Joshua 8

WEEK   19                                            Joshua 8  

TUESDAY  Reflections

After the defeat at Ai, the judgment on Achan, and now the victory over Ai, Joshua takes time to teach the people why things happened the way they did. Joshua made this time a teachable moment (verse 34-35). This was a great time to review, it wasn't a lecture on how bad they were but an explanation on why everything unfolded as it did.

I believe we are too often good about pointing out what should have happened when life goes wrong rather than explaining why life went right. I don't remember where I read it but I have heard this taught before. After a while, if the only time you are taught is when you do wrong then you stop listening.  

Jos 8:1-35
(1)  And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:
(2)  And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.
(3)  So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night.
(4)  And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:
(5)  And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them,
(6)  (For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them.
(7)  Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.
(8)  And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.
(9)  Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.
(10)  And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.
(11)  And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai.
(12)  And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.
(13)  And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
(14)  And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city.
(15)  And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
(16)  And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.
(17)  And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.
(18)  And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city.
(19)  And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.
(20)  And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
(21)  And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.
(22)  And the other issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.
(23)  And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
(24)  And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
(25)  And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai.
(26)  For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.
(27)  Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua.
(28)  And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day.
(29)  And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day.
(30)  Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal,
(31)  As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.
(32)  And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.
(33)  And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.
(34)  And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.
(35)  There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.

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Joshua 7 The cost of rebuilding

The cost of sin

WEEK   19                                             Joshua 7   

MONDAY  Reflections

Joshua chapter 7 could cause people to cry, "That's not fair!" We see Achan disobeying God by taking spoils from the battle of Jericho he wasn’t supposed to take. However, because of his actions, Israel loses the next battle. Once he had been discovered, he and all of his family are killed. It just doesn’t seem fair to many, especially with God making it very clear in the law that only those responsible for a crime are supposed to pay for it. So, what is the deal?

 

First, God knows, and we see it here, that the actions of others can cause devastating repercussions on others, especially family. Many people who are abusers were the children of abusers. The same is seen with alcoholics and other failings. The problem doesn’t end with family as the drunk driver affects those who are in no way related to them. We know the big names, Hitler, Stalin, just to name a couple, but what we don’t realize are the little names which we will never know that have changed our lives forever. We don’t know but the woman who was going to give us the cure for cancer may have been killed because someone took a shortcut on her brake job.

 

Second, God’s command was for us to only hold those who have done wrong responsible. God, who knows all, does what is right on a greater scale than we could imagine. Here God gives an example to the children of Israel in a dramatic way just how powerful the actions of one person are to a nation and to a family.

 

We have talked about how the actions of a parent affect the rest of the family some, but you may not realize the actions of one person can change the outcome of a battle. If you like him or not Stonewall Jackson’s actions in the first major land-based confrontation of the civil war changed what could have been a quick victory for the north into a long-drawn-out conflict (It is possible without the drawn-out conflict the 13th amendment may not have passed until years later). This is just one example, though God didn’t allow Achan’s actions to continue to their logical end but allowed a defeat to teach Israel what disobedience cost. We have to trust that God knew he was doing the right thing.

 

We may not like God’s way here, but he knows more than we do. Some may wish that Stonewall Jackson had failed thus ending the civil war quickly and saving tens of thousands of lives. Personally, though the cost was great in human lives, the idea that the sin of slavery could have gone on for possibly decades longer is inconceivable.

Jos 7:1-26
(1)  But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
(2)  And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
(3)  And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.
(4)  So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
(5)  And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
(6)  And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.
(7)  And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!
(8)  O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!
(9)  For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
(10)  And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
(11)  Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
(12)  Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
(13)  Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
(14)  In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man.
(15)  And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
(16)  So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:
(17)  And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:
(18)  And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
(19)  And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.
(20)  And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
(21)  When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
(22)  So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.
(23)  And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.
(24)  And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.
(25)  And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
(26)  And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

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Jeremiah 3

WEEK   18                                           Jeremiah  3

SATURDAY  Reflections

Repeating in Jeremiah and most of the prophets is the image of the unfaithful spouse. God is filled with anger, but as you read God repeatedly says he will take them back if only they would return to Him (verse 1, 12, 13, 14, 22). What sometimes is hard to see is God's patience. God doesn't hold back forever (verse 5), but he tries, again and again, to convince His people to return to him. 

 

The verses which catch my attention are God's continued anger with Judah under King Josiah. Josiah was a good and great king (2 Kings 22-23). Josiah had the Book of the Law read to the people, reinstituted the Passover, and destroyed idol worship all across his kingdom. Yet, the heart of the people was not truly changed. They had all the advantages and heard the truth but as soon as Josiah was gone they returned to their pagan practices.

 

God believes to whom much is given much is required. This is why Judah was in greater danger than Israel who had never had a righteous king. This is a warning to those of us who have lived in places where we could easily receive Bible teachings and live it without fear of retribution. God is expecting us to use what we have been given. With great power comes... (if you’re a nerd you know the rest).  

Jer 3:1-25
(1)  They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.
(2)  Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.
(3)  Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.
(4)  Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?
(5)  Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.
(6)  The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
(7)  And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
(8)  And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
(9)  And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
(10)  And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.
(11)  And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.
(12)  Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.
(13)  Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.
(14)  Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
(15)  And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
(16)  And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.
(17)  At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.
(18)  In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.
(19)  But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.
(20)  Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
(21)  A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.
(22)  Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.
(23)  Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.
(24)  For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
(25)  We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.

Joshua 6

WEEK 18                                             Joshua 6    

FRIDAY  Reflections

The battle strategy for conquering Jericho was crazy. Let's wear out the people before the attack. Yet the message God was sending was clear, "Victory isn't going to be won on your strength."

The scripture that has grabbed my attention is Joshua's curse on the person who rebuilds Jericho (verse 23). Why was rebuilding this city so wrong? To understand this we have to understand two things, first, this city was to be given to God. None of the spoils from this city was to be taken by Israel. All of the silver, gold, brass, and iron went to the tabernacle. This was Israel's firstfruits offering (as it were) from the battles which were to be fought. Second, by rebuilding this city a person was taking what belonged to God not to mention hiding and thus stealing the evidence of God's victory.

I don't know about you but stealing from God seems like a bad idea. This is something which would have serious consequences. We see this curse become a prophecy fulfilled in 1 Kings 16:34.

Jos 6:1-27
(1)  Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
(2)  And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
(3)  And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
(4)  And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
(5)  And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.
(6)  And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD.
(7)  And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.
(8)  And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.
(9)  And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
(10)  And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.
(11)  So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
(12)  And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
(13)  And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
(14)  And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.
(15)  And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.
(16)  And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.
(17)  And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
(18)  And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
(19)  But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.
(20)  So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
(21)  And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.
(22)  But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.
(23)  And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.
(24)  And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.
(25)  And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
(26)  And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
(27)  So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.

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2 Thessalonians 2

WEEK   18                             2 Thessalonians 2

THURSDAY  Reflections

2 Thessalonians 2 looks at the mystery of what is called the End Times. Every End Times scholar interprets this scripture differently depending on their outlook. However, I want to highlight what I believe Paul was trying to emphasize, that we shouldn't worry about it.

Paul at the be beginning of the chapter says don't be shaken or worried and the end of the chapter he tells the believers to be concerned about doing and living right. If we are living as God wants us to live and doing what God wants us to do, then it doesn't matter when Jesus is coming back or what is happening before then.

Jer 2:1-37
(1)  Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
(2)  Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
(3)  Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.
(4)  Hear ye the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel:
(5)  Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
(6)  Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?
(7)  And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.
(8)  The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.
(9)  Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the LORD, and with your children's children will I plead.
(10)  For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing.
(11)  Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.
(12)  Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.
(13)  For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
(14)  Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled?
(15)  The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant.
(16)  Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of thy head.
(17)  Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, when he led thee by the way?
(18)  And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?
(19)  Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
(20)  For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.
(21)  Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?
(22)  For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.
(23)  How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways;
(24)  A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.
(25)  Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.
(26)  As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,
(27)  Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.
(28)  But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.
(29)  Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the LORD.
(30)  In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.
(31)  O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee?
(32)  Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.
(33)  Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.
(34)  Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.
(35)  Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.
(36)  Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.
(37)  Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the LORD hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them.

Photo by Brooke Campbell on Unsplash