holy City they have been called, And on the God of Israel been supported, Jehovah of Hosts `is' His name.

¹¹ `Why to Me the abundance of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah, I have been satiated `with' burnt-offerings of rams, And fat of fatlings; And blood of bullocks, and lambs, And he-goats I have not desired.

¹² When ye come in to appear before Me, Who hath required this of your hand, To trample My courts?

¹³ Add not to bring in a vain present, Incense -- an abomination it `is' to Me, New moon, and sabbath, calling of convocation! Rendure not iniquity -- and a restraint!

¹⁴ Your new moons and your set seasons hath My soul hated, They have been upon me for a burden, I have been weary of bearing.

¹⁵ And in your spreading forth your hands, I hide mine eyes from you, Also when ye increase prayer, I do not hear, Your hands of blood have been full.

⁸ The sacrifice of the wicked `is' an abomination to Jehovah, And the prayer of the upright `is' His delight.

²¹ and the people taketh of the spoil of the flock and herd, the first part of the devoted thing, for sacrifice to Jehovah thy God in Gilgal.'

²² And Samuel saith, `Hath Jehovah had delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as `in' hearkening to the voice of Jehovah? lo, hearkening than sacrifice is better; to give attention than fat of rams;

²³ for a sin of divination `is' rebellion, and iniquity and teraphim `is' stubbornness; because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, He also doth reject thee from `being' king.'

²⁴ And Saul saith unto Samuel, `I have sinned, for I passed over the command of Jehovah, and thy words; because I have feared the people, I also hearken to their voice;

²⁵ and now, bear, I pray thee, with my sin, and turn back with me, and I bow myself to Jehovah.'

²⁸ `And Jehovah heareth the voice of your words, in your speaking unto me, and Jehovah saith unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken unto thee; they have done well `in' all that they have spoken.

²⁹ O that their heart had been thus to them, to fear Me, and to keep My commands all the days, that it may be well with them, and with their sons -- to the age!